LETTER: Where do we go from here?

LAST week we received this letter from Rotherham United fan David Roebuck.

Here on the Advertiser sportsdesk, we agree with certain points David raises, and disagree with other parts. Football is built on opinions. Opinions of fans, managers, owners, players, pundits and many others. It's what makes the sport great, and what makes talking about it so popular.

Opinions create hot debates, which are healthy, and what makes football such a great sport to be a part of.

So have a read and let us know what you think in the comments below.

THE season from hell is over and I ask myself, where do we go from here?

Many supporters have said this is the worst Millers team ever. I don't believe that but I do think that they are the team that has been the most out of its depth.

The side put together for this season didn't have the skill or class to compete with the better teams nor the resolve or tenacity to battle against the lesser teams; the worst of all worlds.

The crowd have been very patient this year and I think this has been a mark of respect for what the chairman has done for us and his desire to do the best for the club, the players have done their best despite being hopelessly outclassed.

The highlights of 2017 have been victories against ten-man Norwich and Ipswich reserves, pitiful!

As a child in the late ‘50s, I was in tears when we lost 6-1 at home to Sheffield United. Up until this year that had been my lowest ebb. This year the fans have been embarrassed and humiliated to be associated with the club and become the butt of many jokes. This season I have been ashamed to be a Miller.

Over the 60 plus years I have supported the Millers we have had good periods and bad periods, that's the nature of a club like Rotherham. We have had a period of reasonable success and now take a step back but the question is how long will it take to recover and move forward again?

Because of recent success expectations are unrealistically high. If and when we build a team to get back into the Championship it will only be a temporary stay as the club hasn't the resources to maintain a team at that level.

A few years ago John Ryan did a similar job as our chairman at Doncaster Rovers – new ground, promotions, relegations –– when he realised that to take them to the next level up it needed mega investment, which he couldn't supply.

We have a stable, financially well managed club and have to accept our place in the scheme of things. Enjoy the good times and support the club through the bad times.

Looking forward, I am not too optimistic that we will see a quick return to the Championship.

I can't believe that any of the teams in the top half of League One wouldn't have had a better points return than us. To get a top half finish next season will need a major overhaul of the squad.

Paul Warne has made a number of statements I find hard to fathom. He says he needs to get the squad fitter because they are conceding too many late goals which doesn't say a lot for the last fitness coach if that's the case. 

Fitness of players at this level should be a given, what needs to be focused on is concentration, know-how and nouse when closing periods of play out.

The problem we have had this year has not been fitness but the words ‘headless’ and ‘chickens’ spring to mind.

The manager says he is proud of his team when they lose, the supporters aren't. They may acknowledge that the players have tried their best, but you can't have pride in a team of losers .

The choice of assistant manager alarms me. Richie Barker will always be a legend because of the Hillsborough goal but look at his CV on Wikipedia. Extract Bury where he took over from Alan Knill for the last eight matches and won promotion to League One. At Crawley he was dismissed after seven straight losses. At Portsmouth he was dismissed after 20 matches, of which the last six were all defeats.

Paul Warne says he knows Richie and that he won't have to watch his back but I hope we don't get a Graham Taylor/Phil Neal scenario.

I am worried that we don't have the management team in place with the know-how, man-management skills and tactical knowledge to resurrect the clubs fortunes.

I sincerely hope I am wrong and will gladly eat humble pie if we turn things around next season. 

A good start is essential otherwise I can see a rapidly deteriorating situation – I don't think the crowd will be as patient next season.

David Roebuck

 

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