Rotherham United manager Paul Warne has been speaking to the press ahead of this Friday night’s fixture.
As reported by their official site, Warne is looking forward to the encounter, but is wary after seeing his side well beaten here in the EFL Trophy last year. John Akinde bagged twice that night and it will be a much-changed side that faces the Millers this time out.
Warne hasn’t been back at Rotherham long enough to remember the last time they came to us for a night game in the league. Most Imps fans who witnessed that debacle won’t want to remember it either.
Rotherham come to us as table-toppers, meaning two of our last three games were against the top team (Ipswich a fortnight ago). Warne admitted he’s wary of our threat, despite the time it is taking for the lads to settle.
“I like night games. Unfortunately last time we went to Lincoln we got tucked up a treat so I’m hoping for a better performance,” said Warne, referring to the 3-0 EFL Trophy defeat.
“They’ve had a new manager in there for a while now, but they’ve signed a few in this window and the way he wants to play takes a little bit of time, but they’ve had some good results.
“I think their home atmosphere is really good and their fans will be right behind their team. We’re taking a good following as well, so I’m expecting a real humdinger of a game. Both teams play similar shapes so it should be a game that goes to the final whistle.”
Rotherham have seen the best of us this season; they’re the only side we’ve beaten home and away, as well as being the only side beaten by both Danny Cowley’s team and Michael Appleton’s side. That will mean little though as they come to us on the back of just two defeats in 11 matches, or seven wins in nine.
In the course of writing this article, I had the misfortune to come across this quote from Steve Tilson after the 6-0 defeat which I think was both prophetic and a lesson in one.
“They didn’t earn the right to score six goals, we’ve gifted them four or five. We certainly need to buck our ideas up in the last eight games because that was nowhere near good enough.
“The difference between the sides was that it looked like Rotherham had something to play for and we hadn’t, but we’re not there yet, not by a long way.”
“I’ve got to get some leaders in for next season, that’s for sure because we are so naive. I’ll hold my hands up, I made a couple of changes that maybe I didn’t need to, but they’re pro footballers and they’ve got to be able to handle that and as a group of players we weren’t good enough.”
We’ll be hoping our players show they have something to play for and end the trend of some fans likening this campaign to that of 2010/11.
…………. ” end the trend of some fans likening this campaign to that of 2010/11.” I wouldn’t be so sure.
Watching city at Rotherham earlier this season was like watching the land of the giants. They all seemed to be 2 metres tall. How we are going to compete at set pieces I dread to think!