Who Might The Millers Need To Replace?

Although we are still living in a topsy-turvey land regarding this season’s League One football we will soon have to turn our attention to next season and, despite which division we will find ourselves starting in Rotherham United Manager Paul Warne will need to probably bring in new players.

As Millers fans I think we already know that the Gaffer won’t have been sat waiting to see how things turn out, he and his back room team will already have been – and possibly already know – which players they will want to talk to about coming to the New York Stadium in the next few months.

Obviously, no-one will have been able to go and see these players plying their skills live but with the technology available now the Rotherham scouts will have a good idea of what any prospective player can bring to the dressing room.

I would imagine that there will be a need to replace right-back Billy Jones whose two-year deal is up. Billy made twenty-two appearances in his first season as a Miller and just twelve this current season having been injured since November he did play three-quarters of our last game away at Rochdale, though that was probably ‘needs must’ rather than because he was fully fit. Do I see him in a Millers shirt next season? I’m very doubtful.

And something I seem to say at the end of every season lately is that we will need to be looking at signing a goalkeeper. Lewis Price is out of contract and, if I’m being honest, I can see us moving him sideways towards being involved in the back room staff and Daniel Iversen, who has played thirty-eight games for the Millers this season is only on loan from Leicester City. Should we be talking to the Foxes about a second loan season for the twenty-two year old Dane? Oh, yes, I’d say so.

Paris born winger Julien Lamy is also out of contract. He’s made just five appearances this season, two in the Football League Trophy and three league game and although Warney had said that he has to ‘prove himself in the reserves’ he was sent out on loan to AFC Wimbledon in January where he’s been involved in two league games. What little I saw of Julien I quite liked and always thought he was a young lad who would get better under our Manager’s watchful eye. Will he get a new contract? I really don’t know either way with about this.

Then there’s the other loanees – forward Josh Koroma from Huddersfield, Bristol City midfielder Hakeeb Adelakun and another midfielder Dan Barlaser on loan from Newcastle. I’d like to think we could get all three of these in for next season, whether as permanent signings or back on loan. If not then that’s another three players we will need to replace.

Depending on where we find ourselves I think we definitely need to fetch in a number of players all over the pitch whether they be old faces or new.

But, I’m sure Paul Warne has it all in hand.