Paul Warne says Rotherham United need 'a bit of help' in transfer market

ROTHERHAM UNITED manager Paul Warne believes that his Millers squad will need ‘a bit of help’ in the January transfer window to significantly bolster their chances of Championship survival.
Paul Warne. Picture: PA.Paul Warne. Picture: PA.
Paul Warne. Picture: PA.

Warne is squeezing every last drop out of the players he has at his disposal, with his side having produced three outstanding performances in the league and FA Cup to start 2021 against Stoke City, Derby County and Everton.

Warne’s hand will be further boosted by the availability of Chiedozie Ogbene and Kieran Sadlier, who are likely to be back in contention shortly after returning to training following injuries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But the Millers chief - whose side return to action next Wednesday at Middlesbrough - is conscious of the impact of future injuries to his squad, given a hectic schedule from last January to the end of the campaign, allied to their relentless, all-action playing style.

Rotherham – who saw two games called off over Christmas due to a Covid outbreak with the home game with Cardiff on January 2 falling victim to the weather – must fit in 24 games between January and the scheduled end of the season on May 8.

The Millers are scheduled to only reach the half-way point of the Championship season when they visit Boro next week.

A rough calculation means that the Millers - who have yet to make any transfer inroads this month - must play every four and a half days between now and the season’s end date, with the window of time further reduced by a two-week international hiatus in March.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Warne, whose players produced a typically high-energy display in Tuesday’s thriller draw with Stoke, said: “I just think we need a little bit of help in the window to strengthen because if that (Stoke) was a game on a Wednesday night and we had to play again on the Saturday, it is nearly impossible to get recovered in time.

“You can't use cryo chambers anymore because of Covid. It is very difficult for us to play flat out for three games in a week and that is what is coming up, so it is crucial we strengthen a little bit in this window and keep building what we have done in recent weeks.

“We are not playing on Saturday so that is another game we have got to squeeze in. I think we have got a level of performance which is most appropriate to us to try and survive.”

Performance-wise at least, Warne has been enthused by his side’s recent showings, with the trick being to try and maintain the consistency in the weeks and months ahead.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Warne, whose side occupy the final relegation place and are two points behind Derby with two games in hand - and have played fewer matches than several sides above them - added: “I am pretty happy. If we play to that, that is us at full tilt.

“There are better coaches and managers out there than us but we are squeezing everything out of the lads, they have been excellent.

"In the Bristol City game, we were excellent and we were in the Blackburn game, but didn't get anything.

“I just think four weeks ago that the Stoke game might have ended as a 4-3 defeat. The lads always believed they were going to come back into it.

“They have confidence and have a strut in training and the last five performances have been excellent and you can only build on performances.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.