Rotherham United Manager Paul Warne told The Star that should his Millers team fall into the bottom three they will ‘fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets’ – well,, no he didn’t actually say that exactly but he did say ‘we’ll just fight our way out.’
And, do you know, I think this team could well do that. Jim, on Facebook, says that he think we will go back down which I did disagree with – in fact, if we don’t he said he’d buy me a drink so it is in my interest that Rotherham United stay up!
I was disappointed with the performance on Saturday, I thought we gave the ball away too often, that our passing wasn’t the best (in the first half it was pretty non-existent to be honest) and we always looked a yard behind Reading. But, and it’s a big but, in the second half we did try, we did fight and that gained us a point when it looked like we’d get nothing.
And I believe it’s that fight that will keep the Millers in the Championship.
So far this season I’ve managed to get to every game and most of the time I think we’ve had spells in the game, often a whole half, when we’ve matched the opposition if not outplayed them. And there is no denying we’ve had chances – one of our problems is that we’ve not taken those chances.
Some teams have individual players, Rotherham United play as a team. If one hurts they all hurt, if one does well everyone feels part of it. And that’s because Paul Warne and his back room staff have brought in the players who can do that.
So, do I really think we’ll stay up? I really, up to now, think we’ve played well enough to do that. Do you?
Who is the referee on Saturday? Click Here to read Vital Rotherham’s last article.
Not really. Although the achievements have been heartwarming and good it is relative. If we, by our own reckoning think this represents good enough form then I think the opposition haven’t been taken into account.
We need another 20% lift in performance and that is only happening if we have a better team post Christmas. We could even have a worse one. Vaulks gone and no or a worse replacement. Imagine someone buys Smith. We are precarious.
I hear what you are saying Ian. I think we have to keep the team together. I’d be surprised if Vaulks went but then again football often surprises me and I feel we really should have got a new contract sorted out with him before all the speculation of teams coming in for him in January. I don’t think Smith will go – we know what sort of a player he is but for a lot of clubs he just doesn’t score enough goals. On the other hand I heard that Barnsley might have to sell Kieffer Moore ….. We need all those missed chances to start going in, starting on Saturday against West Brom.