Former Derby County striker Kevin Wilson has claimed that the team are showing positive signs under Phillip Cocu and will climb up the Championship table soon.

The Dutch coach took over at Pride Park in the summer and has made a shaky start to his tenure.

The Rams are 16th in the Championship–seven points short of the play-off places after around a third of the season gone.

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It was always going to be tough for Cocu after the success Derby had under Frank Lampard last season.

With Lampard at the helm, the Rams finished sixth in the Championship and made it to the play-off final.

The Championship side have turned their form around at home recently–winning four in a row in the league at Pride Park–and, speaking to the Derby Telegraph, Wilson has suggested things are looking positive under Cocu, despite the tough start.

He said: “I do see progress and to be honest it has been a baptism of fire for the manager, on and off the field.

"It hasn’t been easy for him, of course. He came in late in the summer and had to make some changes and go straight into pre-season.

“As we’ve said before, he lost around 30 goals in the summer with Harry Wilson and Mason Mount going back to their parent clubs after impressive loan spells. It wasn’t going to be easy.”

He added: “I can see positive signs and now it’s about getting the positive results on the road that we’ve seen at Pride Park. We need to keep going, believe in what we’re doing and I am sure the team will climb the table.

“We need to focus on the positives away from home and especially in the last few games, obviously now it’s about getting the ball in the back of the net which will make a huge difference. I think when it comes together there will be a lot of confidence spreading through the side.”

Derby face a difficult run of fixtures after the international break, with high-flying Preston North End and Fulham, who have arguably the best squad in the division, their next two opponents.

The Verdict

You have to agree with Wilson here, things were always likely to be tough for Cocu after succeeding Lampard and losing a number of key players in the summer.

The saga involving the drink-driving incident and Richard Keogh's sacking will likely have been difficult for the Dutchman as well but there have indeed been some positive signs recently.

If the Rams are going to have any chance of a spot in the top six, you feel they will need to turn things around soon.