Worrying times for Paul Warne as Rotherham United wait on football’s return

That is the view of Rotherham United manager Paul Warne, who is understandably keen for the campaign to be played out to a conclusion and not be declared null and void – with the Millers occupying the second automatic promotion spot in League One.

But equally, Warne is realistic as to the prospect of doing so in these unprecedented times amid the coronavirus pandemic – with sport currently taking a back seat.

The UK is on lockdown until at least May 7, but the Premier League is working on its ‘Project Restart’ to get the current season finished behind-closed doors in the summer

Meanwhile, EFL clubs have been told not to resume training until May 16 “at the earliest” with the aim of finishing the season in 56 days if football resumes, while in Germany, the Bundesliga are hoping to start playing spectator-free games in May.

Yet only this week, fresh doubts have been raised about the viability in finishing the campaign in empty stadiums after France announced that all football was cancelled until September at the earliest.

Offering his take, Warne said: “I worry more with this week than I have any other week.

“I see what is happening with the rest of Europe and see there’s a head doctor at FIFA saying that football should not start until September. France are not starting anything until September and Holland (football) is shut.

“Germany are trying. The Spanish (Football Association) tried and then pulled out and the Italians are trying.

“I think with what happens here, I do honestly believe that everything will be done to try and get it back.

“But there will have to be a stage where it is either ‘we are looking great here and we keep going and that’s fine’ or it will be: ‘let’s be sensible about it. We cannot come back until say September.’

“By then, there will hopefully be a vaccine and more PPE kit and testing. But there’s still many unanswered questions for everyone.

“I would not want to be the head of the Premier League or the EFL as it’s so difficult.”

Warne is the first to admit that any desire among rival clubs to carry on the season or otherwise are inherently governed by an element of subjectivity, for the most part.

“Whatever happens, there will be a problem,” he observed.

“I think the difficulty is that whoever you interview has a bias. Watford and West Ham have come out and said they don’t think they should re-start.

“But there has to be a part of your brain that thinks: ‘with the position, you are in, I can understand that.’

“In that way, we want to re-start and Leeds do. Of course, we do – we are both having good seasons and want to go up.

“But if they do call the season off – which is as likely as unlikely at the minute, let’s be fair – it is just about what is the fairest way, really.”

Dealing with the ‘great unknown’ as to whether football will resume again this season after its hiatus since mid-March is placing understandable stresses upon players and staff members unlike, with Warne doing his level best to provide a bit of light-hearted relief in troubled times.

Quizzes have taken place, along with a weekly race night, with the Millers chief conscious of the importance of well-being among his squad.

He said: “On a Friday night, we have a race night where all the lads are invited to come.

“If you lose at a race night, you have to sing and I lost last week, so me, the wife and the kids had to sing Take That.

“Luckily, it wasn’t filmed and sent to me straightaway.

“For me, I also try and have webchats with the whole squad once a fortnight.”

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