Bournemouth, were all 1–1 draws which saw Derby take the lead in the first half before being pegged-back in the second. The results lead Cocu to admit the team needed to improve their end product, as after nine league games they had only two goals from open-play. On 30 October, rumours regarding a potential takeover of the club by Abu Dhabi-based Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who had previously been linked to Newcastle United and Liverpool, began to surface. November The first game of November saw Derby lose 1–0 at home to Queens Park Rangers to further heap pressure on Phillip Cocu - former manager Steve McClaren accused Cocu and the club of "underachieving", fans referred to his claims the team did not deserve to lose as "deluded" and "a tough listen" and pundits summarised he was "on the edge" as Derby found themselves in the bottom two after just one win in their opening ten games, only being kept off the bottom by Sheffield Wednesday, who had had six points deducted. With the rumoured £60m takeover by Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan approved by the EFL, it was reported that Derby's players "(did) not expect the Dutchman to survive the forthcoming international break." Cocu's issues were then compounded by news he had to go into self-isolation following coming into contact with club CEO Stephen Pearce, who later tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he would absent for the match against Barnsley. The Barnsley match ended in a 2–0 defeat - Barnsley's first win at Pride Park in over a decade - and saw the Rams slump to the bottom of the table as they endured their worst start to a season in 12 years. Cocu left the club by mutual agreement on 14 November, along with assistant manager Chris van der Weerden and Specialist First Team Coach Twan Scheepers, after 16-months and 65 matches in charge. First team affairs were taken over by captain Wayne Rooney with support by members of Cocu's remaining backroom staff, Liam Rosenior, Shay Given and Justin Walker. Early links with the position included Rooney, Aston Villa assistant manager John Terry, former-Liverpool and Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez, Swansea City boss Steve Cooper and Eddie Howe, who was unattached after his resignation from AFC Bournemouth. The first post-Cocu result once again saw defeat, 1–0 at Bristol City, to leave Derby at the foot of the table