Looking for answers...Part one of questions put to Rotherham United this season.

FOLLOWING numerous requests from frustrated Rotherham United fans over social media and on fans forums, the Advertiser has decided to open up its dialogue with the club's hierarchy in a three part series.
How we covered the interview in the printed version of the Rotherham AdvertiserHow we covered the interview in the printed version of the Rotherham Advertiser
How we covered the interview in the printed version of the Rotherham Advertiser

FOLLOWING numerous requests from frustrated Rotherham United fans over social media and in fans' forums, the Advertiser has decided to open up its dialogue with the club's hierarchy in a three part series.

Fans have every right to feel concerned with the club's current position and wanting answers to important and fundamental questions from people at the top is natural.

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The Advertiser shares the fans' concerns - particularly this season - and has been in weekly dialogue with the club over the last six months, printing interviews with chairman Tony Stewart and chief operating officer Paul Douglas in the newspaper on a regular basis.

Being media partners with the club doesn't mean that we shirk the hard questions. Far from it.

We asked what you wanted to know and over the last few months we've put those questions to Tony Stewart and Paul Douglas.

The aim of this series, which will be released throughout today, is to show how seriously we take transparency from the club to the fans, to give you the chance to read interviews you may have missed and to allow sensible and constructive debate on the hot topics. Sometimes the fans don't hear they answers they want and often the club is wise to keep its own counsel and that often fuels the frustrations.

We will continue to ask the questions you want.

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In this first instalment, we spoke with Tony Stewart and Paul Douglas before a ball had been kicked in anger, about the difficulties in the transfer market and growing fan frustration:

Are you worried about the current state of play as regards recruiting players?

TS: No. We're cool, calm and collected and we like the way we are now going about our business. It's not the old Rotherham United which had usually got 18 in by now and thinking only six would get a game. 

Rather than having a scattergun approach, our manager Alan Stubbs is like a marksman, picking out high calibre individuals. There are probably half a dozen names we can't tell you because they are employed elsewhere. They have said “yes” but until they sign on the dotted line you can't say we have six guys coming in.

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PD: The squad we have at the moment are all good lads who will absolutely play a part whereas in the past we might have had more numbers in but you had very little confidence with some of them that they would actually make much of a contribution, so it was a false feeling. 

The club said recently it had a Plan A, B, C or D? Which one are you on right now?

PD: We're not plucking names out of a hat. The people we're looking at, we've been at some of them for a few weeks and others certainly more than a couple of weeks. It takes time to get the deals right.

At which point will you get uncomfortable at not having enough players in?

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TS: There isn't one. Paul and myself are up to date. We talk every day with the manager and we're made aware of all the players in the firing line. 

We are confident the squad we are going for will probably be more prepared than it has ever been. The manager is confident, which is the main thing for me and Paul, that things will happen and we will have a side that will be able to compete in a tough league.

Why haven't deals got over the line?

PD: This summer the conversations seemed to have gone on a lot longer. I keep tabs on other clubs and there hasn't been as much activity as you would normally see so I don't think we've been alone in that. We have been as busy on the phones and talking to players and agents but people seem to be taking their time. 

As Tony has said, Alan has a different approach and we are pleased about that. It was one of the reasons we brought him in because we knew he had that considered approach to recruiting players. 

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TS: We've had four foreign players in on trial but the manager has seen fit that not one of them had made the grade, that's how choosy he is. 

Are you looking at loan players or ones that would command a fee?

PD: It's a mix. We're looking at lads from a loan point of view and some who would require a fee. There's a number who thought they would get a club but haven't. We are exploring all those possibilities and  we are pretty far advanced with four or five. 

How do you react to the criticism you have received in the last couple of weeks?

TS: The picture we see is different to what the fans see. 

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We have information, the fans have no information, and the information they are wanting is, have we got a no.9? Have we got a no. 6? Have we got a no. 7? 

We know the options and that we are very near to signing four or five players and that's a consolation we can't always share with the fans. Also, we can't reveal their names because they are already in a job. You can't reveal until you've delivered but we will deliver the numbers that are able to compete.

Do you understand the fans' frustrations, especially after the big-money moves for Lee Gregory and Tom Bradshaw fell through?

TS: We have showed we have got the money to spend but we want to maximise what we can get. The reason we didn't pay extortionate sums for the two players (Gregory and Bradshaw) is because the manager didn't feel they were worth that money.

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PD: That's a good point. The market may set a player's value, but if you don't feel he is worth that to your football club then it is foolish to just jump at it.

Why has your approach been more considered?

PD: There has been a huge churn of players here, in and out, over the last three or four years and to be honest it was getting to the point where it was losing a bit of excitement over signing a player. Things have had to change. 

Because there are no emergency loans this year, it is more important that the squad you put together is a good one and will see you at least halfway through the season because once that window closes on August 31, that's your squad through to January 1. That's why I think clubs are being more discerning about who they sign up and we certainly are because we know that if we make any mistakes then we can't just dip into the emergency loan market come September 1 and sign two or three replacements. It is important you get it right first time.

Would you be happy to go into the season with the group you have now?

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TS: We believe we'll have a full, competitive side for the Wolves match because everything we are seeing now is positive.

What do you make of the recruitment so far?

TS: The goalkeeper we got from Sheffield Wednesday, Lewis Price, turned down a contract there to come here, and that's worth noting and a feather in our cap. We feel we have a good base, the full-backs and midfield looks good and the manager feels another half a dozen players would be right.

When Alan Stubbs went into Hibs, he had five players, and he says he is more advanced with Rotherham than he was at Hibs. 

He did a fine job there getting the right people in, they reached the play-offs and he won the cup for them so he has succeeded doing it the way he is doing it at Rotherham which is being meticulous.

You can view part two, an interview originally printed in December with Paul Douglas, by clicking here.
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