Rotherham United have “mirrored” the achievements of Stevenage, following promotion to League One – that’s the verdict of our Graham. The Millers are looking good to end up in the playoff places come the end of the season and you’ve gotta hand it to Steve Evans. He’s doing a nifty job there. It isn’t the first time we’ve come up against the Boy Evans and it probably won’t be the last. And that’s even if we move in opposite directions come May.
It doesn’t take a genius to work out that a lack of goals is hurting us. But we simply don’t create enough chances it seems; 105 shots on target this season. Only Tranmere still haven’t broken into three figures on that front. Meanwhile, word on the street is the 20 goals we have scored in the area excluding pelanties is – predictably for the team rock bottom – the worst in the division. Not what you wanted to hear? We thought not.
What the stats say…
Do we have any statistical reasons to be cheerful? After a rummage around the vaults, we can briefly revel in the fact we’ve scored on both our previous trips to Rotherham. It isn’t much to shout about, though – we won neither of ’em. And this year, the Millers are proving quite effective at coming from behind on their own turf. From losing positions at home, Steve Evans’ side have racked up a decent 13 points. Sigh.
If you want the extent of the task laid bare for you, have a peek at the form table. The last six games puts Rotherham third, while the last 10 puts them in second. There was a bit of a festive wobble with two successive defeats. But they’re yet to be beaten since 1 January; it’s four wins and a draw in the last five. Meanwhile, we’re 22nd over the last six AND last 10 games. And we’ve only put back-to-back victories together once this season…
What have we learned here today then? That the odds are firmly stacked against us? Well that’s nothing new is it? The odds are firmly stacked against us staying up, let alone going to Yorkshire and not so much overturning the form book, but ripping it up, starting again and re-releasing it as a Penguin Classic. There have been many who have failed to get one over on Rotherham. Do you think it would help if we used sandbags? No? Ah well…
Referee Watch
Unless this week’s storms blew him halfway to Norway, our referee for the trip up to Rotherham is the man described by Time Out as “Scott Mathieson“. How well do we know him? Well, we ain’t close. We’ve had him in charge twice. Ironically, it’s nearly two years to the day since the first time. This season, his work spanned the Football League with a reasonable enough ratio of card waving to games he’s taken charge of.
This season for Scott Mathieson:
Games: 21 — Yellow: 61 (2.9pg), Red: 3
Our record under Scott Mathieson:
P2 W1 D0 L1 F1 A1 — Yellow: 5, Red: 0
FIFA 14 Verdict
Team:
Day; Smith, Jones, Ashton, Hartley; Morais, Mousinho, Doughty, Freeman; Zoko, Charles
We’re not sure we like it when we win these games. That’s because it doesn’t usually turn out that way when real life takes over. In this one, Boro’ started with intent and were a goal up after a mere nine minutes thanks to Darius Charles’ header. Big D should have doubled the tally five minutes later but borked it up; Francois Zoko bailing him out on 37′ minutes at the second attempt after his first struck the bar.
After going into the break two goals to the good and sufficiently shocking most people who pay an interest in League One, the second half followed a similar path with Boro’ on top. It should have been out of sight by the hour mark; Luke Freeman and Zoko hitting shots wide or over or wover or oide. Kieran Agard got a goal back with a really lame effort – Day should have saved it. But that was as much as they offered.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/mBTXZvijUuE https://www.youtube.com/embed/t4sHipfc6Q
Bookie Bashing
Risk-free £10 wager you say? That’s what the guys at Titan Bet would like to offer you if you sign up with them today. And if you do, you’ll be able to take advantage of 70 dedicated markets. Now, you won’t be surprised to learn the home win is 8/13. But that makes the draw (57/20) and away win (9/2) all the more enticing. Both sides to find the back of the net is 7/10, and Over 3.5 Goals is 7/4. Other establishments are available, as you well know.