For the first time in two months, Derby County are out of the relegation zone and can start to look up. 

A Boxing Day loss to Preston North End may have threatened some of the good work Wayne Rooney had done in attempting to make the Rams more solid but last night's trip to Birmingham proved the former England captain is taking this team up a level. 

Though goals have certainly been a problem for the Championship's joint-lowest scorers, their 4-0 win at St. Andrew's suggested they do have the firepower to start considerably improving on their tally of just 14. 

However, answering a fan's question after the game, The Sun's Alan Nixon has provided an update on Rooney's chances of getting the job on a full-time basis. 

Amid takeover limbo for Derby, Nixon claims those behind the scenes have other things to be dealing with at the moment than whether to hand Rooney the reins despite his impressive record of three wins and four draws in eight matches. 

For now, it seems likely he'll continue in caretaker charge. 

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says... 

Should a takeover go through, it has previously been reported that the potential new owners would want to appoint someone with promotion-winning experience. 

That's all well and good but, in the situation Derby are in, Rooney surely has to be considered for the role. Indeed, he's understood to have the backing of the players and is getting results in difficult circumstances. 

The turnaround in form has bought the club time in that they've not needed to make a permanent decision since the sacking of Phillip Cocu and, frankly, the doubts about whether or not the takeover will go through would be compounded if they had remained rooted to the bottom of the table. 

For that, Rooney deserves respect.