Rotherham
return to New York Stadium for the first time in three months on Wednesday night as
their pre-season preparations step up with the visit of Premier
League Leicester.
Friendlies are notoriously drab affairs but with the season just over a week away, this match with the Foxes could provide vital clues as to how the Millers will fare.
Here's
five things to look out for in the game.
1) Who's winning the battle for the number one spot?
Adam Collin had his moments of brilliance last season, but the way loanee
Emi Martinez came in and performed at the back end of the campaign,
it perhaps highlighted that Collin has his limitations. Boss Steve
Evans' actions in the transfer market suggested he was on the
look-out for a new number one, so on-loan Derby keeper Kelle Roos has
to be favourite to don the gloves when August 8 comes around. Evans
has already been “stunned” by how good Roos has been in
pre-season, so we can expect Roos to start against
Leicester. But Collin is a fighter and won't be content with a season
on the bench.
2) How to get six into two
Losing
Craig Morgan to Wigan, Kari Arnason to Malmo and Kirk Broadfoot to a 10-game ban means that there is going to be a new central defensive
partnership this season and the match with Claudio Ranieri's men
could provide a first glance into Evans' thinking. He has certainly
got that position covered with summer recruits of authentic
centre-halves Danny Collins, Tom Thorpe and Farrend Rawson, who join
Richard Wood and Broadfoot, when available again, in the existing pool. If that was not
enough, Lewis Buxton and Greg Halford can also operate in the middle
at the back so Evans has options. Several different combinations have
been tried during the early friendlies with the non-league sides and
the tour to Scotland, but who Evans chooses to face the Premier
League side could give us a clue as to who will be marshalling the
defence against MK Dons on the opening day of the season.
3) Will we finally see Lewis Buxton?
Sheffield
Wednesday fans have been particularly vocal at the fact Rotherham
have signed three of their ex-players this season, but the one who
came with the best comments was Lewis Buxton. And that feedback is
all we have had to go on so far as the 31-year-old right-back, who
only managed 10 appearances for the Owls last season, picked up an
injury in training which has ruled him out of the Millers' first six
friendlies. Evans has intimated that Buxton should be fit to feature at some point against Leicester, so it could be a first viewing of a
man who comes to New York with a glowing reputation.
4) Will the fans forgive Chris Maguire?
Last
time Chris Maguire played at New York Stadium he ended it by running
up the touchline gesturing to the home fans to be quiet after they
gave him some stick. Maguire had the last laugh that day as his
former club Sheffield Wednesday stole three points in March's
Championship clash, but he has swapped one side of the M1 for the
other on Friday and is set for his first run-out against the Foxes
after not being involved in Saturday's clash at Partick Thistle.
Rotherham fans have the potential to be unforgiving, just ask Mike
Pollitt, but as it was such a small section of the crowd who had a
run-in with Maguire, his home debut with his new club should go
without a hitch. And if Maguire can rub up opposition fans in the
same manner now he's wearing a red shirt, the Millers faithful will
quickly take to him.
5) How's Matt Derbyshire looking?
Matt
Derbyshire's form over the second half of last season was vital as
his nine goals in 20 games helped fire the Millers to Championship
safety. But his output prior to that impressive run was grim and at
times it looked like he had never scored a goal in his life. Evans put that down to a lack of confidence so Rotherham fans know they
need the player that turned up in the second half of the season if
they are going to prosper this time around. Therefore, pre-season
could prove a vital period for Derbyshire to get back into the habit
of scoring. He managed one at Partick at the weekend, and all eyes will be on the former Nottingham Forest front man to see if he has brought his scoring boots.
