Rotherham United: There's no Millers complacency, says Warne
After going 14 matches without a defeat, the fourth-placed Millers have lost three of their last four games yet still remain well clear of the teams just below them in the table.
With the top three out of their reach and the chasing pack far behind them, the Millers suffered losses against Rochdale and MK Dons, hit back by thumping Northampton Town but then slipped up on a terrible pitch at Southend United last Saturday.
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Hide AdBut Warne, whose side are at home to sixth-placed Peterborough United on Good Friday, ruled out the notion of any complacency in the camp.
“I don’t think that’s the case,” the boss said. “I know what you mean ... even if we lose, nobody is going to initially catch us, although they could in a couple of games’ time.
“I don’t think the lads’ collective effort levels weren’t there at Southend; I just think a few individuals started more sloppily than they have been doing. That allowed the opposition to gain confidence.
“If you’d come in the dressing room and seen the lads, you wouldn’t think that there was any arrogance or ‘coming away from their peak performances’.
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Hide Ad“They were buzzing a week earlier at Northampton. I just think Saturday wasn’t a fair day to judge the team.”
Rotherham - well adrift of the division’s front-runners, Shrewsbury Town, Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic - are six points in front of Scunthorpe, in fifth, and eight ahead of Posh and the team just outside the top six, Plymouth Argyle.
After watching his side suffer on the sub-standard surface at Roots Hall, Warne is scenting the chance to regain momentum over the Easter weekend, against former manager Steve Evans’ Peterborough and then at another play-off contender, Charlton Athletic, on Monday.
“The players will look forward to those games,” he said. “They’re two good games on good pitches and hopefully we can play a lot better.”
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Hide AdWarne has to decide whether to bring Marek Rodak straight back into the starting 11 after the goalkeeper’s spell on international duty with Slovakia or stick with stand-in Lewis Price who played well in his first league outing of the season, at Southend.