Top 10

Unlike others I didn't descend into hysteria about GR leaving, our beloved chairman employing Mark Warburton and inadvertently plunging us again into the sea of pho-ckery from whence we seem eternally cursed to tread water in.

However, had I been weak like most of you and given into mass hysteria, paranoia and panic stricken uncalmly like behaviour I might have entertained one or two of the following imaginary list of maybe 200 odd possibilities.

I've omitted managers I didn't think would come apart from the dream list at the end where perhaps I was getting a bit uncalmly.

1) Graham Alexander. I think he'd be my preferred choice in terms of the next GR. Could he have handled the jump up seems quite organised so I think could have seamlessly transitioned into our defensive unit. Not sure on his man management side of things but seems a no nonesense type of gaffer.

2) Paul Trollope. Okay there's method in my madness, I actually do think he's a decent manager though and has a Derby connection. My method was to steal him away from Brighton, send them into a tailspin and nab Hughton when he gets fired to reunite him with Trollope.

3) Ronald Koeman. Would he come? Arguably not but the temptation of a club flirting with Premiership promotion and the potential of restoring reputation and pride to a damaged ego might lure him. Likes his 4-2-3-1 so could as long as he didn't try to be too fancy take over the reigns.

4) Harry Redknapp. Don't flip there's method to my madness. Him and Mel get on, I do think he knows how to steady a ship, has the man management and motivation skills in place and knows when a formula works and when it doesn't. I think he could carry on the work till season's end. I would be a bit more wary of taking him on long term with his track record of spending but I think if he did get us over the line we might be swapping places with one of the recently fired....

5) Howe, Hughton or Wagner. I have a feeling one of those clubs might tail off maybe their chairman would keep them on but if not I'd be happy to take sloppy seconds here.

6) Michael O Neil. Current NI boss. Would he come? Knows a thing or two about organisation and the underdog.

7) Paul Tisdale. Would be able to beat GR in the smartly dressed stakes only just though. More of a passing man than those already mentioned but if we brought a passing MF to play ahead of Deadly/Huddz/GT and brought Chris Martin back in from the cold. We would have a Plan B (do we need a plan B). Think this one would need more of a transition period though.

8) The Current Crop: Kevin Summerfield/KP/Short/Wassall/Poole could an amalgamation of all these hold down the fort in GR's wake. I'd say we might be short on vision and tactical nouse here, but I don't know the behind the scenes layout at Casa Del Derbaydos.

9) Bilic and Stimac. The Croation dream team. Sentiment over sensibility maybe but just maybe it could be a goer.

10) Kurban Burdyev. Who the eff if Kurban? Not gonna lie I googled the best counter attacking maestro in the game and the Rubin Kazan manager came up. In the words of Four Four Two:

Berdyev's ability to turn ordinary players into classy performers is incredible. It’s difficult to find a coach of such tactical brilliance, but the 64-year-old Turkmenian seems to have a Midas touch. He built Rubin Kazan from scratch, led the previously anonymous club to two Russian championship titles in a row in 2008 and 2009 – and achieved success in the Champions League too, beating Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

Berdyev's miracle job with Rostov in recent years has been even more sensational. He took over in December 2014 with the club in total disarray and on the way to relegation. Berdyev saved them and turned a bunch of little-known underperformers who went unpaid for long months into title contenders, although they narrowly missed out on lifting the trophy in the end.

Rostov made headlines in Europe too last term, beating the likes of Anderlecht, Ajax and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. Berdyev returned to Rubin this summer – and you should expect them to excel again under his guidance.

I think he has a British partner too so obviously Derby would be the next logical step.

There were also the unlikely lads in terms of money and fame and availability:

Maurizzio Sarri - Inter
German Burgos - Athletico
Peter Bosz
Hiddink
Hagi - Constanta
Guillermo Almada

Other managers I think we could keep tabs on:

Uwe Rosler
Flitcroft
Karl Robinson
Chris Powell
Paul Simpson
Pep Clotet

Thankfully GR and Mel saved me from researching any further, it did make me realise though that if GR's stock does continue to rise, we maybe do need to look at succession planning a little more.

I've shown you mine now show me yours, who would you think might be a suitable replacement and seamless transition into the Derby setup were the unthinkable to happen in terms of GR leaving us all on our lonesomes????