It doesn’t seem two minutes
since Rotherham were being clapped off at Elland Road after a 0-0 draw with Leeds, which brought an end to their successful Championship season.
The summer months have
whizzed by and the countdown is on for the 2015/16 campaign and there’s not
long to go.
Another gruelling year looks
on the cards for the Millers, but there is still plenty to look forward to. With
16 days to go until MK Dons visit New York Stadium, here’s 16 reasons to get
excited about the new campaign.
1) Beating the odds again
If the Millers are going to
have a good season and achieve boss Steve Evans’ target of 'mid-table looking up' then they are going to have to do something they are very good at – defying the odds. Evans’ men are widespread favourites for the drop this season, with some
bookmakers offering odds as short as 1.5/1 on them going down. Upsetting the
odds is something that the Millers relish and doing so will give everyone that
little bit extra satisfaction.
2) Mid-table looking up
As soon as last season
finished Evans pinpointed a mid-table finish this time around and for that to be
achieved would undoubtedly represent a fine achievement. Although the Millers
finished in 21st position – one spot above the bottom three – they were five
points clear of the drop zone when the season finished and that would have been
eight had it not been for the Football League points deduction. Although easy
to say after the event, if performances had been rewarded with points, the
Millers’ haul should have definitely been six or so better off than that, which
would have been a mid-table finish. So they've already proved they can get close once, can they match it second time around?
3) Mission revenge
There were several low points
during last season but none more so than the final eight minutes of Sheffield Wednesday’s visit to New York Stadium. After a dominant second-half
performance, the Millers looked like registering another 2-1 win over their
rivals thanks to Jordan Bowery’s 87th-minute strike. That took the Millers into
injury time in the lead, but it all went south as a capitulation saw Atdhe
Nuhiu level in the fourth minute of time added on, with Kieran Lee scoring a
winner four minutes later. It was a game the Millers should have won and the
defeat, no matter what Evans will tell you, hurt him more than any other. Evans’
men generally produce in the local derbies, especially at home, and after the
hurt of last season, they will be on the hunt for revenge when the Owls come
calling on October 24.
4) Can the Millers close games out?
It was undoubtedly a steep
learning curve for the Millers last season, and their harshest lessons were
learned at the back end of games where they dropped an outrageous 14 points
with goals conceded after the 81st minute. Had they learned to shut up shop and
held out, they would have been pushing for a top-half finish. With a new-look
defence, full of experience, and a squad and management team who are now more
streetwise in the Championship, hopefully when the Millers are in front heading
towards the final whistle, they will stay in front.
5) Aidy White
As good as Ben Pringle has
been for the Millers over the last three years, Aidy White’s arrival promises
to bring a new dimension to the team. The former Leeds man, who can also play
left-back, possesses lightning fast pace and trickery and his ability to beat a
defender is something the Millers side has been lacking for a while. He has started
well in pre-season and if he can keep himself fit – his entire 2014/15 campaign
was wiped out through injury – then he could be prove to be a real asset,
especially if his final ball is anywhere near as good as the man he is
replacing.
6) Evans’ dealings in the transfer market
Amid the 31 signings Evans made last season, there was some dross. Okay, a lot of dross. But there were
also some impressive captures that provided a bit of excitement and Evans
definitely improved his recruitment after January, particularly with Jack Hunt
and Emi Martinez. It looks as if Evans has learned his lesson, with his relative reserved approach this summer and the days of signing players for the sake of
it appear to be over. Evans has put together a pretty competent squad so far
but there will inevitably be more to come over the course of the season. If the
Scot can go more Hunt than Fryers, then there could be some gems coming our
way.
7) Home comforts early on
There are no easy games in
the Championship, the two games against Blackpool last season will tell you
that, but the fixture computer has thrown up a run of early home games that, on
paper at least, look to be favourable for the Millers, if they perform to their best. First
up are two promoted teams in MK Dons and Preston, followed by a visit of Fulham
and then Cardiff, both of which were mid-table fodder last season. New York
Stadium has to be a fortress this term if the Millers are to prosper and those
four games present a chance to pick up an impressive points tally which could
get the season off to a good start.
8) Grant Ward
While the majority of Evans’
signings this summer have been there and done it in the Championship, Grant
Ward hasn’t. In fact, he’s only managed 11 senior appearances in this country,
but that doesn’t stop his six-month loan signing from Tottenham getting the
pulses racing after an impressive start to his career in pre-season. The 20-year-old
bagged goals in his first three friendly appearances and they were all fine
finishes. He’s an athletic, energetic midfielder, with a penchant for getting
forward and he could be the perfect foil for Richie Smallwood.
9) Will the Football League want Rotherham in the Championship?
There’s only one man who has
suggested that people at the Football League didn’t want Rotherham to be in the
Championship and that was Evans – usually after his side were on the wrong end
of a refereeing decision. There were plenty of occasions when that happened,
far too many for the Scot not to have some grounds for complaint, and it will
be interesting to see if the Millers are again victims of decisions that would
not go against any other club. They certainly didn’t get much help from
referees last season and if they are to prosper this time around they could do
with a few decisions going their way.
10) Matt Derbyshire
On the basis of Matt
Derbyshire’s form in the second half of last season there is every reason for
Millers fans to be excited about him this time around. After six months of
needing a sat nav to find the goal, the former Nottingham Forest man proved his
critics wrong by going on to score nine goals in 20 games at a ratio better
than the division’s top scorer Daryl Murphy over the same period. Those goals
proved crucial in the bid to beat the drop and he will again be the man the
Millers are looking to for their goals this time around. If he gets going early
on, there could be no stopping him.
11) Yorkshire derbies
Evans loves a Yorkshire derby
and the Millers’ record in them during the last few years has been mightily
impressive. Indeed, they took nine points from games against Sheffield
Wednesday, Leeds and Huddersfield last season, suffering just one defeat which,
well, shouldn’t have been a defeat. Hull are added to the mix this campaign
following their relegation, meaning that six of the nine months of the season
features a White Rose match-up for the Millers. If Evans can continue to get
his side geed up for those games, then more good times are on their way.
12) First league trip to KC Stadium
One of those Yorkshire
derbies sees a first league trip to Hull’s KC Stadium. The Millers visited
there in the League Cup in 2012, losing on penalties, but as this is the first
time they have been in the same division since 1999/00 and Boothferry Park no
longer exists, a maiden trip to the 25,856-seaster beckons. However, the Millers
will have to wait until the final game of the season to make the journey down
the M18 when Tigers fans will be hoping to celebrate a promotion back to the
Premier League.
13) Evans’ final-day attire
After grabbing the headlines
for his Sombrero pledge last season, all eyes will be on what attire Evans
chooses to arrive at Hull in. Of course, any such deviation from his
ill-fitting suit and tie combination will be dependant on just how well the
Millers do this season and if things do not go their way then the Sombrero and
flip-flops will have to be put on eBay. But Evans is a such a character, and
one who’s not too shy of the limelight, that if the Millers’ fate is sealed in
any way similar to last term’s then another day of fancy dress is not beyond
him.
14) Beating second season syndrome
Having followed up
back-to-back promotions from League Two by consolidating their place in the
Championship, that was an achievement worth celebrating. And celebrate they did
with pitch invasions, directors’ box jigging and pink champagne. But after
achieving their goal for the campaign, the Millers are now open to ‘second
season syndrome’ – a footballing phenomenon which has struck many a club after
a year of success. That said, the overhaul of their squad (10 have come in, 11
have gone out) and Evans' and chairman Tony Stewart’s relentless drive to
improve should keep the wolf from the door and they only need to look at how
Ronnie Moore’s squad did in their second season in the second tier for inspiration.
15) Will Ben Pringle still be loved at NYS?
For three and a bit years Ben Pringle was a hero at New York, with his eye-catching left foot, unrivalled work rate and his Twitter antics to boot. He was a key part of a defining era in the club’s history and will always be remembered for it. Or will he? The 25-year-old decided that this summer was the right time to move and he didn’t go quietly after rejecting a new contract. He opted to sign for Fulham, meaning he will be back at his former home with the season just three weeks old. Pringle was idolised on the terraces when he was wearing a red shirt, how will he be received when he’s playing for the opposition?
16) Ending the hoodoos
Evans has broken many records
during his time with the Millers and ended plenty of hoodoos along the way –
notably home wins over the Sheffield clubs and at Gillingham. But there’s
plenty more for Evans to go at this season as the Millers’ head-to-head stats
don’t match up too well. Although they have not crossed paths with a lot of
their opponents too often, they have not beaten Nottingham Forest since 1954,
Middlesbrough since 1966, QPR or Charlton since 1983, Birmingham
since 1989 or MK Dons ever. Best get cracking on that last one on August 8,
Stevie lad.
