ROO NEED HELP
Rams can’t sign new men quick enough
WAYNE ROONEY has signed on for a huge task to keep Derby in the Championship.
Rotherham turned Rooney’s first game as the full-time boss of the Rams into a nightmare.
Despite only having won one away game this season way back in September, Rotherham blitzed Derby in the dying stages and took all threee points thanks to an 86th-minute Jamie Lindsay tap-in.
It leaves Rooney in deep relegation trouble.
“Rotherham got what they deserved – we didn’t deserve anything out of the game,” said an angry Rooney.
“We were sloppy. We have ourselves to blame. I am not going to make any excuses for the performance or the result.
“I felt that if we’d have got a point out the game we would have got away with it. It gives us a fight to get away from the bottom three but I’m confident in my ability, the staff and the players to get out of this mess we are in.
“We could do with a bit of help over the next two weeks in terms of getting players in so hopefully the takeover is done as quickly as possible.”
Derby are now next to bottom and below Rotherham, who have two games in hand.
With QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Wycombe all not playing this was a big day for Rooney – and not just in terms of celebrating his twoand-a-half year contract as permanent manager.
Add in Derby’s other problems of a £60million takeover that never seems to happen and the club cashstrapped and struggling to pay players’ wages, there is a lot riding on Rooney getting it right.
He couldn’t get his team moving in the first half, but Rotherham keeper Jamal Blackman still had to make saves from Graeme Shinnie and Lee Buchanan. That’s as good as it got though. Despite their poor away record, Rotherham took control and captain Richard Wood was furious when he scored in the 35th minute and saw the goal ruled out by a very late linesman’s flag.
Michael Smith should have scored from close range in the 14th minute and Daniel Barlaser put a header over.
It needed Rooney to give it a ‘Fergie’ at half time.
But if there is a hairdryer in Rooney’s new managerial kit, it didn’t work until he went four up front for the last 34 minutes. Experienced striker Martyn
Roos 6; Byrne 6, Wisdom 6, Clarke 7, Buchanan 6; Shinnie 8, Bielik 6 (Bird 66, 5), Knight 6; Waghorn 6, Kazim-richards 6, Jozwiak 6. Unused Subs: Foster, Forsyth, Sibley, Whittaker, Evans, Mcdonald, Gordon, Mitchell-lawson
Blackman 7; A.macdonald 6, Ihiekwe 6,Wood 6; Olosunde 6, Wiles 6, Lindsay 7, Barlaser 7, Harding 6; Crooks 6; Smith 6 (Ladapo 80).
Johansson, Jones, Clarke, Tilt, Roberston, S Macdonald, Hirst.
Graeme Shinnie. Did his best to get some threat into Derby’s football. Two chances saved. James Linington 5.
Waghorn shot wide and Shinnie had another one saved – but the Millers did far better.
Lindsay’s shot was cleared off the line by Andre Wisdom and two minutes later Barlaser hit the post with a free-kick, Lindsay putting the ball in on the follow-up from close range.
“Our away from is honking,” admitted Rotherham boss Paul Warne.
“It’s been poor in the Championship for years.
“So to come here, keep a clean sheet and win, it gives the lads a real belief.”