© Provided by Football League WorldRooney 11
Wayne Rooney insists that he has no concerns over Derby County going down this season, even though they are still in some danger.
The Manchester United legend has done a brilliant job since succeeding Phillip Cocu at Pride Park, but the past few weeks have been tough for the inexperienced boss.
A five-game winless run, which included today's 1-0 reverse at home to Burnley, has left the Rams seven points above the relegation zone, and they haven't scored a goal in the previous four fixtures.
Whilst that sounds a comfortable position with just ten games to go, it's complicated by the fact that 22nd placed Rotherham have four games in hand.
Nevertheless, speaking to The Athletic reporter Ryan Conway, Rooney delivered a confident two-word response when he was asked if Derby will stay in the Championship.
"Yeah. Absolutely."
Things aren't about to get any easier for the Rams though, as they welcome high-flying Brentford to Pride Park in midweek, before facing a trip to Stoke next weekend, which is the last fixture before the international break.
The verdict
This sort of defiant message could come back to bite Rooney, although you can't blame him for trying to send a positive message out to his players.
Whether most fans share his optimism is up for debate though. That's not to say Derby will go down, but they clearly have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks, as Rotherham's busy schedule makes the run-in very interesting.
Ultimately, it's down to the players to justify Rooney's faith in them, and three wins may be all Derby need to survive.
Thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.
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