Championship manager sends warning to Derby County after relegation to League One

AFC Bournemouth boss Scott Parker has warned second-tier rivals Derby County that it will be an extremely tough task for them to win promotion back to the Championship, speaking to BBC Sport on the Rams.

The East Midlands outfit were officially relegated to the third tier of English football on Monday after suffering a late loss, though it previously looked like they were going to fight on for another day with fellow strugglers Reading 4-1 down against Swansea City on the hour mark that afternoon.

However, it turned out that Luke Amos’ late winner at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium would Wayne Rooney’s side with the Royals equalising in the fifth minute of stoppage time against the Swans to make it 4-4.

The second-tier outfit are only in this situation because of the 21 points they were deducted earlier in the season for separate off-field troubles, being deducted 12 automatically after their entrance into administration in September before being sanctioned with a further nine in November for breaching the EFL’s financial rules.

If they hadn’t been given these punishments, they would currently be sitting in 17th place and would be officially safe from the drop, potentially providing the Rams with real hope that they can secure promotion back to the second tier at the first time of asking next term.

However, manager Rooney’s former England teammate Parker has warned them that it won’t be a walk in the park.

He said: “Managing in League One is tough – it’s a tough division.

“You are dealing with different kinds of managers who are really studious.

“It’s a difficult league to get out of. It will make him (Rooney) a better manager in that sense if he goes down there.

“In that division you need experience, but with young