After only one win in ten, Lincoln will welcome Rotherham to Sincil Bank, hoping to kick 2025 off with a massive three points, writes Darragh Tracy.
Rotherham Form
After a season of disarray and defeat, Rotherham were relegated back into the third tier after a two-year stay in Championship. The Millers appointed infamous manager Steve Evans upon their relegation to League One, after a successful season with Stevenage the year before. Evans felt a complete squad overhaul was necessary, and he wasn’t waiting around to make this happen. Seven players were signed before July 1st, which had the whole of the division wondering if a record-breaking team was being built before us. Halfway through the season, it’s safe to say Rotherham United won’t be breaking records anytime soon.
An opening day defeat to Exeter followed by a 0-0 draw with Bristol Rovers was not the start the Millers had hoped for. Failing to score in the opening two matches had Rotherham fans wonder whether or not Steve Evans’ route one style of play would work against sides who would come to sit back and defend. Wycombe at Adams Park was up next, but once again the Millers failed to score, as they were defeated by two goals to none. A return to the New York to play Huddersfield gave Rotherham the chance to put points on the board against a fellow relegated side. With the aid of a Danny Ward red card, Rotherham United managed to win their first game of the season, beating the Terriers 2-1.
Rotherham only managed to gain three points from the next 12 available in the league, drawing to Charlton, Burton and Shrewsbury and being beaten by Birmingham City. After no wins in September, the Millers registered their next win away to strugglers Cambridge in October. Losses to Wrexham and Leyton Orient followed, but victories over Stevenage and Reading at the New York helped keep Rotherham within reach of the top half.
The real problem for Rotherham has been their inability to beat sides above them, with Huddersfield and, of course, Lincoln, being the only two sides that the Millers have been able to triumph over who sat above before them before a ball was kicked. In recent games, Rotherham have only been able to pick up one point from nine, losing to Wigan and Mansfield and drawing with Stockport, so tomorrow’s match pits two out of form sides against each other where both desperately need a win.
Rotherham Tactics
As Imps fans, we all know how it feels to be a victim of a Steve Evans’ side. The Scotsman sets his Millers team up no differently from how he set up Stevenage, Gillingham and the rest. A route one philosophy is employed at the New York, with long balls and the dark arts being an integral part of how they play. Setting up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, Evans usually starts Jonson Clarke Harris up front, a proven striker at this level. Malik Wilks, Sam Nombe and Jordan Hugill support Harris in attack, and on paper, Rotherham United have a really good squad.
Sean Raggett, a former Imp and goal scorer in our previous meeting, will be sidelined for the fixture after suffering an injury on Boxing Day. Malik Wilks and Hakeem Odoffin have picked up four yellow cards this season, and will miss out on the trip to Huddersfield if booked at Sincil Bank tomorrow. Along with them, no surprise here, manager Steve Evans has picked up a whopping nine cautions this season, so if shown a yellow card in the New Year’s Day fixture, he will receive a sideline ban of two games.
Previous Meetings
City have won just one of their last 14 league games against Rotherham United, beating the Millers 2-0 in August 2019 under Danny Cowley. Rotherham have won eight of their last 10 league visits to Lincoln (D1 L1), drawing 1-1 in their most recent such game at Sincil Bank in 2021-22. Our most recent clash was a 2-1 defeat at the New York in November, where Jovon Makama netted the goal for the Imps.
If you want a good omen heading into the match, Lincoln haven’t started consecutive years with defeat in the Football League since losing three years in a row between 1992 and 1994, so fingers crossed City can keep that run going with a big three points tomorrow!
You must be logged in to post a comment.