Rotherham United's awfulness helps Lee Grant ride the Huddersfield Town wave – the final word

They are not sold on manager Lee Grant, just as Rotherham's are not on Matt Hamshaw. At kick-off Grant's seat looked hotter, by full-time Hamshaw's was scorching.

At 2-0 up, those in the away end – many of whom will have booed Town off at home to Wigan Athletic – told Grant in graphic terms they still did not like his football.

Fans being the fickle creatures we are, as full-time approached with the score now 3-0, the chant changed to "Lee Grant, give us a wave."

Never taking his eyes off the pitch, Grant raised his arm in a thumbs up. They cheered like Andy Booth had come round on December 25 with an expensive present.

Already 3-0 down after next to no resistance to the goals, having not had a shot bar Denzel Hall’s goal disallowed for some push and shove, Rotherham were loudly booed off at half-time. They might have been at full-time had so many not left.

"I'd boo," said Hamshaw, the boyhood Miller.

His team were so awful any optimism Huddersfield's 3-5-2, their willingness to play straighter balls forward, the skill of Bojan Radulovic and Leo Castledine, the deliveries of Lynden Gooch, the greater solidity defensively, had to come with a warning: "Lads, it's Rotherham."

"Huddersfield fans will be well happy because they've won 3-1 away," said Hamshaw. "But they're miles better than that because I've seen them play miles better."

Still, it was a good day for them.

"That was one of the clearest reflections of the work in the week translating to a game," smiled Grant.

"I think the group now have got an understanding of what this league can dish out on both sides."

He spoke of lifting "the fog" around his players; maybe him too.

"The league tells us some things about what's going to be required every week and Bojan has some attributes that gives us an option to fulfil those responsibilities," he said.

To cut through the coach-speak, with a big lump like Radulovic up top, they can bang it long. In League One – any league – you need to be able to play differently sometimes.

The first goal came when Castledine chipped a straight ball Radulovic controlled brilliantly. He twisted past Thomas Holmes, then squared it for Gooch to arrive onto.

For the second, Gooch went long, Alfie May flicked on and Radulovic lobbed exquisitely. Gooch crossed for Castledine to glance in the third.

Directness and skill. Good football – despite what the away end said.

The hosts’ passivity was painful.

"You could go technically, tactically, psychologically (lacking) in them all," admitted an angry Hamshaw.

The three-man central defence Grant is now using suits Town.

Radulovic is better with a strike partner. Gooch has evolved into a wing-back, so wise to play him there. Three centre-backs make the unit more solid, three midfielders allow Castledine to glitter more.

The glimmer for Rotherham was Sam Nombe’s return from a quad injury. He thumped a stoppage-time goal after the Millers barrelled into the area more like a rolling maul than a football team.

But it could not disguise how bad the first 90 minutes were.

"I kind of knew what Huddersfield were going to do and I spoke to the players about that, and we couldn't deal with it," said Hamshaw. "That's what narks me. That is on me."

To see Rotherham play, you would think there is no way back for a manager who has lost more games (14) than he has won (13). But the hope for him came from the away end: moods can turn quickly.

Rotherham United: Dawson; Rafferty (Jules HT), Holmes (Douglas HT), Baptiste; Hall, Kelly (Yearwood HT), Gore, Kaleta (Nombe 60); Martha, Powell; Hugill (Etete 73). Unused substitutes: Cann, Raggett. Huddersfield Town: Nicholls; Balker, Low, Wallace; Gooch (Sorensen 73), Harness (Kasamu 60), Ledson, Castledine (Wiles 60), Roughan; Radulovic, May (Charles 73). Unused substitutes: Goodman, Roosken, Ashia. Referee: M Russell (Hampshire).