Warne Pleased But Also Disappointed

Rotherham United Manager Paul Warne told Freeview that he was proud of his players performance at Swansea yesterday and thanked the Millers fans who had made the long journey and applauded the team off after the four-three defeat.

‘Swansea are a phenomenal team,’ the Millers Boss carried on, ‘they haven’t lost at home this year so for us to come so close to picking something up is pleasing yet also disappointing.’

Warney is right – we did come close to getting something at the Liberty Stadium yesterday. It was a great performance from the lads who did, to quote the Gaffer all season, give it their all. But – and there is always that ‘but’ with Rotherham United – we should really have got at least a draw from that game.

Forgetting about luck and non-luck, alleged handballs and officials who weren’t the best (ahem) we don’t seem to have learned anything from our home game with Aston Villa. We went in winning yesterday so, as a fan, I expected Swansea to come out all guns blazing. They did and the Millers, frankly let them. There are teams who can withstand pressure like that, but Rotherham United aren’t one of them. We don’t seem to have the strength to make good clearances, to stand tall against clever little wingers (and we have clever little wingers of our own to practice with), in a simple sentence, we don’t seem to be able to defend.

And – there’s always an ‘and’ too isn’t there – why when we’re on top of a game do we play that deep back I sometimes feel our back-line is going to be in with the fans behind the goal. I can’t work it out. We’re in front, we’re on top and yet we are the ones who look scared, who panic a bit.

Once we went four-two down the Millers fought – and we were the better team and had chances to score which Will Vaulks did. There were times when I thought we made Swansea look ordinary for a team who came down from the Premier League last season by a team who came up via the play-offs from League One.

I feel for our players who fought enough to look absolutely shattered at the end of the game who Warney now has to pick up and look forward to our game with Birmingham on Monday. There is no ifs or buts about it we need to win.