Lee Clark on what he thinks Rotherham United could have achieved this season
NEW manager Lee Clark has praised the squad he has inherited, saying that Rotherham United would have been capable of a mounting a challenge for the top six had they not been plagued by injuries.
The Geordie took charge last week following the sacking of Matt Hamshaw and is certain that he can lead the Millers out of League One's drop zone during the eight-match run-in to the campaign.
The casualty count is still running at a double-figure level and Clark's says his first job is to boost confidence in the camp as he works with limited numbers in his survival mission.
“We've got to get belief into the players,” he said. “The squad we've got is the squad we've got. The injury situation is not ideal. We cannot do anything about that.
“There are quality players here. At the start of the season, if anyone had looked at this squad, they'd have said that they should be middle of the table pushing for a play-off position, not where they are now.”
Clark's first game in charge, at leaders Lincoln City last Saturday, brought a 3-0 loss and he is now preparing for Good Friday's home clash with promotion-chasing Stevenage when Rotherham return to action following the fortnight-long international break.
He is being helped by assistant boss Peter Leven whose appointment was announced yesterday after the club dispensed with the services of one of Hamshaw's men, Dale Tonge.
As well as trying to revitalise his squad, Clark knows he must also attempt to do the same with supporters who have become disillusioned by three years of disappointment at AESSEAL New York Stadium.
“How I lift them is by giving them a team that's going to wear the shirt with pride, the badge with pride,” he said. “You have to give the fans passion, honesty, commitment, desire - what they deserve. They'll get players who are going to be committed for these last games.
“The players are going to run through the proverbial brick wall to get results. If, during those games, we have a little bit of a mishap, a bump in the road, we have to quickly put it to bed and move on to the next game.
“We need the fans more than ever now. If we all come together as one, we have a brilliant opportunity of keeping the club in the division and then building for the future.”
The 53-year-old has a short-term deal that runs until the close of the campaign and he and chairman Tony Stewart plan to reassess the situation in the summer.
The fact that the new boss has been allowed to make a significant backroom change suggests that Rotherham have opened the door to the possibility of a longer stay.
Hamshaw's year-long reign included two transfer windows in which the Millers substantially lowered the average age of their playing staff. Assessing what has gone before him this term, Clark said: “You can have a tough start to a season - especially with young players, the confidence can ebb away from them.
“On top of that, very important players and experienced players have missed large chunks of the season. All that adds up and it tells you the story of why the club is where it is.
“I'm totally confident that we can get the job done. Fight, determination, luck, hanging in there, passion ... all those things are going to be required. If it has to take to the last kick on May 2 to get that achieved and keep the club in the division, then that's what we've got to do and that's what we're prepared to do.”