Three weeks today Rotherham United fans will be on their way to Griffin Park for the first game of the new Championship season.
This time last week we were getting ready to take on Parkgate in the first friendly of the pre-season, which saw goals from Michael Smith and Anthony Forde, who scored twice. In a few hours they will be taking on Austrian side SC Wiener Neustadt at their home stadium. In between the Millers drew nil-nil with SKU Amstetten. New boy Zac Vyner played the first hour of the game while other new signings Clark Robertston and Kyle Vassell played the last half-an-hour.
Millers Boss, Paul Warne, has had his players training in Austria all week and says that this years squad are quicker than they were this time last year but hopes for a better performance today than the mid-week game.
Meanwhile, on the transfer front, well, zilch.
It was hoped that at least one player would be joining the Millers in Austria. As fans we are still pinning our hopes on the next player in will be a goalkeeper and preferably Marek Rodak who was on loan from the end of August last season going on to play thirty-eight games.
We have been told in various media outlets that Warney has been hoping and hasn’t given up hope that Rodak is on his way back. At the end of last season we were told that the Slovakian was willing to come back, whether on loan or on a permanent deal. We know that Fulham now have just two ‘first team goalies’ on their books, making Marek third in the pecking order so it could be that they are waiting to see if they can get another ‘top ‘keeper’ on their books before letting Rodak back out on loan. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve nothing against Lewis Price and/or Laurence Bilboe, the former has played a number of games for the Millers. Bilboe I do feel sorry for. He spent time with the first team squad on the bench and, I presume, training with them, but I am disappointed he didn’t get the chance to play last season, maybe in Cup games, then he would have had some experience.
We have also been hearing that Warney has been keeping an eye on what is happening with another loanee from last season midfielder Richie Towell.
News of any potential striker has gone cold but Rotherham are still being linked with defender Lee Hodson who currently plays in Scotland for Rangers and Ricardinho, an experienced left-back, currently with Oxford.
Personally, I’d feel much happier when we’ve got another ‘keeper on the books and then think about other positions when that one is filled.
Everyone will be back in Rotherham on Monday so maybe something will happen then.
While the squad has been away the Club Shop has been busy with Season Tickets now available to collect and tickets for our friendly fixture with Cardiff City and our Cup game at home to Wigan Athletic on sale. They’ve also announced that, what is now known as the ‘alternative away’ kit is now on sale although I do think us fans will always know it as the ‘refresher kit’.
