BATTERING RAMS IS THE WAY FORWARD
Rooney wants a fearless style
DERBY V COVENTRY 7.45PM, SKY SPORTS
WAYNE ROONEY has urged Derby to play with “no fear” as he bids to plot a way out of trouble.
Rooney, 35, takes caretaker charge of the basement side again when Coventry visit tonight – after pressing pause on his playing career.
“When I went into any game I never thought about losing or what it would be like if we lost,” said the former England and Manchester United star.
“In terms of having no fear – I mean in terms of making decisions on the pitch
– stick with that decision, do not turn the opportunity down to pass the ball forward.
“Play it forward and run forwards. In terms of having no fear, that is what I mean, breaking into the box and trying to cause problems for the opposition.
“I would rather a player try to play someone in four or five times than give the ball away trying to make a simple pass five or 10 yards.
“That does nothing for us in terms of opening the game up.”
Rooney expects the match to be the last under owner Mel Morris before a £ 60million takeover by Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan, cousin of Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour, is confirmed.
A victory against Coventry would give a huge boost to Rooney’s ambitions of landing the Rams job on a permanent basis.
Rooney added: “However the club move forward, I will respect that. If I have to go back to playing, I will do everything I can to help the club.
“I am not training at the moment, I am putting all my efforts into managing the team and coaching the players.”
Coventry will reopen talks in the new year about returning to the Ricoh Arena next season.
The Sky Blues, who are tenants at Birmingham City, have been embroiled in a protracted s stand- off with R Ricoh Arena owners Wasps over a new lease.
However, it is understood there has been progress in discussions with the cash- strapped rugby club, and Coventry a are now increasingly c confident of securing a fresh lease for 2021- 22 to return to the city.
They averaged crowds of 12,363 previously at the Ricoh. Attendances last season, though, dropped to an average of around 6,500 at St Andrew’s before the coronavirus pandemic.