Perhaps My Ideas Are Old Fashioned

Rotherham United fans were again bemoaning the fact that we didn’t start with two up front last night against Hull City.

I’d always start with two up front, especially at home, because I think it makes our intent known and also gives the opposition something to think about.

Obviously, Millers Boss Paul Warne doesn’t think like that and, after all, he’s the one who is paid to set the team out as he sees fit.

Warney must have heard the murmurings amongst the fans and after last nights home defeat to Hull City Warney told The Star, ‘We played two up front against Brentford and got hammered. We played two up front against Ipswich and didn’t get a kick until I put Kyle Vassell out wide. We played one up front against Leeds and thought our shape was really good. I think if we’d played two up front against Hull we wouldn’t have got a look in.’

Well, to be honest, until we put the subs on and did play two up front last night we didn’t get much of a look in did we. Yes we went in front, but I don’t think that had much to do with our lone forward. It was a midfielder who got the ball to a defender who scored.

Now, I’m not one of these people who think that forwards should be the top goal scorers in a team. I’d gladly let anyone score for us and like the way that our tall defenders crowd the opposition box at set-pieces.

Despite the ‘only one up front’ issue I also have a problem when we are defending a free-kick or corner that we only leave one, at most, back. I feel that sometimes while our tall defenders are there to help the ‘keeper and get the ball away, there are some of our other players standing watching when at least one more could be better employed staying back. Because when we do get the ball away and upfield it inevitably comes back because there is only the one player left back who has nobody he can pass the ball to.

Yes, I admit I’m probably being a bit old fashioned in my thoughts but I do feel we need to get points on the board at the beginning of the season so we can experiment later in the season when we are in a relatively good position if needs be.

What would I do against Millwall on Sunday? I’d start with two up front.

I don’t think Paul Warne sees it that way and that’s fair enough after all I’m not the Manager, I’m not one of the back room boys, I’m just a fan who has their own, probably old fashioned,  ideas.