Millers facing a long, hard winter - Interview Thursday, 8th Dec 2016 19:27 by Clive Whittingham Tough times for bottom-placed Rotherham with just one win all season. Miller Ross Middleton tells us where it's all gone wrong. Taking it chronologically, why didn’t Warnock stay after the amazing finish to last season? RM: There were a couple of reasons, namely the urge to have one last crack at a record-breaking play-off victory with a ‘bigger club’ than ours. Warnock’s early fluttering of the eyelids at Tony Stewart when guest of honour at last season’s match between us and yourselves at the New York Stadium put the idea into our chairman’s head to bring Mr Warnock to our club. However, come an amazing set of results I think Warnock was destined (in his mind) to bigger and better things, which left us in the lurch so close to pre-season as we had waited with bated breath for him to sign on for another year until he eventually rejected the chance. NW wasn’t overly impressed with the club’s training facilities and felt that a younger candidate would be better served taking us forward (look where that has got us!) but as we know the potential moves to Forest, Hull, Newcastle and particularly Villa didn’t work out.
What did you make of the appointment of Alan Stubbs? Why didn’t that work out? RM: I was initially optimistic that it was a forward-thinking appointment. Our chairman talked about building the club (even though he sacked a man in Neil Redfearn after four months that he had brought in to sort the youth team structure) and after half an hour of the opening game of the season against Wolves where we were 2-0 up and playing the ball out from the back, it seemed inspired. That game finished 2-2 and unfortunately, it became apparent that it was a disastrous appointment. Stubbs had been on the shortlist when we plumped for Neil Warnock and had just won the cup in Scotland, but the appointment made a mockery of the view that we needed ‘Championship experience’. You can’t really put the Scottish Championship on a par with the English one, let alone the Scottish Premiership, and the raft of signings that followed from Scotland meant it quickly turned sour as the players that he brought in are just not good enough. One of the major factors as to why it didn’t work out was due to the fact that there was no rapport with the fans. I’ve never been a big believer that tub-thumping and growling at someone works, but this was the most passive Rotherham manager I and many others had ever seen. There was no clapping of the die-hards that trudged to places like Birmingham, Norwich and Barnsley and when pressed on the matter he simply stated that “our fans don’t need to see me clap to see how I appreciate them”. The fit just wasn’t right. No offence, but we were surprised Kenny Jackett took it on, and then even more surprised when he walked out six games later. What did you make of his arrival, brief spell in charge, and departure? Why did he leave so abruptly and quickly? RM: I haven’t been a great Kenny Jackett lover in the past to be honest, but when we appointed him, with the predicament we were in, I thought it was Tony Stewart’s best appointment after Steve Evans, purely for next season in League One. Personally however, I think Jackett was maybe sweet talked a little too much by our Chairman as the reality hit just how bad a mess Alan Stubbs left him to sort. Our first game against Reading was positive but again ended in a late defeat and the rest of the games were a true reflection. As my missus says, “you can’t polish a turd”. I have to say I was shocked that he would leave so quickly, but rumours that he wasn’t getting as much to spend in January due to our inevitable relegation were rife. Personally, I think the fit wasn’t right for him after a month of working here, and that other jobs are in the offing (although apparently he can’t work at another club for six months due to a compensation clause).
Why has it gone so badly wrong this season? RM: Firstly, a late appointment of Stubbs meant that pre-season (including friendlies) was rushed. Then we struggled to sign anyone for the first few weeks of pre-season, snapping up Anthony Forde from Walsall and that was it. We missed out on strikers such as Tom Bradshaw and Lee Gregory because of our reluctance to spend that little bit more to sign a striker we had needed for two years in this division. And then the flurry of activity came where half of Scotland turned up in Rotherham and quickly had to gel with other members of the squad. We had one first-team striker come the first game of the season; that tells you why we have done so badly and why were so far adrift before we’d even got a third of the way into the season. Who’s in line for the job? Who would you like? RM: (Deep breath). The list of candidates is hardly inspiring and to be honest, who would really want to come to us at the minute, bearing in mind Kenny got his coat after a month? Stuart Gray is one who has been interviewed for our job about four times but I doubt he’d apply again. Your formerly own Jimmy-Floyd has been mentioned but doesn’t seem the right fit for us at this time. Paul Warne (Rotherham through and through) is in temporary charge and I would let him have it until the end of the season when a few more candidates might be available. Personally for me I hope that Mick McCarthy gets the boot and fancies moving back to Yorkshire. We usually ask for the best players and weak links at this point, presumably more of the latter? RM: In a nutshell, yes. Although Danny Ward has been the only shining light for us this year, but he’ll be off in January, but is great in the air and still giving 100 percent, so your back four (or three) will know they’ve been in a game. The problem we have is the players Stubbs brought in have been brought in on three-year contracts (Dexter Blackstock!) so there are far too many weak links, notably a defence that is on course to leak 100 goals in a season (feel so sorry for Lee Camp). We tend to be weak against wingers and on-rushing full-backs and are desperately missing Kirk Broadfoot at centre-half. Izzy Brown, on loan from Chelsea, started well but has faded badly.
Any hope of another great escape? RM: Nope. Unless three more clubs get deducted about 30 points because us Rotherham fans genuinely can’t see us winning another game this season! Consequences of relegation? RM: Obvious financial implications are there but our chairman is still positive with regards to aiming high (Premier League in three years!) so it maybe would be a step back to go forward again with players who want to play for the shirt. We are going to be left with some players that we won’t want and need but some of the players may be more suited to League One. And at least we might win a couple next year. Pictures — Action Images Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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