Pitch, players and officials in firing line of frustrated Derby boss

The former England and Chelsea man admitted that his team were second best on the day but he also insisted the Rams didn’t get the rub of the green or adapt to the playing surface.

“We didn’t play well, Rotherham deserved to win,” he said. “We knew what we were coming here to face. They are effective in the way they play – long balls, second balls and creating chances. We weren’t quick enough to the second ball particularly.

“The pitch didn’t help, it was long and dry, but that’s not an excuse. We should have moved the ball quicker and better.”

Lampard will have to wait to see what his punishment is for his red card in the second half. He was sent off for walking down the touchline to remonstrate with the referee’s assistant. Derby were down to ten men from Tom Lawrence’s sending off at the time.

Richie Towell: winning first appearance after his return on loan from Brighton.

“If it is an offence for stepping out of the technical area, their manager should have been sent off too as well as their assistant and mine. We all did it during the game,” said Lampard.

“I didn’t get a word from the ref (Peter Bankes). He didn’t consult the linesman, he just decided to send me off.

“I need to look back at the rule book myself on it because I won’t be leaving it (the technical area) again for any reason obviously. If they are the rules then every manager will get sent off every game.”

Ryan Manning’s 63rd minute penalty winner came when the visitors had been reduced to ten men after Lawrence’s dismissal for a late tackle on Richie Towell.

On that, Lampard said the severity of the punishment depended upon whether Lawrence had left the ground in making the challenge.

“Tom said he didn’t. It’s one to look at, I haven’t seen it,” he added.

“Like a lot of the decisions, it could have gone either way but they all went against us.”