Subs, VAR And Transfers

Rotherham United haven’t got to worry about the Fourth Round of the FA Cup after losing in extra time against Premier League opposition, Everton, at Goodison Park yesterday.

It was a close run thing with the Millers putting in, in my humble opinion, more effort than their top seven counterparts during the initial ninety minutes and, again my opinion only, I think the substitutes made a difference.

Both sides brought on five subs, the Toffees fetching on four within ten minutes of Matthew Olosunde’s equaliser, and one in extra time on. Paul Warne staggered it a bit although all five were on before the start of extra time and I don’t actually think our changes were for the better. Yes, I understand the Gaffer didn’t want players to get injured but I do think the play for the Millers was flowing and not so much when the starting five players had gone off. Would it have made a difference, we will never know.

Another thing I wonder might have made a difference was the VAR decision to cancel out  Cenk Tosun second goal in the final minutes of the game. Maybe had that stood the fighting spirit the Millers were showing then might have got another goal – maybe two? I’m probably clutching at straws with this one but again, we will never know. (And haven’t there been times this season in the league when VAR would have been welcome for Rotherham?!)  I do actually wonder if VAR should have been used.  After all, in the FA Cup games it was only used at games that were played at Premier League clubs, as they were the only ones to have it working.  Is that fair to the other fixtures?  I’m not so sure, despite it going the right way for us.

I was so happy for Matt Olosunde after he scored the equaliser – the look on his face showed what it meant to him. Before the game he told the Official Site how excited he was for the opportunity to play in this competition after watching it ‘back home’ in Philadelphia in the past. He also said it would be a ‘great test’ for the Rotherham players to show ‘what they are capable of doing’. It was and they did with, again my opinion, Olosunde being the Man of the Match.

So, now it’s back to the League and back to the Transfer Window. We have players coming back from injury – how soon we don’t know, although, we don’t expect to see Joe Mattock back before the spring. We’ve been linked with a couple of forwards since Christmas but I think the Gaffer will be looking for a left-back which is a position we are sadly lacking in. It’s not going to be easy getting players in – firstly because of the coronavirus and secondly because of our position in the league (though get wins in those games in hand and …. well, we’ve got to win them first haven’t we). But I’d like to think we were looking at experienced Championship players, possibly on a short contract or any surplus other clubs have for a loan deal. The window shuts on 1st February although there will be deals able to be done after that for unattached players – though I’d first be wondering why they are ‘unattached’ before I started looking at them.

We’ve got four scheduled league games this month starting next Saturday with a short trip to take on Derby County. A must win game? Maybe.

Keep Safe.

Up The Millers!