Matt Taylor was met with a chilly reception upon his return to Rotherham United.
The combination of boos and acclaim produced something tepid, which cannot be true for the action that followed.
Adjectives like ‘beautiful’ and’stylish’ do not spring to mind either. Rotherham unleashed a flurry of attacks on Taylor’s Bristol Rovers, with each wave ending in disappointment. When the final whistle announced the end of the Millers’ onslaught, Rotherham had 20 shots. Bristol Rovers had managed five.
Rotherham moved forward with force rather than complexity, directness rather than patience.
Sam Nombe occupied defenders excellently, while midfielders moved Rotherham forward. It was fast and furious and could have resulted in a landslide if the Millers had honed their clinical edge.
“I just told the players, we’ve put on another really good performance,” Millers manager Steve Evans remarked. “I think we played through the lines pretty well today, putting them under tremendous strain.
“To win a football match, you must take chances. To be honest, I’m unhappy that it’s not three or four at halftime.
In the 0-0 tie, Rotherham’s front two of Nombe and Jonson Clarke-Harris did not have all the chances.
Sign up for our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter, available this week.
Players from all across the pitch tried their luck, but were denied by the nimble Josh Griffiths between the Gas sticks.
“The quality of finishing wasn’t quite there,” Evans admitted. “It continued in the second half, and we laid siege to their goal.” But if you don’t take chances, it will cost you.”
The eerie similarities to the team’s first two games made the outcome even more difficult to swallow.
Rotherham were wasteful on the first weekend of the League One season, when they were beaten by Exeter City.
The Millers then defeated Crewe Alexandra 2-1 in the Carabao Cup, despite having a stunning 27 shots.
“I was lower than the floor after Exeter,” Evans explained. “It was well recorded. I made several mistakes, and the boys did the same.
“We held a discussion, and we agreed on how we would play. I accepted responsibility for Exeter. I will accept responsibility for Crewe and today.
“I believe Millers fans are honest; they stayed until the 97th minute today expecting a goal because they believe, ‘We can’t have all these chances, all this pressure, and not score.'” However, this does occur on occasion.
Rotherham fans may find heart in the overwhelming sense that there is more to come.
A team with a generally functional midfield repeatedly cut open Bristol Rovers’ defence.
It was made up of four central players, with Joe Powell being the only one who appeared to be aggressive. The remaining three, Liam Kelly, Hakeem Odoffin, and Christ Tiehi, share pragmatic tendencies.
Some width and flare will only make the Millers more dangerous, which is an intriguing prospect for fans, including those who have been worn down by the first week of the season.
There is also the ongoing question of fitness, with certain members of the squad having had more extensive pre-seasons than others.
As Rotherham strive to hit their stride and fight at the division’s summit, they should take comfort in the fact that these troubles may be temporary.
“We’ve got one or two players that are still catching up,” Evans stated. “We can tell Jonson is still struggling for a little bit of sharpness.
“We put Mallik [Wilks] in; even in that cameo, you can tell there’s a real player in there. But, again, he requires that fitness, match minutes, and sharpness. He will undoubtedly provide our fans with many enjoyable days and evenings here.
Rotherham United: Phillips, MacDonald, Humphreys, McCart, James; Tiehi (McWilliams 74), Kelly (Wilks 74), Odoffin, Powell; Clarke-Harris (Hugill 84), Nombe (Osong 84).
Dawson, Bramall, and Holmes were all unused substitutes. Bristol Rovers: Griffiths, Moore, Wilson, Mola; Thomas, Conteh, Ward (Lindsay 67), Bilongo (Taylor 67), Sotiriou (McCormick 49), Hutchinson (Sinclair 57), Omochere (Martin 57).
Garrett and Senior were unused substitutes.
Leave a Reply