Just
when you thought it couldn't get any worse for Rotherham, they put
one of their worst displays in for some time as they were beaten 5-2
by Ipswich.
4-0
down after 48 minutes tells its own story but the Millers showed
everything in a side that is going down.
Darly
Murphy broke his duck for the season with a first hat-trick in
English football, adding to goals from Brett Pitman and Jonathan
Douglas.
The
Millers briefly rallied through Brandon Barker and Matt Derbyshire,
but those two quickfire goals masked what was a dark day.
Here
are five things we learned from the game.
Comparisons to the dark days
The
first 50 minutes as the Millers found themselves 4-0 down could be
described in a number of ways. Pathetic, half-hearted, weak, doomed,
incoherent, tentative, shambolic, lacklustre, toothless and dispirited
– the list is endless. At its worst, it was impossible not to
compare the performance to some of the dark days the club has endured
in recent times. The softness of their display and the lack of hope
was reminiscent of the Danny Bergara season and even more of the last
time Rotherham went down from this division in 2004-05. The
inevitability about it all is a concern and there has to be a massive
change in landscape if the Millers are going to get out of this mess.
Rotherham still relying on screamers
Rotherham
scored two goals in a game for the first time since the win at
Birmingham in September, but the lack of quality in the final third
is still telling. Those two goals were both stunning strikes, first
from Brandon Barker and then from Matt Derbyshire and they deserve
credit. However, those two were the only shots on goal the Millers –
playing at home, remember – had on Dean Gerken's net, meaning
Ipswich goalkeeper did not make a save in the entire 90 minutes. Barker looks
like, given time, he could create opportunities, while Jonson
Clarke-Harris was a threat coming off the bench, but apart from that
nothing came from what could be considered an attacking formula or
patter of play.
This has got all the hallmarks of a relegation season
This
may well be stating the obvious given the precarious league position
but based on the last few weeks, and against Ipswich specifically,
the Millers are a side heading for relegation. Unlike last season's
struggle, they don't ever seem to be in games, easily getting brushed
aside, they are regular architects of their own downfall and the fans
are disengaged, even turning on their own players. There is so much
similar to the terrible 04-05 season that saw the Millers cut adrift
before Christmas. This team could be heading in a similar direction.
That might be the end of the road for Paul Green
Neil
Redfearn and the fans are at odds over their opinion on midfielder
Paul Green, with the boss an admirer and the fans definitely not. But
Redfearn might just have his hand forced by Green's display in the
first half of this loss against Ipswich. He was involved in both of
Town's opening goals, the first clearly at fault for failing to clear
the ball before being caught in possession for the damaging second
goal, and the fans' patience with midfielder finally came to an end
as some sections of the crowd resorted to booing him when he was in
position – reminiscent of the treatment Kevin Watson received 14
years ago. His lack of confidence was evident after that fan reaction
and his head was on the floor, consequently being withdrawn withdrawn
at half-time and it could be a while before he is seen in the Millers
side again.
Brandon Barker's performance might be the only positive
Barker
arrived at the club on Friday and was thrown straight into the
starting XI and he showcased his undoubted ability on what was his
Football League debut. The quality of his goal speaks for itself with
the way he created space for himself and then bent in a superb shot
into the top corner very impressive. Although sometimes getting lost
in the game, Barker also showed he has ability to get past players
and get into dangerous positions, something that has been missing
throughout much of the season. Aged 19, he is only going to get
better throughout his spell and that is something that the Millers
will want to hang their hat on.
