The Paul Warne and Will Vaulks Rotherham United columns

These columns first appeared in last Friday's Advertiser

PAUL WARNE

This was probably our most dominant performance away from home this season. I just think the lads are going into games full of confidence. We are difficult to play against.

I remember when we won there with Neil Warnock in 2016 when I was fitness coach and I remember as a player winning there twice with Ronnie (Moore) in 2002.

I don't think our performances in any of those games was as good as it was in last Saturday's 2-2 draw.

Overall, I thought it was a good display. I would just rather have been phoning the chairman last Saturday night after a win, that's all. We gave everything.

I was asked by the Advertiser's Paul Davis during the after-match press conference if I felt frustrated that we'd been 2-1 in front and hadn't managed to see the game out.

It wasn't frustrating for me, although I accept it might have been for the fans. It's not frustrating if the lads give me everything and they perform at a good level,.

We had Lady Luck with our second goal, you have to remember that.

We prepare the lads as well as we can. We, as staff, can't do any more than we are doing. The players can't do any more than what they are doing. There is no criticism from me.

If we'd have lost the game 3-2 in the last minute, of course I'd have been disappointed, but we are performing at Championship level with, really, a League One team. Nearly all the lads in the side now were playing for us when we won promotion last season.

People forget that we finished fourth in League One, 18 points behind Wigan who spent in the summer. We've got virtually the same team. I'm not complaining about that. That was my choice. I wanted to keep the group together and give them an opportunity to play together in the Championship.

I think they've shocked a few people.

I always knew we'd be very good at home if we started games well, that we'd be difficult to play against.

Apart from the Brentford and Birmingham games, I've been ... not surprised, because I know how good my group are, but pleased with how we've performed in away matches. If you'd have asked me after the Brentford game on opening day when we lost 5-1, would I be happy to be two points behind them at the end of November, I'd have torn your arm off.

I'm pleased. But, because I know how hard the players and staff work behind the scenes, I'm not surprised.

It makes us really proud and I like to think the fans are enjoying what the lads are trying to do.

ANTHONY Forde has started the last few games on the right wing after not being in the starting 11 for most of the season. His attitude in training has been brilliant.

I've always been a fan of Fordey. It's just that the people in front of him have done really well.

I brought him back into the side for the match at Norwich City and he did well before he, understandably, blew up a bit. Then he had another good game at Hillsborough last week.

How diligent he is defensively is an absolute joke. I'm pleased with him. He can cross a good ball and he definitely understands the game.

HOW good was Michael Smith against the Owls? It wasn't just his goal, which he took superbly, it was his all-round contribution.

If Smithy plays like that — and he has done in numerous games — no-one wants to play against him.

I think he is better in the Championship than he is in League One because I think League One defenders are prepared for his style of play a bit more.

Championship defenders look at him and think: 'What are you doing? Stop trying so hard.'

I HAVE to say, I was surprised to be nominated for the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month award for November,

We won only once in the month but we didn't lose and our performances were really good.

I  don't regard it as a personal nomination. It's a whole team thing.

It's flattering for the lads that people outside of this club are appreciating how well they're playing.

POLLY (goalkeeper coach Mike Pollitt) let us down on our staff Christmas party in Manchester the other Saturday night.

He tried to sort us out to get into this bar called the Neighbourhood. He said we were on the guest-list so all the staff went. When we got there, we weren't allowed entry. Massive shock.

We ended up going round spit-and-sawdust pubs, which was good, to be fair. It probably suited us more. It looked a bit noisy in the Neighbourhood for us old men anyway.

Amazingly, I wasn't back in my hotel room in time for Match of the Day. I went crazy and didn't get in until about 2am.

On the Sunday I met Mark Lynch who used to play right-back for us. I met him in Manchester with his kids.

Our women went off and had a meal at a posh place somewhere and me and Lynchy walked round the markets with the kids and had a little game of crazy golf.

He cheated. That annoyed me. The last hole, we're all square, it's my honour and there's a tricky hole with a tree involved.

He lied to me and said you had to go round the tree when actually you were allowed to smash your ball straight at it. Unsportsmanlike behaviour.

He nicked the win but I didn't see it as a win for him. The moral victory was mine.

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WILL VAULKS

NO-ONE knows better than me that I should have scored in the 2-2 Hillsborough derby draw against Sheffield Wednesday.

My big chance came in the 77th minute and I snatched at my shot when a goal would have put us 3-2 in front.

I was really disappointed with it. Smudge (Michael Smith) laid it off perfectly. I almost wasn't expecting it and went for the shot too quickly. You've got to take chances like that.

The manager said afterwards that of all the players in our side I'm the one he would have wanted on that shot. I was scoring them for fun like that in the warm-up.

It happens. It really hurts when you miss like that, but then you think you might get another chance later in the game so you try to put it out of your mind.

It's worse after a game. It wouldn't have been a problem if we'd won the match but because we drew it festered with me for a while.

I thought we played really well against the Owls. We started the game brilliantly. We won a lot of early tackles and headers and got in behind them.

To concede in the last minute of the half was obviously disappointing because we were the better team.

In the second half they had little spells but I still thought we were the better team.

It was great to score so early in the second half through Smudge and come back to lead 2-1 when Richie's (Towell) shot went in.

We were really disappointed with their second goal. We should have won that game.

At some point it has to click so we can turn all these draws into some wins.

THE lads held their Christmas bash in Dublin last week and it was brilliant.

It was great team bonding. It's something you can't replicate in a training environment. Lads who are sometimes shy come out of their shells. We all have a laugh, enjoy each other's company and get to know each other that little bit more.

Sunday was fancy-dress day. It's another way of breaking down any barriers. It's about being able to take the mickey out of yourself and having a laugh at your own expense while laughing at your teammates at the same time.

There were a few lads in women's costumes. I got lucky with William Wallace from Braveheart. That was Robbo's (Clark Robertson) suggestion, unsurprisingly, because he's Scottish.

We all put a suggestion in a hat and then we all pick them out at random. Basically, you get what you're given.

None of the lads tried to protect themselves and play their costumes safe. It's all part of the laugh.

Sean Aguilera!

There were some good ones in there. Probably the best one was Sean Raggett who was Christine Aguilera. He's a big hardman and was in a little skimpy costume. That was funny.

I WAS pleased with my long pass that set up Smudge to score just 15 seconds after the break at Hillsborough.

I just shut my eyes and wellied it. No, of course I was picking Smudge out. It wasn't a clearance like some of my teammates have made out it was!

To be fair, you know with Smudge that if you just put the ball in behind him he's a willing runner and he'll get on to it.

I'd said to him the day before the game: ‘I've a feeling you're going to score from a scrappy ball over the top.’ I wish I'd said 'good' instead of 'scrappy' now.

I told him if it happened that I wanted half of his goal bonus. I think I'll be waiting for that direct debit!