Safe, but sorry
CLUB APOLOGISES FOR SEASON THAT WAS ‘NOT GOOD ENOUGH’
DERBY County issued a remarkable apology to fans at the end of a season in which the club escaped relegation from the Championship by the skin of its teeth.
The statement, following a nail-biting 3-3 draw against Sheffield Wednesday at Pride Park, admitted “over the course of this season our results have simply not been good enough” and said there was “a steely determination and burning desire from everyone at the club to restore that vital connection with its supporters, and to collectively take the Rams forward with a renewed sense of resilience and togetherness.”
WAYNE Rooney looked back on a “crazy game” and said Derby County must now move forwards.
The Rams drew 3-3 with Sheffield Wednesday in a dramatic clash to secure their Championship status for next season.
At one stage, with Derby losing and Rotherham United winning away against Cardiff City, it appeared the Rams were heading for relegation and League One.
But Martyn Waghorn converted a penalty to make it 3-3 just as Cardiff equalised against Rotherham.
It all means Derby survive, while Rotherham, Wednesday and Wycombe Wanderers are going down.
There was relief for Rooney and the players, and a determination from the manager to make sure Derby are moving in the right direction next season.
Uncertainty remains over the future ownership of the club as the proposed takeover rumbles on.
“This season, on the pitch and off the pitch, has been crazy,” Rooney said.
“We need to sort it out quickly, what is going on. We need to move forward tonight.
“I have got plans in place, I need to move quickly on those plans.
“We can’t afford to have a season like we have just had. It is impossible for this club to allow ourselves to be in this position.
“We move forward. I am very confident in my ability. I can help get the club back to where it belongs.”
On the game, Rooney added: “It was a crazy game.
“I think that game is the story of the season – up, down, good, bad – the important thing is we stayed in the division. “When we went 3-2 down I thought the lads showed great character, great commitment to keep pushing to get the equaliser – and we got it. “Then I had a decision to make because the Rotherham game was still going on. Do I bring another defender on and hope Cardiff don’t concede or do I bring an attacker on and go and try and win the game?
“I felt the right decision was to bring Curtis (Davies) on. I thought we managed the game well.”
Derby’s players received a welcome from a crowd of fans outside Pride Park Stadium before the game.
Rooney used that as well as a poem by Rams fan and poet Jamie Thrasivoulou as part of his team talk.
“The poem by Jamie was really good,” said Rooney.
“I used that as part of my team talk. I used the fans outside the stadium when we were coming in as part of my team talk, and really I didn’t have much more to add.
I am very confident in my ability. I can help get the club back to where it belongs.
Wayne Rooney
“This is it, I said, you have to do it for this football club, for the staff who work here, for the fans, for everyone connected with this club, the city. Thankfully, the lads did.”
Derby finished the season on a run of only one win in 15 matches but they showed character against Wednesday.
“With everything that has been going on this season, they (the players) deserve a lot of credit,” Rooney said.
“Normally in a relegation fight there are splits in the group, arguments, fights among players. They (the players) have stuck together.
“I felt taking the lads to Cardiff (before the away game against Swansea City) was a big moment, especially for the young lads to get to know the first-team players more, so I am delighted for them because they deserve that.”
Derby trailed 1-0 at half-time against Wednesday, while Rotherham were leading.
“I knew they (Rotherham) were 1-0 up early and then we went a goal down,” Rooney said.
“My message to the players at halftime was stay calm, there are 45 minutes left, don’t panic, don’t force things.
“I thought if we were calm on the ball in possession – that’s why I brought Max Bird on to try and help us get some calmness – we could hurt Sheffield Wednesday.
“We did it well at times but we didn’t do it enough.
“I didn’t think we would go out and score two goals so quickly and then we conceded two sloppy goals. Story of the season.”