It may only be September, but it appears as if ex-Aberdeen man Graeme Shinnie will already be calling his Derby County switch a failure.
Frank Lampard snapped up the former Dons captain on a free transfer during the summer. Shortly after though, he left for Stamford Bridge and in his place, Phillip Cocu became the new Rams manager.
That hasn’t benefited Shinnie at all.
Cocu doesn’t fancy Shinnie at Derby
Cocu hasn’t even brought Shinnie off the bench in the Championship yet, with the Pride Park side enduring a pretty poor start to the campaign.
Shinnie’s only two appearances have came in the Carabao Cup. By all accounts he was pretty impressive in both matches against Scunthorpe and Nottingham Forest, displaying defensive grit and passing range that made him a star at Pittodrie.
Shinnie has now found himself out of the Championship squad completely. The midfielder hasn’t featured in a league squad since August 31.
It’s plain for all to see that Cocu doesn’t fancy Shinnie. It will be disappointing for Aberdeen to see him in the County wilderness as they are currently struggling with midfield injuries.
The next few months could be difficult for Shinnie. He was at least getting matchday squad appearances during August, now Cocu doesn’t even rate him as good enough for the bench.
Perhaps a swift return north could beckon for the Scotland international.