Analysis: Paul Warne feeling the pain as he is left to rebuild his '˜shattered' Millers

Paul Warne believes Rotherham United's FA Cup exit has 'shattered' any confidence the struggling Millers had left.
A general view of the AESSEAL New York StadiumA general view of the AESSEAL New York Stadium
A general view of the AESSEAL New York Stadium

Rock bottom of the Championship and facing relegation in the face, Rotherham saw the Cup – and a draw against League One side Oxford United – as a chance to bring some much-needed smiles back to the New York Stadium. Their record now stands at 16 defeats in the last 19 games.

Caretaker manager Warne has worked tirelessly since taking over from Kenny Jackett, engineering home wins over QPR and Wigan.

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But after watching a first-half display he slammed as an “embarrassment” Warne was critical of his players.

“A few of them collapsed, a few of them didn’t want the ball enough,” he said.

“They didn’t want to take responsibility, they didn’t want the crowd on their back.

“Well, boo-hoo, sometimes you’re going to get the crowd on your back.

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“In the second half, they went for it, and the crowd are always going to support a team here who go for it.

“We needed a bit of a boost. We needed to get back to winning a game.

“I don’t want to sound too dramatic, but after all the hard work the lads have put in over the last six weeks, and the improved performances, any confidence they had from that has been shattered in one game.

“I’ve got to try to pick them up again. There are big games ahead. I feel part of this club and I feel the fans’ pain.

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“I’m doing everything I possibly can – but, obviously, that isn’t enough.”

Warne may tone down his first-half assessment after watching replays.

It could easily have been 3-3 at the break, instead of 1-0 to Oxford thanks to a goal from former Miller Ryan Taylor.

Danny Ward failed to test goalkeeper Simon Eastwood when one-on-one, Dexter Blackstock – starting after Peter Odemwingie was injured in the warm-up – wanted too much time on the ball and Curtis Nelson nipped in to clear, and Tom Adeyemi saw his header saved by Eastwood.

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Chris Maguire – another former Millers striker – missed out when one-on-one with Lewis Price, before the home goalkeeper saved his penalty after defender Kirk Broadfoot had fouled Taylor.

But after a verbal blast from Warne at half-time, the Millers equalised via Ward’s thunderous shot, and looked the likelier to score until the last 15 minutes.

Ward twice went close, Will Vaulks hit the post and Joe Newell and substitute Jerry Yates were impressive for Rotherham.

But sloppy defending at a corner saw Phil Edwards head Oxford into the lead on 80 minutes, before Kane Hemmings tapped home a third.

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Adeyemi headed in a late consolation but it was not enough to save Rotherham.

“In the first half, we weren’t good enough, but in the second half I thought we did improve, the momentum was definitely with us and we could have gone on and won,” said Millers experienced central defender Richard Wood.

“We wanted a decent Cup run, a distraction from the league but we conceded the second goal from a corner, nobody was picking up the spare man – the smallest man on the pitch – and it needs looking at.

“We all get designated markers before the game, and the lad that scored hadn’t been coming in the box. He came in the box that time and, for some reason, no-one picked him up and there’s a few of us not happy about that.

“It needs nailing down. Set-pieces are massive in football.

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“To concede like that, especially with the position we are in at the moment, bottom of the league, was very disappointing.

“A good Cup run would have been good for us as we are struggling for wins.

“We knew they would come out firing at us straightaway, which they did, and I just think we got caught between playing and passing, and knocking it long. The ball just seemed to be coming straight back.

“None of us performed, but Warney sorted it out at half-time and we did better after the break. We were on the front foot and played some decent stuff.”

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Rotherham United: Price, Fisher, Broadfoot, Wood, Mattock, Forde, Adeyemi, Vaulks, Newell, Ward, Blackstock (Yates 53). Unused substitutes: Kelly, Taylor, Wilson, Belaid, McMahon.

Oxford United: Eastwood, Edwards, Nelson, Dunkley, Johnson, Hall (Sercombe 74), Lundstram, Ledson, MacDonald, Taylor (Hemmings 81), Maguire (Rothwell 81). Unused substitutes: Skarz, Buchel, Ruffels, Raglan.

Referee: D Bond.

Man of the match: Danny Ward.