Rooney's Derby one of six Championship sides on course to post unwanted record

Six Championship sides are on course to finish with fewer points than teams usually need to avoid relegation.

New research undertaken by Mirror Sport shows that Barnsley, Derby, Peterborough, Reading, Hull and Cardiff are all on course to finish on a lower final total than is usually required.

Teams who finished in 22nd place - the last spot in the relegation zone - have ended the campaign with 46.4 points on average.

Over the last 10 seasons in the Championship the average has been slightly lower at 44.2 points.

Those are worrying figures for the Championship's current bottom six clubs, all of whom are on course to finish with smaller tallies.

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Barnsley will finish the season with 28 points if they maintain their current point per game averages until the end of the season.

Derby County will finish with 35 points, Peterborough with 38, Reading with 45, Hull with 46 and Cardiff also with 46. Those averages are all lower than the historic 46.4 point average of clubs who finish 22nd, and therefore still get relegated.

Only Reading, Hull and Cardiff are set to reach the 44.2 point average of the last 10 years.

Of course, the average isn't always enough. Peterborough finished 22nd in 2012/13 with 54 points.

That's the highest points total of any club to have finished 22nd in the 46-game era. Leicester and Millwall finished in 22nd with 52 points each in 2007/08 and 1995/96 respectively.

The fewest points that clubs have finished in 22nd with is 40 - Rotherham in 2018/19, Charlton in 2015/16, and Portsmouth in 2011/12.

Derby, who of course have been handicapped by two separate points deductions, are currently on seven points.

Without the docking of those 21 points, Wayne Rooney's side would be 15th in the standings.

Nevertheless, their last outing saw them seal a hugely encouraging victory over high-flying West Bromwich Albion.

The only goal of the game was scored by Colin Kazim-Richards in comical circumstances - not that Rooney cared one jot.

"The effort the lads put in was incredible," the former England and Manchester United star said.

"First of all the academy deserve a lot of praise. I am having to use a lot of players from the academy, and secondly we are having to try and develop them quicker than normal, throw them in against some very good teams in this league in Fulham, Bournemouth and West Brom.

"We didn't play much football today. Against West Brom they like that side of the game, they have got a physical team, and the young lads coped excellent.

"The more experienced lads - Stearman, Curtis Davies, Fozzy [Craig Forsyth] deserve a lot of praise as well for helping and guiding the young lads through it.

"I am delighted with the win, it is a massive win for us."