Frustrated Wayne Rooney bemoans missed Sheffield Wednesday opportunity

The Rams led 1-0 over Birmingham City over the weekend, and would’ve officially relegated Wednesday if they’d managed to hold on, however a Lukas Jutkiewicz brace gave Darren Moore’s side an extended stay of execution.

It meant that the gap between the two sides remains at four points, and leaves an opening for the possibility of a final day relegation decider at Pride Park on May 8th where the winner retains their Championship status.

Derby, of course, could put things to bed this coming weekend if they get a result against promotion-chasing Swansea City, and their manager thinks they’re capable of doing so.

Speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel, Rooney admitted his frustration at not extending their lead over the Owls, saying, “That’s the frustrating thing… I felt this was a game we could’ve won, and if we win that then it looks completely different.

“We didn’t, but the only positive is that both Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham lost. Now we have to focus on Swansea, a game where we have to do our job.

“We’re capable of winning, so we have to believe we can.”

The former Manchester United man also told the media, “"On the other hand it still gives us a chance, but as I said a couple of games ago the games are whittling out and as they are, other teams have to pick up points.

“They are under pressure to pick up those points but we can't keep relying on other teams. We keep letting opportunities slip."

Wednesday, meanwhile, will go up against the Rams’ bitter rivals, Nottingham Forest, this weekend, and it’s pretty safe to say that some fans of the already safe Reds would not begrudge the home side a victory at Hillsborough if it meant Derby could go down.

There is hope that the SWFC boss, Moore, could be back on the sidelines this weekend as he continues his recovery from pneumonia brought on by COVID-19, however Jamie Smith said that they’ll have to wait and see how he is.

More Owls news

Andre Green makes honest admission on his Wednesday future amid relegation fight

Squeaky-bum time – What needs to happen for SWFC to stay in the Championship

‘Bloody diabolical’ – Neil Warnock bemoans Wednesday situation after Boro win

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details at www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports.

Your support is much appreciated.