Championship in danger of becoming detached from rest says Rotherham United manager

ROTHERHAM UNITED manager Paul Warne believes that the gap between the Championship and the rest of the English Football League is widening significantly – with it being tougher than ever to consolidate in the second tier.
Rotherham United manager Paul Warne: Reflective.Rotherham United manager Paul Warne: Reflective.
Rotherham United manager Paul Warne: Reflective.

The Millers are planning for life back in League One after relegation was confirmed following Saturday’s 2-1 loss at West Bromwich, exactly 11 months to the day since they were promoted back to the Championship.

Operating with the smallest budget in the division in 2018-19, the odds were firmly stacked against United from minute one – in a league where 19 of the clubs have previously played in the Premier League.

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Despite a brave fight, Rotherham’s demotion was confirmed with a game still to go this term, with Warne adamant that his team could have done no more, operating within the club’s current parameters.

Warne said: “The gap is getting bigger and the romance of the pyramid system is not what it was, if I am honest.

“No disrespect to Port Vale, but I cannot see them getting to the Premier League unless some Russian billionaire takes over. Even if they go up a league, to go up again and then compete in a league again is not farcical, but (impossible) without an unbelievable amount of money.

“It is funny when I hear people say: ‘Well if there is an extra couple of million...’ But you are talking about ten, 20 and 50 million. I think the gap is bigger, but I still think that if you offered me to get promoted this time next year and have exactly the same experience, I would 100 per cent take it.

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“It is a great feeling taking your team to the likes of Swansea, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest and watching your team play at places like that.

“With the teams who come up this year, the size of the club will help them. So if Barnsley come up, they have played in the Championship and are a big club – and Sunderland, Portsmouth, Charlton and Luton. No disrespect to the likes of Burton, but those are established big clubs.

“But I still think the gap is massive. Wigan came up and spent whatever they did in the summer and are an ex-Premier League club who have found it difficult this time.

“I personally think that the Championship is better than the Premier League. When Wigan beat Leeds 2-1 with 10 men, there is no way on this earth that Cardiff would have done that to Manchester City. There is just no chance as the void in that league is monstrous.”

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Warne has revealed that rival managers have contacted him to stress that his Millers side have over-achieved in this current campaign, regardless of their relegation back to League One at the first time of asking.

With one game left in the campaign, third-from-bottom Rotherham’s haul of 40 points is 17 more than they managed when they went down in 2016-17 and 11 better than on the previous occasion they were relegated from this level in 2004-05.

On both occasions, the Millers propped up the table.

Warne, who has called on his side to end the season on a winning note against play-off aspirants Middlesbrough on Sunday, added: “I had a couple of managers who texted me this week saying that we have over-achieved everyone’s expectations and that we have got to be proud of what we have done – and I am.

“I am hugely proud of what we have done, but it is tinged with disappointment as I said to them before the (West Brom) game they are that close to being legends here and deserve to be in terms of how well they have done this year.

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“But, unfortunately, you are always judged by results. People in the pub just remember where we have finished and, unfortunately, we finished one place below where we needed to.

“We’re definitely more experienced and have understood what we have wanted this year. I know how difficult it is and there are games where you under-perform.

“But every team everywhere has three games per season where you think: ‘what has happened there?’ Hardly any team goes through the season without any errors.

“Taking away a couple of games, I do not think we have many where we have not really gone toe-to-toe with the best ones.

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“I remember losing at home to Norwich and Leeds, but they were not defeats like we had two years ago where we literally did not get in the opposition half.”

A frustrating January transfer window, which saw the Millers struggle to make significant inroads, has been cited by some fans as being a key reason in the club’s relegation but Warne remains philosophical and insists the club did all they could to make additions at the start of 2019.

Warne, whose sole January addition saw midfielder Matt Crooks arrive from League Two strugglers Northampton Town, said: “It was not about the backing; we just could not get the ones we wanted to come in.

“In the end, they (targets) chose somewhere else. I think I have an unbelievable charisma, but maybe not as good as I need!

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“We needed a bit of strengthening in January. We have asked a lot out of Smudge (Michael Smith) this year. Procs (Jamie Proctor) has been out for half a season and Vass (Kyle Vassell) has missed large periods. We definitely needed to strengthen the team.

“We tried to strengthen the team. It was not that we did not try.”