"Would've been the one" - Derby County: Steve Cooper claim made amid Paul Warne sack talk | OneFootball

FLW's Derby County fan pundit weighed in on the Paul Warne debate

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Although Paul Warne now appears to have taken Derby County as far as he possibly can amid significant backlash from supporters in recent months, the Championship strugglers may well elect to keep him in situ until the end of the current campaign, claims FLW's Rams fan pundit.

The former Rotherham United manager guided the Rams to promotion from League One at the second time of asking in the previous campaign, as they went up in second-place with 92 points.

Derby, though, were tipped to struggle back in the Championship and are now poised to spend the remainder of the season entrenched in a relegation battle, despite enjoying a strong start.

Indeed, the Rams have won just four of their last 25 matches. More pressingly, they are on a run of eight straight defeats in both the Championship and FA Cup - which they were knocked out of on penalties by League One side Leyton Orient - and that form has seen them fall into the relegation zone.

Derby are now 22nd in the league table, prompting significant pressure on Warne.

The overwhelming majority of Rams supporters are in unison when it comes to Warne's tenure at the club - he's hardly a popular man at Pride Park right now - but he was backed in January by owner David Clowes in what could be perceived as a message of retained faith in the 51-year-old.

It is suggested that Derby shelled out a fee in the region of £800,000 to sign striker Lars-Jorgen Salvesen from Viking Stavange, before a second raid was made on the Norweigan club for Sondre Langas for a touted £4 million sum after funds were made available following the late £9 million sale of Eiran Cashin to Brighton and Hove Albion.

With Warne having been trusted with sizable sums, one does have to wonder if the prospect of an exit is realistic anytime soon, even if the evidence does indeed suggest he has run his race in the East Midlands.

Steve Cooper claim made as Derby County, Paul Warne sack decision mooted

FLW asked our resident Rams fan pundit, Shaun Woodward, if he believes now is the time to relieve Warne of his duties.

Shaun subscribes to that school of thought, of course, but he is doubtful of Derby fans getting their wish quite just yet due to the backing Warne received - although he concedes a parting of ways come the summer feels inevitable, regardless of their divisional status for 2025/26.

Interestingly though, ex-Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper has been name-dropped as someone who Shaun would like to see in the dugout should the axe be swung on Warne's job.

"If I'm honest, I do think Paul Warne has taken us as far as he can," Shaun told FLW.

"He did a great job getting us up last season but he's out of his depth. Seven defeats in a row, going out of the cup to lower-league opposition, four wins in the last 25 matches, he's looked a broken man in interviews after the games.

"There is no plan B, he just tries to get big bodies on the pitch to lump it forward, we look lost and void of ideas and confidence. Some of our more technical players, they look like they don't have a clue what they're doing out there.

"The fact that Clarke came out and did the interview after the game on his debut the other day, even he came out and said he wasn't sure what the plan was, just to try and win the battles. He didn't have a clue, I felt sorry for the lad because he was fed to the wolves on his first game back.

"But Warne looks like he has run out of ideas. The problem I've got now is Clowes has backed him with the Cashin money to buy new players and I don't think he would've done that if he was going to get rid of him.

"So for me, as much as I think he should be going, I don't think he's going to. What do we do? Do we just moan about it or do we get behind them and accept him being there with us until the end of the season? I'm kind of torn, but if Clowes is backing him then I think we should too, and assess it at the end of the season.

"I think regardless of whether we stay up or go down, his time will be up at the end of the season but right now we just need to accept he's staying and get behind him and the team."

"To add to that as well, if he was going, Steve Cooper would've been the one most Derby fans would've wanted in, even if he has managed Forest.

"He would've been a great one to entice to the club."

Derby County, Paul Warne must start picking up points

Derby have scored just once in their last five Championship matches, and with each of the last seven resulting in defeat, it's difficult to see where the next point, let alone three, is really going to come from.

The Rams must find a swift solution, though, for they find themselves at real risk of being left cut adrift in the relegation dogfight. Saturday afternoon's trip to play-off hopefuls Norwich City may be more about keeping the score down than anything, but the return of Gary Rowett to Pride Park when they take on a resurgent Oxford United side next Tuesday already feels crucial.

It's those games which will define what division Derby are playing in next season, not their recent losses to the likes of Sunderland and Sheffield United, but they need to start getting more points on the board - and fast.