No identity, no threat and not enough desire ... the story of Norwich City 5 Rotherham United 0

“How sh*t must you be? We're drawing away,” chorused the 226 hardy souls who'd made the long trip to Norfolk in support of Rotherham United.

Leam Richardson's team were holding a Norwich City side contending for a place in the Championship play-offs.

It couldn't last. Rotherham had suffered eight straight defeats, they'd taken two points in 2024, they were in bottom spot and 19 points adrift of safety. Of course it couldn't last.

Helped by non-existent defending, Gabriel Sara made the breakthrough for the Canaries and carnage followed.

Eight losses became nine, 19 points became 20, the run became one win in the last 25 matches.

These are tough, tough times for Rotherham, tough, tough times for Richardson, the man appointed in December when the club were already at the foot of the table and had one eye on League One next term.

These aren't his men. This isn't how he wants to play. This isn't a team in his image, it's one he's inherited.

The head coach was asked, does he have a united squad?

“The players say they are,” he replied. “They say that they're good lads and they've got each other. I don't see them quitting.

“I see them making bad decisions, I see them making backward steps, I see them really low on confidence.”

Richardson needs to get to the summer when relegation will herald departures, a re-set and, finally, the opportunity to do things his way.

He repeated on Saturday: “I don't see them quitting.”

Public utterances are sometimes at odds with private recognition.

THE MATCH

Four down at the break, another concession after the interval, no meaningful attempt on goal ... sound familiar?

Five days after the 5-0 rout at Coventry City came the same scoreline and lack of application at Carrow Road.

Jack Stacey made ground too easily down the Canaries' right, Millers players populated the penalty area but none were near Gabriel Sara and the rout had begun.

“The first goal is an aimless cross into our box where we've got three or four defenders plus a goalkeeper who should deal with it,” Richardson said. “Then they've scored from a set-piece, which is our doing.

“Before you know it, you're 1-0, 2-0, 3-0 down. Against good teams you can't defend like that. You've got to ask yourselves questions. The desire comes from within.”

Jacob Sorensen had even more space than Sara had enjoyed and headed home a corner, Borja Sainz lashed one into the top corner and then Josh Sergant was left alone to convert from inside the box after Stacey had again been given the freedom of the flank.

“We're in the habit of losing, of giving performances that aren't up to the level,” Richardson said. “It's not one major thing, it's a lot of major things that we need to address.

Chairman Tony Stewart has pledged his continued support but the head coach was taking nothing for granted about his position.

“If I'm not saying it, someone else will be saying it,” he continued. “I can only be honest. I live to my values of hard work and doing your best. This week has been an horrendous week.

“We're anything but competitive right now, aren't we? Tactics and formations are overrated sometimes. You need the fundamental habits: you need to run, you need to work, you need to cover distance.

“You need your high speed, your sprint distance, the competitive edge. You need that in abundance and you need a quality of player.”

Viktor Johansson had saved from Sargent in the first half and he repeated the feat two minutes into the second only for the ball to end up in front of Sara who had the net bulging with an exquisitely-executed half-volley.

Norwich took their foot off the pedal, Rotherham didn't have a pedal to push and the game drifted, like the Millers season, into grim, painful nothingness.

Jordan Hugill headed tamely over the bar against his former club in the 73rd minute, one of only two visitors' efforts. The other was so benign I have no note of it.

“We're not scoring enough goals at the minute at the top end of the pitch and we can't keep a clean sheet at the bottom end of it,” Richardson said. “That's a recipe for where we are now.”

IDENTITY

Rotherham know what they used to be under Paul Warne, what they lost under Matt Taylor and what they want to become again. Right now, caught in an awful present as they look for a brighter future, they aren't anything.

Some players have stayed true but some aren't playing for their new boss, aren't playing for the club, aren't even playing for themselves.

“It's difficult for me to endure,” said Richardson as he negotiates the hardest spell of his career. “I'm a manager who's used to winning. I've never lost nine games on the spin in my life and I've been doing this job a long time.”

The former Wigan Athletic leader has a habit of talking about habits.

“We have to get really good habits,” he said. “I'm a big believer in habits and fundamentals. Bad habits catch up with you, good habits see you through.

“Our bad habits are catching up with us like you wouldn't believe but that's where we are. We can roll over or we can do something about it.”

Dark hours require dark humour and away supporters kept up their spirits in the second half by singing “We've got the ball” during a period of Millers possession.

There are ways to lose and maintain pride. This was just a day of surrender very soon after another day of the same.

At the final whistle, the beaten players went tentatively to those fans, many of whom, bless them, applauded the figures on the pitch: the 11 who'd finished the game plus the eight who'd ended it on the bench and were wrapped up against the cold.

Red shirts. Black coats. White flags.

Norwich (4-2-3-1): Angus Gunn; Jack Stacey, Jacob Sorensen, Ben Gibson (Danny Batth H-T), Sam McCallum; Marcelino Nunez (Liam Gibbs 68), Kenny McLean (Sydney van Hooijdonk 52); Gabriel Sara, Ashley Barnes (Ken Aboh 81), Borja Sainz; Josh Sargent (Christian Fassnacht 52). Subs not used: George Long, Grant Hanley, Kellen Fisher, Finley Welch.

Rotherham (3-5-2): Viktor Johansson; Hakeem Odoffin, Sean Morrison (Arvin Appiah 58), Cameron Humphreys; Peter Kioso, Ollie Rathbone (Sam Nombe 58), Christ Tiehi, Sam Clucas (Jamie Lindsay, 85), Seb Revan; Charlie Wyke (Andy Rinomhota H-T), Tom Eaves (Jordan Hugill 58). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Cafu, Femi Seriki.

Goals: Sara 13, 47, Sorensen 20, Sainz 31, Sargent 45+1 (Norwich).

Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey).

Attendance: 26,111 (226).