Richardson ‘Team Performance Deserved More’

Rotherham United Head Coach Leam Richardson thought his teams performance at home to Watford this afternoon deserved something.

Speaking after the one-nil loss the Millers Boss told Radio Sheffield saying, ‘It’s frustrating at the moment and I thought the effort levels and team performance deserved more but you can’t shy away from the fact that we’ve lost a game of football.

‘We need to keep improving. I don’t think there’s one single reason not to perform, not to come into work and keep instilling good habits into this football club until the end of the season. When I first came in I talked about the obvious situation we are in, not just on the pitch, but around the football club as well that we need to be aware of and enhance, evolve and make sure we make a fist of it. Otherwise, what’s the point.

‘The effort levels that I demand from the lads was there for all to see today. We obviously need that little bit of quality, that little bit of a cutting edge but being very mindful of what division we are in and that we were playing a very good Watford team. And we’ve come above all things but not the final score.

‘I knew the challenge when I came into the building and the things we need to take forward if we want to sustain as a Championship football club but it’s not going to happen overnight.

‘I’m as disappointed as everyone else with the result today.’

Asked about the penalty appeal which saw Andy Rinomhota end up on the floor, Leam said, ‘I think at any other Championship ground that gets given. It certainly got given last week at Elland Road. And I think it’s easy not to give it for the bottom teams, it’s easy not to give it for the so called not big teams and I think the officials are subconsciously aware of that. You just can’t go thirty plus games without getting a penalty.’

Asked about the boos at the end of the game, Leam said, he wasn’t aware of any and I have to say, neither was I, saying, ‘It’s easy to support your football team when you are winning. If any supporters don’t think any of the lads didn’t give effort or endeavour for the shirt today I’ve got to disagree with them. But I totally understand their frustration with the winning games at home. I’m the one whose just come into the building to change that and they won’t be as disappointed as I am today.

‘So how can we make Rotherham better? That’s the manager, the coach, the players, the media, the supporters otherwise we could end up like any other club and spiral into different places and we don’t want that at this football club. We want to keep growing, we want to be the best version of ourselves.’