3/1 To Win
Wayne Rooney was quick to shrug off the late disappointment of Derby County’s 1-0 defeat to Preston North End on Boxing Day and focus on the positives.
Alan Browne struck deep into added time to earn the visitors all three points at Pride Park Stadium and end the Rams’ six-match unbeaten run.
Rooney’s side had dug deep and defended resiliently throughout, particularly after playing most of the game with ten men following Martyn Waghorn’s first-half dismissal for a high challenge on Brown.
The Rams rolled up their sleeves, defended well as a unit and offered a threat on the break, leaving Rooney satisfied with the performance if not the result.
While he was disappointed to taste defeat for the first time since stepping up to lead the side at the end of November, with Derby waiting to appoint a permanent manager after Phillip Cocu’s departure, the 35-year-old is confident there plenty of encouraging signs moving forward.
“I thought it was the best performance of the season,” Rooney explained to RamsTV. “It’s a very positive performance and a disappointing result.
“Going down to ten men was difficult and I said to the lads at half time that it was going to be hard work to get a result. We had to work hard and cover for each other, run for each other and believe we could get a positive result.
“We dug in and I thought defensively we were excellent. It is difficult, of course, with a player less but on the other side of it I was pleased with how we got bodies forward at the right moments.
“I thought we did enough to certainly get a point and again I am disappointed that an obvious foul wasn’t picked up by the referee in the build-up to the goal.”
Rooney added: “It’s strange because I can stand here and say how disappointed I am, but there are so many positives from that performance.
“The result is of course not what we wanted but the performance was excellent. We will move on; we have another game in three days at Birmingham and we will be ready for that.”
Rooney admits he had no complaints with Waghorn’s early dismissal.
The frontman will now serve a three-ban ban and miss the upcoming Sky Bet Championship fixtures at Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday either side of the New Year, as well as the Emirates FA Cup Third Round tie at Chorley next month.
Rooney said: “It’s a red card and Waggy knows that as well. He will be disappointed, I am sure.”
He added: “I think we started the game well, we were getting some good opportunities to get into the box and get crosses into the box and bodies in there, but once the red card came we had to adapt and re-organise the team.”
