This article is part of Football League World's 'The Verdict' series, which provides personal opinions from the FLW writers regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County's abysmal start to the 2020/21 season continued on Wednesday evening, after they were downed 3-0 by Neil Warnock's Middlesbrough at the Riverside.

The Rams currently sit rock bottom of the Sky Bet Championship after 12 games, and are currently on the hunt for a manager to replace Phillip Cocu who was relieved of his duties at Pride Park.

But, who should the next man through the door at Derby be?

The team here at FLW discuss....

Alfie Burns

Tough, tough question that I don’t really know the answer to.

Personally, the standout candidate is probably Eddie Howe. He’s been on Sky recently stating he wants a route back into the game and I think the Derby job would be a good one for him.

However, your names like Wayne Rooney and John Terry aren’t going away and I think Derby will end up going for one of that pair.

That’s a mistake in my opinion. In terms of Rooney, Derby need him playing and his focus on that, whereas Terry is still learning and this is now a massive job given the Rams’ place in the table.

I’d be chasing Howe, but I don’t think Derby are.

Toby Wilding

For me, I think Paul Cook makes a lot of sense.

Given the situation Derby find themselves in currently, someone with Cook's experience and record of battling relegation at this level would surely be a useful boost for the Rams as they look to get out of trouble.

Indeed, with Cook currently out of work, he would be available to bring in quickly, without the hassle of having to negotiate and potentially pay any sort of compensation to another club.

It is also worth noting that with Derby having signed David Marshall and Nathan Byrne from Cook's old club Wigan in the summer, he will already be familiar with some of the players he would be taking charge helping, potentially helping him to settle in at Pride Park quicker, and getting the best out of the squad available to him.

 

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Jacob Potter

I think they need an experienced head like Eddie Howe in charge.

He really impressed me in his tenure with Bournemouth over the years, and he should be Derby's top target as their new manager.

I'm not convinced that an inexperienced manager like Wayne Rooney or John Terry are suited to the permanent role in charge of the Rams, so Howe would be my first choice.

Derby are in real trouble already this season, and they simply can't afford to take a risk with this managerial appointment, as if it goes wrong, then they could be facing an unthinkable relegation into the third-tier of English football.

Howe is a talented manager, and someone that I think could take the club forward and to the next level, despite Derby's struggles in the early stages of this year's campaign.

It should be a no-brainer for the Rams.