Birmingham City v Rotherham United - Millers chief happy to face big decisions

TWO matches into the new Championship season and Paul Warne has a headache or two.
OPTIONS: Rotherham United Paul Warne manager has Kyle Vassell and plenty of other forwards at his disposal against Birmingham City. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.OPTIONS: Rotherham United Paul Warne manager has Kyle Vassell and plenty of other forwards at his disposal against Birmingham City. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.
OPTIONS: Rotherham United Paul Warne manager has Kyle Vassell and plenty of other forwards at his disposal against Birmingham City. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

It is the sort that all managers worth their salt do not mind in the slightest, to be fair.

Warne’s Millers side have won one league game and lost one in 2020-21, but both performances have been sound and that is where the issues arrive.

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Preferred to captain Richard Wood, Angus MacDonald impressed in last week’s home game with Millwall, with Warne blessed with an embarrassment of riches at centre-back.

At the other end of the pitch, the arrival of George Hirst – eyeing a full debut after coming on from the bench seven days’ ago – has given the Millers chief further food for thought.

On his plethora of options in central defence, Warne quipped: “I have decided that I am going to play with five centre-halves and play a different system!

“It is difficult and out of those five, none of them are ‘pups’.

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“Curtis Tilt has come here to play, Woody has been our most reliable campaigner and captain over the last few years and Robbo (Clark Robertson) is the best on the ball out of all of them and Angus has come in.

“Maybe one of those will go out on loan because five doesn’t go into two, so it is tricky.

“No-one is going to have three centre-halves on the bench, that is going to be tricky to manage. It is difficult and I look forward to the headaches.”

As for his issues further forward, he added: “George has trained really well as has Vass (Kyle Vassell). There is him, Vass, Smudge (Michael Smith) and Freddie (Ladapo) all competing.

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“I have told George to make sure he knows how we play and to ask questions and he might start Saturday and might not.

“He’s been training really well, as they all have. He has settled in really well, which is crucial when you are a young lad in a dressing room full of established players.

“I feel like he has settled in and if I decide to play him on Saturday I will have no fear, that is for sure.”

Last six games: Birmingham DLLLDW; Rotherham DDLDWL.

Referee: A Madley (West Yorkshire).

Last time: Birmingham 3 Rotherham 1, October 6, 2018; Championship.

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