The old adage is that you can never quite be sure what to expect from the opening day of the Championship season: and never has that felt more appropriate than it did here. Wayne Rooney would almost certainly not agree given the fierce competitive streak he possesses, but it is an achievement in itself that he has managed to get Derby County to the starting line.
A fortnight ago, Derby had as few as nine senior players on the books. One of those, Jason Knight, was then injured by Rooney in a training ground accident. With uncertainty over the sale of the club and the Rams under a transfer embargo that has restricted them to free transfers and loans, pessimism was perhaps at an all-time high around Pride Park.
Now at least Rooney has a foundation to build on. Both sides will argue they had the better chances to claim all three points but on a day when supporters returned to stadiums en masse for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, perhaps it was fitting everyone left with something to smile about.
For Rooney, there was plenty of spirit: both on the field and in the stands, with supporters singing the manager’s name all afternoon. He had managed to register three players, including his centre-half pairing of Curtis Davies and Richard Stearman, on the eve of the game and Ravel Morrison’s signing on a one-year deal was announced prior to kick-off.
But owing to the EFL regulations, Rooney’s squad is now full. He can only have 23 players and although he remains hopeful of adding Phil Jagielka and Sam Baldock, that can only happen if restrictions are relaxed. “That has to change if we’re to compete this season,” Rooney said.
The Derby manager will certainly have been heartened by watching his cobbled-together team start with a well-deserved draw. Davies’ opener was cancelled out five minutes later as Naby Sarr converted a pinpoint cross by the outstanding Sorba Thomas.
“I’m delighted for the players,” Rooney said. “I changed my team three times yesterday morning as we got signings in so to get a performance like that is a real positive.”
Huddersfield had their own issues with coach Carlos Corberan and four senior players testing positive for Covid-19 in the hours before kick-off. Some of their players drove to the match on their own to minimise the spread of the virus, but they too offered encouragement for the travelling support from West Yorkshire. Had Frazier Campbell not fired straight at Kelle Roos in the dying seconds, they could even have left with the win.
For Derby, attention will now turn to their battle with the EFL as they aim to create more room for manoeuvre in their stretched squad.
Whether they can do that remains to be seen, but Rooney could at least afford a smile post-match after a summer he will never forget. “I’m still loving the job, and I’ll do everything I can to get us out of this mess,” he said.
You cannot deny Rooney’s passion, but the real issues at this famous old club lie firmly out of his control, you fear.
