Watford. Or 'only Watford' as the Millers boss said with a huge dollop of sarcasm and a rueful smile in his pre-match press conference.

For Warne's side, the Championship has been summed up in Rotherham's last two games. One day you are cock of the walk and next you are a feather duster, as the saying goes.

In second-tier terms, the truth should be in the middle.

Just as the Millers' performance received plenty of bouquets – maybe too many - following last weekend's 2-0 win over Birmingham City, so their comprehensive midweek loss at Tony Mowbray's Sunderland should not be the cause for the doom mongers to re-appear with gusto.

In the round, Rotherham's start has been pretty handy for a newly-promoted side. But as Warne knows, significant tests will now come.

After catching a few teams cold, they now face a serious run. After Watford, they will face Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Blackpool before the international break.

Warne said: "We will have to pick them up. Luckily, it's 'only Watford.' I am obviously being sarcastic.

"It is obviously a very tough game with their two strikers, who they supposedly turned down bids accumulating over £50million for. We are playing against a very, very good team at the weekend. There is no disputing that.

"We will have to get the lads ready for the next one. Sunderland has gone now and there's no point crying about it now. We have to pick them up as there's a few ‘monster’ games now."

Should Rotherham manage to climb a mountain and survive in the Championship this season, home form will have plenty to do with it.

So far it has been encouraging. A very presentable opening-day performance against Swansea has been followed by resounding victories over Reading and Birmingham, with the latter two blown away by the Millers’ intensity, relentless and positive aggression.

A parochial crowd has played its part as it used to do across the dual carriageway at Millmoor, famously, when several sides were on the receiving end at second-tier level.

Millmoor and the NYS could not be more different in terms of appearance. But Rotherham, at its best, is a hostile footballing venue.

Is there a secret? Warne is not so sure.

He said: “The environment is driven by the players. They are the ones who enthuse the fans.

"Leeds is a great place to go to. You go in the dressing room and think 'This is okay' but then you get out there and they start well and their fans get right behind them.

"It's like 'Wow, this is a difficult place to play'. Places are not difficult places to play because the dressing rooms are large or the tunnel has got a picture of their best player in 3D. It's all down to how that team plays.

"Luton is a difficult place to play at because Luton play with an intensity and their fans get right behind their team.

"Many times at the New York, our fans get right behind our team. That's when we are at our very best.

"Our players are responsible for generating the enthusiasm and drive of the fans.

"The home fans mean everything to this football club. The lads love playing at New York. It's a little cauldron, a little theatre; it's perfect. You have to get at the opposition and get the fans behind you.”

Rotherham United v Watford: Tongue-in-cheek Paul Warne wary of Hornets' sting