REACTION: Casualties add to Warne's problems

The interim manager had few regrets after the 26th league defeat of the season, acknowledging the better team had won.

His only frustration was that he'd been forced into substitutions earlier than he wanted, because of the injuries to Stephen Kelly, Danny Ward and Jon Taylor. Those casualties will make for a busy treatment room ahead of tomorrow night's date with promotion chasers Brighton.

“I want the fans to leave here feeling happy and entertained,” said Warne. “I decided to go 4-4-2 and set up to win. We had two attacking wingers and I hoped we would at least score some goals and give the fans something to clap about.

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“It didn’t help when Stephen Kelly went off. Then Danny Ward felt dizzy and Jon Taylor hurt his back. I made my subs before I wanted to. I couldn’t really affect anything (in the second half) apart from putting Tom Adeyemi up with young Jerry Yates.

“Villa had a couple of injuries themselves but they kept putting more and more pace on. I’m obviously upset that we lost but I’m still proud of the way the lads keep going to the end."

Now 18 points from fourth-bottom Wolves with 11 games to play, it's not a case of if, but when, the Millers will be relegated.

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Warne stressed that everyone at the club was doing all they could to stop the flow of defeats.

“There isn’t a lot wrong with the team," he said. "The team spirit is there and they train hard every day. They’ve been brilliant for me and they’re not that far away from winning games.

"My job and the remit of the chairman is to win as many games as I can and send the fans home happy. The lads are giving me everything they've got but we haven't possibly got that little bit of class."