Nothing seems to have gone right for Derby County this season and that’s both on and off the field. It’s definitely been one of those seasons.
Phillip Cocu was let go in mid-November after a horror run of results that would have blanched the hardiest of Rams fans.
His replacement was, after a four-man interim team, striker-cum-midfielder Wayne Rooney who retired from the playing side of things to take on the management role.
Things started to look up but the Rams were soon dragged back into a relegation battle that they succeeded in at the death – a 3-3 draw and a Cardiff City equaliser against Rotherham enough to keep Rooney’s side up.
The trouble is, it isn’t just the playing side of things that are of worry. Behind the scenes, in the corridors of power, there are rumblings and discontent.
READ: Comment: Derby County takeover mess is the reason why EFL must always be prepared to step in
Derby County takeover woes – Nixon’s hope
News has been bouncing around since last weekend that the Rams could be hit by a points deduction after the EFL emerged victorious from their appeal against how Derby measured the falling value of their players over the duration of their contracts.
With all that going on there was news coming through that the club was pulling away from a takeover bid fronted by ex-Sheffield Wednesday advisor Erik Alonso with whom they were set “to scrap negotiations with.”
However, reporter Alan Nixon did give a degree of hope that all is not lost on the takeover front with a story in the Sun on Sunday (16.05.21, pg. 59). This Nixon article mentioned that there were multiple interested parties interested in taking over at Pride Park.
Here’s what Nixon tweeted earlier today in support of his story in the Sun on Sunday:
Derby County. Live bidders plural. Top insiders also hinting that points penalty could be less on appeal if new ownership in place down the line.
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) May 16, 2021
Those “live bidders plural” obviously stand in place of the fallen-by-the-wayside bids from Derventio Holdings and Alonso’s No Limits Sports.
Yet, there seems to be further interest from a third party that Nixon reveals after being asked a question by a fan:
There’s two that I know of and a third that I don’t think gets off the ground https://t.co/uDCGFKXhjg
— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) May 16, 2021
Even though Nixon doesn’t think the third bidder has the legs to get it off the ground, news that a further two involved must be a boost to any flagging feelings that Rams fans might be having.