They used to be a Premier League club, but Derby County will now drop down to the Ligue One and play football in the third tier of English football. Monday’s late defeat at Queens Park Rangers in London was the last nail in the coffin for the troubled Midlands club and their well-known coach Wayne Rooney.Derby have pulled off a string of improbable victories this season to keep their hopes of survival alive, despite being docked 21 points for financial breaches and contending with a transfer embargo.However, with three games left of the season, their fate is now sealed and Derby will play in the third tier of English football for the first time since 1985/86.Wayne Rooney’s Derby County have been relegated to the third tier of English football 😐They were handed a 21-point deduction this season due to breaches of profitability and sustainability rules. pic.twitter.com/4kUevzOHUl— B/R Football (@brfootball) April 18, 2022 With the financial problems gripping the club from Pride Park, their future looks insecure at best. US businessman Chris Kirchner has been named as the preferred bidder and met with the EFL earlier this month to discuss his proposed takeover.Today’s defeat was a painful one in many ways. They conceded a late goal from Luke Amos, while a dramatic point for Reading, who came back from 4-1 down to draw 4-4 against Swansea, condemned the Rams to relegation.To add insult to injury, Rams’ captain Tom Lawrence was sent off eight minutes into stoppage time to complete an utterly miserable evening for the club.Many questions of “what if” will be asked in the coming hours and days, with the one of “what if there wasn’t that point deduction” probably the most frequently asked. They would be on 52 points and more than safe. But they have to face reality and accept the painful demotion.Results this afternoon mean we’ll fall short in our attempts to overcome the obstacles in front of us this season.Thank you for your incredible support during the most challenging of campaigns 🐏🖤🤍#DCFC #dcfcfans pic.twitter.com/9dxXL3u8Qy— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) April 18, 2022 What will this mean for Wayne Rooney? Will he stick by the club and try to drag them back to the EFL Championship next season? Maybe not even he knows what the future holds.Currently, quite a few former Premier League clubs are playing in the third tier. Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland, Wigan, Portsmouth, Charlton Athletic, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday are all fighting their battles far away from the bright lights of the top division.EFL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND 43MondayMiddlesbrough – Huddersfield 0-2 (0-1)/Sarr 41, Rose 60/Barnsley – Peterbrough 0-2 (0-1)/Mariott 25, Kent 75/Blackburn – Stoke 0-1 (0-1)/Brown 4/Blackpool – Birmingham 6-1 (3-0)/Beasley 3, 56, Hamilton 14, Dougal 40, Yates 85 pen, Connoly 90+4 – Sunjic 63/Cardiff – Luton 0-1 (0-0)/Cornick 71/Coventry – Bournemouth 0-3 (0-2)/Lowe 12, Solanke 45, 55/Millwall – Hull 2-1 (0-0)/Maloune 51, Bradshaw 55 – Eves 87/QPR – Derby County 1-0 (0-0)/Amos 88/Reading – Swansey 4-4 (1-3)/Joao 3 pen, 71, Ince 61, MacIntyre 90+5 – Wolf 6, Piroe 12, 45+2 pen, Obafemi 58/Bristol City – Sheffield United22.00: (2.19) Nott.Forest (3.35) WBA (3.50)Tuesday21.45: (1.45) Fulham (4.30) Preston (7.75)***odds are subject to change
