Rams practice makes perfect against Boro
DERBY County’s “best” week of training paid off against Middlesbrough, including a rehearsed free kick, says manager Wayne Rooney.
The Rams beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Pride Park Stadium and the three points saw them climb out of the Championship’s relegation zone.
Derby’s first goal, scored by new signing Lee Gregory, came from a training ground set-piece.
Four Derby players congregated towards the back of the Middlesbrough area, Martyn Waghorn whipped in a corner and one of the four, Lee Buchanan, met it at the back post. He headed back across goal for Gregory to nod home.
Was it something Derby had worked on?
“It has been the best week of training we have had since I have been in charge,” said Rooney.
“We have had a bit more time this week to work on the training pitch and that was one of the things we worked on. It is always pleasing when a set-piece comes off.
“Shay Given (first-team coach) showed me it and then I told them to do it. I felt it was a good idea. We worked on it and, thankfully, we scored.”
Does Given take the credit for it, then?
“He will do, yes!” added Rooney, with a smile.
“In terms of set-plays, I like him to take control of them and it’s great when you work on something and it comes off.”
Gregory was handed his first start following a loan move from Stoke City and his performance was praised by Rooney.
“Everyone knows he works hard,” said the manager.
“Part of the reason I wanted to bring him in was his energy and work-rate. He gives us a different option to Colin (Kazim-richards), also. He can play up there on his own, as well, and he can score goals.
“He is a good character in the dressing room. I am delighted for him. His first start and his first goal and it comes after the Rotherham game, when he knows he should have scored.
“So to get in the box and score, I know he will be delighted with that.”
Rooney’s decision to go with two up front paid off against Middlesbrough.
Gregory started alongside Kazim-richards, who scored the Rams’ second.
“It’s a big win for us coming off our previous game (the defeat at Rotherham),” said Rooney.
“We know it is an important three games in seven days, this was the start of that and it was really important we won.
“The first 30 to 35 minutes of the game panned out exactly how we thought it would.
“I felt it was better to go with two strikers and be a bit more direct. They (Middlesbrough) want you to play into midfield where they use a man-to-man system very well and then try and break on you. We did that really well.
“In the second half, certainly in the last 10 minutes, we gave away some sloppy, easy free kicks which we have to stop doing.
“It cost us against Sheffield Wednesday, it cost us against Rotherham. Our game management in those situations needs to get better.”
Rooney revealed how a late injury forced new signing Patrick Roberts to miss out on a first start for the Rams against his old club Middlesbrough.
The winger was in the initial 11 to face Boro, who he spent the first half of the season with, on loan from Manchester City.
But Roberts, now on loan with the Rams, felt a slight injury on Saturday morning and so Waghorn stepped in to start.
Rooney was full praise for Waghorn’s performance in the win.
“I feel I have great characters all working for each other, not just the starting 11,” Rooney said. “Look at Waggy, his work-rate. Initially, he wasn’t starting the game until Saturday morning.
“Patrick Roberts was starting but he had a little niggle so I took him out and Waggy came in.
“You saw the reaction, with his work-rate and his energy.
“That is what we want, players fighting for their places and coming in and giving themselves the best opportunity of playing in the next game.”
On Roberts, Rooney said: “Patrick has been very good in training, he brings a lot of added quality and it was only this morning he woke up and felt a little bit tight.
“He has had this before. He tried to play with it and ended up playing and coming off and missing four months. I didn’t want to take that risk with him.
“I put him on the bench but was reluctant to bring him on if I didn’t need him.”