Can Derby pull off the impossible?
WAYNE ROONEY says his players have a ‘small chance’ of staying up this season, but still accepts it will be a miracle if they can escape relegation.
With the Rams suffering another nine-point deduction this week, on top of the 12 they already had for going into administration, it left Rooney’s side looking at an almost inevitable drop into League One.
But they produced a Pride Park display which not only stopped Bournemouth from going back to the top of the Championship, it also suggested Derby could pull off the seemingly impossible.
With Bournemouth taking a 2-1 lead into the break after capitalising on some catastrophic defending, scott Parker’s side appeared to be in control.
But Rams captain Tom Lawrence scored a superb equaliser before converting a penalty seven minutes later.
it had Rooney admitting it was probably the best result of his managerial career considering the week Derby had endured, and as he marked 12 months in charge of the crisis-hit club.
Fans sang ‘We’ll fight to the end’ as Derby’s fightback on the field mirrored the one they will be hoping for off it, with a preferred buyer set to be named within ‘two or three weeks’ and a settlement reached by the end of January.
With the club £60million in debt, in administration and hit hard by the EFL penalties, Derby looked down and out this season.
They are now on zero points — 15 away from safety with 28 games to go. Asked if they can stay up, Rooney said: ‘We have to be realistic, there’s a small chance. But if the chance is there, then we’ll try it.
‘We’re not going to come into training for the sake of it, we’re going to prepare for games and we’ll fight on the pitch to get as many points as we can.
‘Of course, there’s an opportunity to perform a miracle, which i feel it will be if we do stay up.
‘They’re playing for their future and their families and they can’t afford to not give everything. it’s been a tough week but we’ve had a few of them and we seem to be getting used to them. it’s nice to be on zero points again!’
Rooney heard the ‘fight to the end’ chant and added: ‘in my eyes, that’s a given. in sport, in any walk of life, you work hard.
‘When we’re on it, we can compete with any team in this league. We know that.’
Derby took the lead after 13 minutes when Jason Knight headed in a Max Bird corner. But Rooney’s side looked to have shot themselves in the foot when they allowed Jaidon Anthony to level six minutes later when keeper Kelle Roos miscontrolled in his area.
Derby’s defence opened up seven minutes before the break and Dominic solanke hit his 15th goal of the season.
But the Rams hit back in style to take the points.
Bournemouth boss scott Parker said: ‘We didn’t control the match in the second half and it turned into a basketball game. it was a poor day.’