Rotherham United v Peterborough, Sunday: Millers are ‘not a million miles off,’ says Paul Warne

Much has been made of the Millers’ homesickness in comparison to their fine away form, yet manager Warne insists that the situation can soon change and has cited a logical reason why.

He said: “We are desperate to try and get a win at home, but I don’t want to make a big deal about it as it just adds pressure.

“If you had flipped a couple of those draws into wins, we would be second or third or something.

“But we are not a million miles away. It is a new team who have had the heart ripped out of it and we lost our wingers who were a massive part of how we play.

“If we had kept the team together from last season, I think we would have been a bit higher. But that is how football is; there is always change.”

Sunday’s game with Peterborough is the start of a run of three successive fixtures on home soil in all competitions, representing a choice opportunity for the Millers to start transforming their fortunes in front of their own supporters.

They face a visiting side who are smarting after a comprehensive Boxing Day loss to Yorkshire opposition in Posh, beaten 3-0 by Doncaster Rovers at London Road and Warne is wary of the backlash.

“Peterborough will be looking to desperately pick up points and I expect them to take the game to us,” he added.

“They are a good team with a brilliant strike force and there is a lot we need to address, but, hopefully, we can be really competitive.

“After these next few games, I think we will have a really good opinion of where we will be.

“With the top 14 teams, everyone nicks points off each other.”