Rotherham v Ipswich: Four things to look out for

The games keep coming thick and fast for Rotherham as they come up against Ipswich at New York Stadium.

It's four defeats out of five four Neil Redfearn at the Millers helm and his side are now five points adrift of safety, with the visit of Mick McCarthy's men taking on extra significance.

Here are five things to look out for in the game.

Monkey off the back

Neil Redfearn has not had much go in his favour since coming to the Millers, mainly due to a gruelling run of fixtures against top sides, but he is still the first manager since Tommy Johnston in 1958 not to win any of his first five games in charge. Although most people are understanding of Redfearn's plight, eventually he will have to put some wins on the board if he is going to have full faith from the supporters. The game against the Ipswich looks - on paper - to be his best chance of breaking that duck. The league table suggests anything other than a win is unacceptable.

Getting the home form right

One thing that Redfearn has to address is the home form. The Millers picked up most of their points on home soil last season and their form there was imperative in helping them secure their Championship safety. But so far this season they have struggled on their own patch, picking just five points up from their first seven games and losing four of them. Redfearn has highlighted that the support at New York Stadium can be very partisan and he will hope that he can harnass the second-half performance against Reading and create a fortress where it provides a regular supply of points.

Time to take Jonson Clarke-Harris out of firing line

Providing Matt Derbyshire is fit and available - or a new signing arrives - Redfearn might reckon it's time to pull Jonson Clarke-Harris out of the side. Although he has been the Millers' most promising player in the opening third of the season, he has perhaps run out of steam in the last few weeks. He has stopped scoring, the powerful runs have also ceased and his inability to hold the ball up is causing the side major issues at the other end. Redfearn has hinted that he's only stayed in the side because there is no one else to pick, but this might be the right time for a rest.

When Saturday comes

Remember what a Saturday home game feels like? Nope? Well it's no surprise as it is eight weeks since the Millers last took the field at 3pm on a Saturday on home soil after a run of Friday night televised matches and a midweek match. In fact, out of their seven home games this season, only three have been on Saturdays. Everyone will be hoping for a similar result to their last weekend outing at New York - a 2-1 win over Cardiff on September 12. The club has changed a lot since that game, but there is nothing better than the familiarity of going to football on a Saturday afternoon.