Lee Clark on players excusing themselves from Rotherham United’s drop clash
ROTHERHAM United players were ringing in and claiming they were ill or injured in the build-up to the club's most important match of the season, manager Lee Clark has revealed.
The new boss had only 19 fit men available for the trip to Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night when a 3-0 loss confirmed the Millers' relegation from League One.
Clark highlighted what had been going on behind the scenes as he tried to prepare his squad for a game that Rotherham had to win to keep their campaign alive.
Speaking on the touchline at the Brick Community Stadium, he said: “We had to go to the ground this afternoon to do some tactical work because I couldn't pick a team yesterday because some players were calling in sick, some were saying they weren't 100 per cent fit.”
He told the Advertiser: “One of them rang in sick. We asked him to come in to be checked and he ended up training. That's what you're dealing with.”
The Geordie, who was appointed last month on a nine-match deal lasting to the end of the season, questioned the heart of some of his players, just as he had after Saturday's 3-1 derby defeat against Barnsley.
“I've told them in the dressing room, I ain't here to protect them,” he said. “I'm here to look after the best interests of Rotherham United. If people aren't putting themselves in the right mentality and don't want to do the right things, I ain't protecting them.
“I tried to protect them for the first few games because I wanted to be positive and try to get the results. But when it keeps happening, not a chance.”
The Millers are 13 points adrift of safety with only 12 left to play for and will be in League Two next term for the first time since 2012/13.
Clark, who was already beset by absences before the latest round of call-offs, spoke of the pain he was feeling after failing to pull an against-all-odds survival feat.
He said: “I'm hurting. I'm hurting for me personally, because I don't like the way the team's playing. I don't like the results. I'm also hurting for the fans.
“I'm a fan. At the end of the day, when I've been out of football, I've been a fan. I've been going all over Europe and England to watch Newcastle United and my son (Bobby, formerly of Liverpool and now on loan at Derby County from FB Salzburg).
“I've got a great affinity with the fans. I understand what they're about. Some of them might be thinking I'm useless. They're probably right with the results and the performances. But there's a reason.”