Jagielka, Baldock, Roos give boss big decisions to make
DERBY County manager Wayne Rooney has some “really, really difficult choices” to make as Phil Jagielka and Sam Baldock come back into contention for the visit of Swansea City to Pride Park Stadium today, says his assistant, Liam Rosenior.
Jagielka missed the midweek win at Pride Park against Reading, while striker Baldock was substituted at half-time and replaced by Jack Stretton.
The move was taken as a precaution, said Rooney after the game.
Rosenior, who fronted the Rams’ pre-match press conference yesterday, did not rule either player out of featuring against the Swans and said they “haven’t made a decision” yet on them.
Goalkeeper Kelle Roos’ return from suspension makes for another tough decision for the Rams boss.
“They’re touch and go,” said Rosenior of Jagielka and Baldock.
“We haven’t made a decision on the team yet.
“Jags (Jagielka) is another one that we felt if we left him out on Wednesday, it gave him more chance of being 100% fit for this game.
“At the same time, Richard Stearman came in and played really well.
“Jack Stretton, when he came on for the second half, played really, really well.
“So they’re actually really difficult choices for us to make and, hopefully, we make the right ones to win the game.”
MEANWHILE, Swansea City manager Russell Martin has praised his Derby County counterparts for the way they have coped with their offpitch problems.
The Rams have picked up 13 points from their 10 games, though they sit at the foot of the Championship because of their 12-point deduction for entering administration.
Without that, they would be ahead of the Swans, who have 10 points as they arrive at Pride Park today.
Martin, who moved from his first managerial post, with MK Dons, in the summer following the departure of Steve Cooper from Swansea, is impressed with how Wayne Rooney and the Derby players have coped in such trying circumstances.
“I think they’ve done brilliantly, considering the circumstances
they’ve found themselves in,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of admiration for the job that Wayne is doing there.
“Sometimes, these circumstances can bring you together and give you something to really fight for.
“It seems that they’ve gone that way rather than feeling sorry for themselves. They’re not giving anything up, they are really fighting.
“It’s a long season and they’re putting themselves right back in the mix. I think it’s going to be a really tough game.
“They’ve got a lot of experienced players that are definitely going to help them in this situation. They had
a great result in midweek.
“The people that get affected the most are the people behind the scenes, people who really care about the club who have probably been there for a long time.
“Often, the ones who are the most secure are the players and the management staff.
“They have to try and find a way to do the people justice.
“It’s a really tough situation for any club to be in, especially a club of that size and stature.
“I don’t know the ins and outs of it, but they seem to be dealing with it on the pitch and in terms of how they are together really well.”