A LONG WAYNE DOWN EASY PICKINGS
An Old Trafford reunion? Rooney is more likely to play League One
MANCHESTER UNITED fans f r e t t i n g o v e r t h e i r c l u b’s rollercoaster form should perhaps spare a thought for old favourite Wayne Rooney.
The former England striker joined Derby dreaming of promotion and a Premier League reunion at Old Trafford.
Instead, his career could end with relegation to League One.
Rooney cut a forlorn figure as the ramshackle Rams crashed to the foot of the table with a performance which bore all the trademarks of a side heading in the wrong direction.
And by the end of a match that Barnsley won with ease, one of the top f l i ght’s greatest- e ver f or wards was playing as a deep- lying midfielder with increasingly little influence.
There’s talk of new owners at Pride Park replacing manager Phillip Cocu – self- isolating at home – with playercoach Rooney ( above).
But, on this evidence, rather than look to the future, Rooney needs to turn the clock back and rediscover old habits for a team who have forgotten how to score.
“Let’s not beat about the bush, it’s not good enough and not acceptable,” said fellow forward Martyn Waghorn, who has struck Derby’s only League goal in nine hours of football on home soil.
The Rams were heading for defeat f rom the moment Conor Chaplin seized on a clanger from goalkeeper David Marshall to put the visitors ahead and already looked a well- beaten team by the time Victor Adeboyejo curled home a second late on.
Waghorn added: “It’s all very well saying we’re a good team on paper but we’ve got to go out on the pitch and do it. Nobody is going to pull out a magic hat and magic results for us.”
Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael had predicted this was the ideal opportunity for his side to bounce back from the 3- 0 defeat at Cardiff – his first since taking charge at Oakwell.
“We knew that Derby’s confidence was very low,” said Ismael. “So in such a situation, you have to be ready to force mistakes.
“It was the perfect game- plan for us. I was very happy with the performance and the result.”
DERBY COUNTY: Marshall 5, Davies 5, Bielik 6, Clarke 5 ( Jozwiak 45, 6), Byrne 7, Shinnie 6 ( Sibley 58, 6), Knight 5,
Buchanan 6, Waghorn 5, Rooney 5, Lawrence 6 ( Kazim- Richards 79, 6) BARNSLEY: Walton 7, Sollbauer 6, Helik 7, Andersen 6, Brittain 7, Mowatt 7, James 6 ( Kane 60, 5) Styles 6, Chaplin 8, Woodrow 7 ( Halme 90), Frieser 6 ( Adeboyejo 77, 7)