3/1 To Win
Wayne Rooney has stressed the importance of not getting carried away with each result in Derby County’s season over the course of the weeks and months ahead.
Derby currently sit bottom of the Sky Bet Championship table on one point after having 21 points deducted from their 2021/22 season’s total.
They were deduced 12 points for entering administration in September, while a further nine followed in November after agreeing to a breach of the EFL’s profitability and sustainability rules.
Rooney has admitted that his side have an uphill battle to retain their Championship status, but he has insisted the Rams’ players will give their absolute all to pull off a miraculous escape.
Derby head to Bristol City on Saturday to kick off the final month of the calendar year and the 36-year-old feels it is important not to get too high or low after each result.
The Rams will travel to Ashton Gate after picking up four points from their three games since the November international break, including a 3-2 success over AFC Bournemouth and a 0-0 draw at leaders Fulham.
“The lads are giving everything under very difficult circumstances,” Rooney told RamsTV. “It’s been a difficult season for everyone, but we are competing and trying in every game but unfortunately in the last game against Queens Park Rangers it wasn’t enough.
“It probably wasn’t as bad as my initial reaction afterwards, but I just felt there were details we had to be better at which cost us as we lost 2-1, so we need to be better at that.
“It is important to remember that we are a good team and we are hard to play against. The main thing for us right now is not getting carried away after each result. We will win games and we will lose games, and we will not get carried away with where we are in the table right now either.
“When it gets to February, March and April we will know where we are as a club and what direction we are going in terms of Championship or League One. All we need to do is focus on taking each game as it comes and try and pick up as many points as possible.”
He added: “This division is crazy and one week in this league can look completely different. All we can do is focus on the next game which is Bristol City on Saturday.
“It’s another tough game but we will be ready. We’ve trained very well, prepared well and we will look to bounce back from a disappointing result last time out.”
Derby skipper Tom Lawrence has scored three goals in the side’s last three outings to take his total for the season to five.
Rooney believes the 27-year-old’s form has been good throughout the campaign and is pleased to see his performances rewarded in front of goal.
“It’s great to see him scoring,” Rooney said. “I’ve challenged him to score more goals and he’s playing in a position where he can do that.
“I haven’t seen a change in him in how he’s playing and working, the only change is that he’s taking his chances and that’s football. It’s what I said early in the season, we are creating really good chances but not taking them.
“The difference is maybe people’s opinions right now; I think what people are seeing is a player taking their chances and suddenly you’re playing better than you had been previously, which is not the case.
“Tom has always done well this season. He’s working extremely hard and we want more goals from him.”
