Why none of his teammates have wanted to sit too close to Rotherham United new boy Jordan Hugill so far
HIS teammates are pleased to see him out on the pitch but none have enjoyed sharing a Rotherham United dressing room with Jordan Hugill so far.
The much-travelled striker joined the club in the January transfer window and picked up a bug almost as soon as he arrived.
He’s managed to play through the illness but has been suffering behind the scenes at AESSEAL New York Stadium and at the Millers’ Roundwood training complex.
“He’s still coughing up God knows what,” said manager Matt Taylor. “It’s horrible being in the changing room with him! He’s retching and almost physically sick at times.”
Happily, the 30-year-old appears to be on the mend. He’s finally off the antibiotics and his next outing for his new side is likely to be at Swansea City on Monday night.
Taylor has seen signs of improvement in the frontman who signed a three-and-a-half-year deal after leaving Norwich City last month.
“He’s had something quite serious in terms of his chest, but he’s a strong boy,” the boss said. “I feel his movement has been getting better in the last couple of games.”
Hugill, whose previous clubs include Preston North End, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers and Middlesbrough, is still waiting for his first Rotherham goal.
He thought he had it against Coventry City last Saturday when he headed home in the fourth minute, only for referee Keith Stroud to rule it out for an alleged shirt-pull by Conor Coventry on the Sky Blues keeper.
“We should be sitting here talking about him opening his account and feeling good about himself,” Taylor said. “It will come. He’s a quality player. We know why we brought him to the club. Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.
“You move better with the belief and expectation you’re going to get chances and goals. Any centre-forward will tell you that.”
As the Millers head to the Swansea.com Stadium, the manager is calling on his side to supply the ammunition for the new boy to fire.
“Jordan is our talisman at the top of the pitch,” he said. “He makes it uncomfortable for opposition centre-halves.
“He has given us a great platform from box to box. It’s down to the rest of the team to start producing moments that he can finish off.”
Rotherham, like the player, will be in better health once that starts happening.
***************************
ROTHERHAM United will be backed by their smallest away following of the season in South Wales on Monday night.
The Championship clash with Swansea City was switched from its original Saturday February 25 date so it could be shown on Sky TV, a move which angered Millers fans who were left out of pocket after already making weekend plans.
To make matters even worse, The Swans then set the cost of an adult away ticket at the high price of £32.50.
The consequence of all that is that the size of the Rotherham contingent at the Swansea.com Stadium is likely to be only in double figures.
***************************
One to watch
Rotherham old boy Ryan Manning has been a regular starter for Swansea this season, hitting the target three times in 33 outings. The 26-year-old midfielder had a Championship spell at New York Stadium when he was on loan from QPR from August to December 2018 and scored four goals in 18 games.
Form guide
Swans: DLLWLL
Millers: DDDLLW
The Swans won 2-1 at home to Blackpool then lost 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers on Saturday before a 3-1 Tuesday defeat on their own soil against Stoke City.
Last time out
The two sides met on July 30 opening day at New York and took a point each from a 1-1 draw. A header from Chiedozie Ogbene gave the Millers a 16th-minute lead that was cancelled out by Harry Darling’s long-range thunderbolt not long before the break.
Recent meetings
Jan 30 2021, Championship:
Millers 1 (Freddie Ladapo) Swans 3
Nov 21 2020, Championship:
Swans 1 Millers 0
Apr 19 2019, Championship:
Swans 4 Millers 3 (Michael Ihiekwe, Matt Crooks, Will Vaulks)
Nov 3 2018, Championship:
Millers 2 (Manning 2, both pens) Swans 1
Aug 26 2014, League Cup:
Swans 1 Millers 0
Feb 27 2007, League One:
Millers 1 (Martin Woods) Swans 2
Dec 23 2006, League One:
Swans 1 Millers 1 (Eugen Bopp)
Rotherham have won 25 of the 81 matches between the clubs since 1951. Swansea’s victory total is 30 and there have been 26 draws.
Rival boss
Former Norwich City centre-half Russell Martin left the MK Dons hot-seat to take charge of the Swans in August 2021. Aged 37, he is one of the youngest managers in the EFL. In a long playing career that brought 29 Scotland caps he spent nearly a decade with the Canaries and also played for, among others, Wycombe Wanderers, Peterborough United, Glasgow Rangers and MK.
Man in the middle
Gavin Ward will always be remembered by Rotherham fans for not giving a foul at Oakwell in April 2021 when a challenge by Barnsley striker Carlton Morris on Viktor Johansson led to a goal and left the Millers shot-stopper with a severe eye injury. The Surrey official was in charge when Rotherham lost 3-0 at Millwall on New Year’s Day.
The odds
The Millers are expected to lose in South Wales by the bookmakers who are offering 8/11 on a Swans win and 7/2 on an away victory. The draw is 5/2.
Swans
1-0: 5/1
2-0: 13/2
2-1: 7/1
3-0: 12/1
3-1: 12/1
3-2: 22/1
4-0: 30/1
4-1: 25/1
4-2: 55/1
Draw
0-0: 8/1
1-1: 11/2
2-2: 13/1
3-3: 66/1
4-4: 200/1
Millers
1-0: 11/1
2-0: 25/1
2-1: 13/1
3-0: 55/1
3-1: 35/1
3-2: 45/1
4-0: 200/1
4-1: 100/1
4-2: 125/1