ROO BLEW IT!
‘We shot ourselves in foot again’
...DISHEVELLED Derby all over the place as Roberts bags the winner three minutes later
WAYNE ROONEY admitted that nothing in his trophyladen career can prepare him for the ordeal of a final-day relegation shoot-out.
The former England captain issued words of defiance but his Derby side are on the brink after they lost for the sixth time on the trot.
When Rooney took over last November, he could not have imagined it would come to this – the distracting shadow of a takeover and a scrap with Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday to stay in the Championship.
If Rotherham beat Luton on Tuesday, then Rooney will need a favour from Cardiff – who play Rotherham on the final day – unless the Rams can beat Wednesday by an outlandish
scoreline. England’s greatest goalscorer faces the ignominy of a relegation stain on his CV.
Derby went ahead through Tom Lawrence’s header, but two Swans goals in three minutes left Rooney and his Rams in despair.
Former Derby striker Morgan Whittaker – let go by Rooney on deadline day in
February – headed the equaliser before
Connor Roberts thumped home with a volley.
Derby striker
Colin KazimRichards did force Freddie
Woodman into a fine save, but there was to be no coming back for
the Rams. Rooney said: “We are shooting ourselves in the foot by conceding poor goals.
“I can’t fault the performance or the players, but we have to stop conceding goals.
“It’s frustrating at the minute, of course. We don’t want to be in the position we’re in but that’s where we’re at.
“We leave ourselves with one game left of the season and we have to win. We’ll certainly see who the men are and see which players can stand up and be counted for the game on Saturday.
“I’ve never been in a last-day battle to stay in the league, but I know it’s my job to make sure the players are ready – and that’s all I can focus on.
“You can speak to other people and ask other people for
AGONY Derby boss Rooney
MORG THE MERRIER Morgan Whittaker celebrates the equaliser
SWANSEA
2 ........ Shots on Target ......... 4 1 ......... Shots off Target .......... 1 4 ................ Corners ................. 6 12 ................. Fouls .................. 15 3 ............... Offsides ................. 2 75.4...Passing Success % ...66.9 464 ...... Total Passes ........ 320 57.6 ..... Possession % ..... 42.4 41.1 .... Territorial Adv %..58.9
opinions but I’m my own person and I will prepare the team I feel is right for Saturday.”
For Swansea head coach Steve Cooper this was a welcome return to form for his team who had already assured themselves a place in the play-offs, but had not won in their last three games.
He said: “What we wanted to do before today was get as many points as we can. If we finish third, fourth, fifth or sixth, we take that as it comes.”
SWANSEA: Woodman 7; Roberts 8, Cabango 7, Bennett 6, Bidwell 6 (Manning 64, 6); Grimes 8, Smith 6, Dhanda 6 (Fulton 86); Whittaker 7 (O Cooper 64, 6), Cullen 6, Lowe 6 (B Cooper 90).
Unused subs: Hamer, Latibeaudiere, Naughton, Hourihane, Routledge.
DERBY: Roos 6; Byrne 7, Edmundson 6, Clarke 6, Forsyth 6; Knight 6, Shinnie 6, Lawrence 7; Jozwiak 6 (Roberts 69, 6), Kazim-Richards 6, Waghorn 5 (Sibley 80). Unused subs: Marshall, Bird, Cashin, Buchanan, Ebosele, McDonald, Watson.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Matt Grimes. So often the man who keeps Swansea ticking over and he was clockwork here. REFEREE: Darren Bond 7.