Paul
Raynor hopes that the lessons learned from Rotherham's first season
back in the Championship mean that a familiar feeling will soon
return.
The
Millers held on to their second-tier status last season, despite a
Football League points deduction, but it was a roller-coaster
campaign throughout.
Steve
Evans' activity in the transfer market was a bone of contention for
some, with the Millers bringing in 31 players over the course of the
season.
The
boss has vowed to adopt a 'quality not quantity' approach this time
round, hoping to avoid the mistakes of last year where the Millers
packed their ranks with squad players.
As a
result, Raynor and co are hoping that a more streamlined squad will
see the Millers be more competitive and bring a return to that
winning feeling.
“Last
year we probably had a squad that was too big,” the number two said. “We
felt that the Championship, playing Saturday-Tuesday, is very intense
and we needed 25 players.
“Unfortunately,
some of those players weren't actually up to the level and when they
came in they weren't able to do the job we expected.
“This
year it's going to be a little bit more streamlined, a squad of maybe
21, 22 maximum.
“We
can supplement that, if need be, with the odd loan signing here and
there. We used the loan market quite well towards the end of last
season. We're not writing that off.
New lads hopefully a few more to come UTM! #rufc pic.twitter.com/uaiKngfo1b— Mark Hemmingway (@marklhrufc) July 7, 2015
“But
if we can get a squad of around 21 good, solid Championship
footballers that will give us a much better chance of not going what
we went through last year.
“It's
all about quality not quantity. We've learned from last year. We
probably learned more last year than we did in the last four or five
years of success.
“Hopefully
we will put that into practice and it will be an enjoyable season for
us, because last year, for all the euphoria of staying up and the
delight after the Reading game, was a tough year.
“We're
used to winning, we're not used to losing games. It was hard to take.
We take defeat personally. We hate it. You see us on the touchline -
we kick every ball, we head every ball, we make every tackle.
“So
there were some down times in and around last season. But Rotherham,
as a club, has fought back in the past from administration and moving
ground.
“That's
one thing about Rotherham United, they're up for a scrap and a fight.
We proved that last year, but we don't want to go through that, and
the stresses of the end of the season, again.”
