Waghorn feels
DERBY crashed again as Wayne Rooney axed striker Martyn Waghorn from his squad because his behaviour was “unacceptable”.
Waghorn was not picked, nor was he on the bench, after Rooney accused him of not trying in training on Friday.
It led to Colin Kazim
Richards being patched up and sent out against Stoke – even though Rooney had said he was unlikely to play because of a hip injury.
“Where we are in this league, I can’t afford to have players with that attitude,” said Rooney, who is facing a fight to keep Derby in the Championship.
“Waggy trained excellently on Thursday. But on Friday it wasn’t acceptable.
“I accept the players will have bad training sessions from time to time, but what I can’t accept is not trying.
“I said to all the players when I took over as manager that if they didn’t train properly then they wouldn’t play.
“But I have said to Waggy also that if he gets his head down in training again then the door is open for him.”
Rooney was also scathing of Derby’s first-half performance, saying his team treated it like a testimonial.
“That’s OK for Stoke where
they are, but not for us in our position,” added Rooney.
“If the players didn’t know they were in a relegation battle before, they do now.”
Rooney is facing a tense finish to his first season in management.
His Rams haven’t won for seven games and Rotherham in particular are a threat to keeping
Derby up. Thirdbottom Millers’ win over Bristol City leaves them five points behind with four games in hand.
Rooney reckons Derby need four more wins to fend off danger, but they didn’t look like breaking down a Stoke side that have kept 18 clean sheets.
He has a cushion with Birmingham and
Coventry in more danger – winner 74 minutes into a dull but it’s getting tighter. game, heading in from close
“The international break range after Nick Powell’s has come at a good time,” cutely-lofted pass. Brown was said Rooney. “It gives the a surprise choice to lead the players a chance to rest up attack in place of Steven and me time to reassess.” Fletcher, who missed out
Jacob Brown got Stoke’s after getting a bang on the STOKE: Davies 6; Chester 6, Souttar 7, Batth 6; Smith 6, Allen 6 (Vokes 79), Mikel 6, Thompson 6, Norrington-Davies 7; Powell 7 (Clarke 81), Brown 8 (Tymon 90 ).
Unused Subs: Gunn,Forrester, Coates, Norton, Malone, Matondo
DERBY: Roos 6; Wisdom 6 (Cresswell 82), Mengi 6, Clarke 7; Byrne 6, Shinnie 6 (Watson 82),Knight 6,Buchanan 6; Roberts 6 (Jozwiak 63, 5), Kazim-Richards 6 (Lawrence 63, 5), Sibley 6 (Bird 63, 5). Unused Subs: Marshall, Forsyth, Edmundson, Baningime.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Jacob Brown. Worked well in attack and got Stoke’s winner. REFEREE: Jarred Gillett 5. head at Cardiff in midweek. Brown almost got a second five minutes later when he followed up Danny Batth’s saved header and shot into the side-netting.
“I was pleased for Brown,” said Stoke manager Michael O’Neill.
“He’s gone through a tough time and his confidence has been down. But the one thing you know about Jacob Brown is that he will leave nothing in the tank.”