MillerWhale
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2015
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- Supports
- Rotherham United
I've always monitored the other board (TFF), but now there's a free board, I'm.... errrr/ onboard.
I thought I'd provide a perspective on my experience of this season's Championship from what I've seen so far, for those that can be bothered to read it, or are interested.
Supporting Rotherham United has been nothing, if not a fascinating journey. I genuinely believe all supporters of lower league clubs (and to be fair, 'proper' fans of Premier League clubs) will also be able to write with such demonstrable fondness and excitability. And that's the beauty, right?
More importantly, Rotherham as a town with a long, colourful history is back in its own town and with its own ground. That sounds a modest wish list, but since falling from the Championship last time round, we snowballed into near extinction, with some astounding things happen along the way. Two administrations, CVAs and a combined 37 points deducted only scratched the surface. A temporary move to neighbouring Sheffield to play at Don Valley Athletics stadium to watch Drewe Broughton lead the line on his own should act as a shuddering idea to any football fan. We lost our identity, we lost our respect in the football world and we even fought among ourselves. To think back, I can't believe how great and rapid the resurgence has been. Of course, true to form, RUFC appointed a much maligned character in big Steve Evans.
Since the last time we embarked upon the second tier (roughly 9/10 seasons before this, but I'm far too lazy to check), things have changed. Yes, you still had fallen Premiership giants such as Manchester City and Leeds United, big clubs such as Wolves, Wednesday and Sunderland striving to return to the top flight, but more crucially, there were still a good four or five smaller clubs punching above their proverbial weight.
Again, a lack of bothering to check will make the validity of this post somewhat questionable, but in the seasons we were there, similar sized clubs (certainly at that time) such as Walsall, Stockport, Grimsby, Barnsley were all there yet backed by a modest budget. Since our heavy fall from grace, smaller clubs than these and ourselves such as Donny, Scunthorpe and Yeovil have all embarked on a similar journney, albeit with moderate success.
Now, there is ourselves, Blackpool, Wigan, Brentford, Bournemouth, Huddersfield and Fulham which you'd traditionally class as the smaller clubs in the division (depending on how near or far you want to go back through time, you could adjust for Fulham, Wigan and Blackpool). But what has changed is the might of the smaller clubs. Bournemouth and Brentford backed by wealthy benefactors? Who'd have thought it?
So this huge financial backing of the perceived smaller clubs has obviously made it a more level playing field. I mean even the most optimistic Bournemouth and Brentford fan couldn't have imagined a season so fruitful, surely? That's not to say success is secured by any means, but even so, they've raced a good race whatever happens thereon in. From what I've seen of both, I think they could both challenge. Even Blackpool seemingly in a spiral of destruction can attract decent players of old such as O'Hara or Davis; the latter injury-riddled rather than a has-been.
So based on all of the above, the competition is much tougher than it was 9/10 years ago. The influx of foreign players into the top flight has no doubt impacted the standard in the second tier, making it much superior to that of 9/10 years ago.
Pace seems the invaluable attribute. Players that stood out for us last season have struggled to do so this year. A better quality player, perhaps, but the grit, snappiness and pace the opposition close the ball/space down make it extremely hard for slower ball players to impose themselves on the game (unless they're really, really good).
The Millers? We've struggled. Even when I think we've played well, opposition fans and the media have described us as ordinary and "we should be beating teams like that."
I think we'll go very close, but hoping we have enough to inch out of it. Blackpool have too much to do I would think, Charlton looked dire, as did Wigan. Not seen Millwall, but they've added well and have put two good results together, and you'd think Olly would at least have them going down fighting. Brighton have enough quality to pull away, as do Leeds and Bolton.
You could argue anyone up to 12th could be dragged into it, but my instinct is that Blackpool will go, and then two from ourselves, Millwall, Charlton, Huddersfield and Wigan will go.
I hope it isn't us, but it's full of local derbies if we go down. Looking on the bright side is part and parcel of supporting a club like RUFC.
I'm looking forward to exchanging jibes with proper football fans of all clubs great and small.
I thought I'd provide a perspective on my experience of this season's Championship from what I've seen so far, for those that can be bothered to read it, or are interested.
Supporting Rotherham United has been nothing, if not a fascinating journey. I genuinely believe all supporters of lower league clubs (and to be fair, 'proper' fans of Premier League clubs) will also be able to write with such demonstrable fondness and excitability. And that's the beauty, right?
More importantly, Rotherham as a town with a long, colourful history is back in its own town and with its own ground. That sounds a modest wish list, but since falling from the Championship last time round, we snowballed into near extinction, with some astounding things happen along the way. Two administrations, CVAs and a combined 37 points deducted only scratched the surface. A temporary move to neighbouring Sheffield to play at Don Valley Athletics stadium to watch Drewe Broughton lead the line on his own should act as a shuddering idea to any football fan. We lost our identity, we lost our respect in the football world and we even fought among ourselves. To think back, I can't believe how great and rapid the resurgence has been. Of course, true to form, RUFC appointed a much maligned character in big Steve Evans.
Since the last time we embarked upon the second tier (roughly 9/10 seasons before this, but I'm far too lazy to check), things have changed. Yes, you still had fallen Premiership giants such as Manchester City and Leeds United, big clubs such as Wolves, Wednesday and Sunderland striving to return to the top flight, but more crucially, there were still a good four or five smaller clubs punching above their proverbial weight.
Again, a lack of bothering to check will make the validity of this post somewhat questionable, but in the seasons we were there, similar sized clubs (certainly at that time) such as Walsall, Stockport, Grimsby, Barnsley were all there yet backed by a modest budget. Since our heavy fall from grace, smaller clubs than these and ourselves such as Donny, Scunthorpe and Yeovil have all embarked on a similar journney, albeit with moderate success.
Now, there is ourselves, Blackpool, Wigan, Brentford, Bournemouth, Huddersfield and Fulham which you'd traditionally class as the smaller clubs in the division (depending on how near or far you want to go back through time, you could adjust for Fulham, Wigan and Blackpool). But what has changed is the might of the smaller clubs. Bournemouth and Brentford backed by wealthy benefactors? Who'd have thought it?
So this huge financial backing of the perceived smaller clubs has obviously made it a more level playing field. I mean even the most optimistic Bournemouth and Brentford fan couldn't have imagined a season so fruitful, surely? That's not to say success is secured by any means, but even so, they've raced a good race whatever happens thereon in. From what I've seen of both, I think they could both challenge. Even Blackpool seemingly in a spiral of destruction can attract decent players of old such as O'Hara or Davis; the latter injury-riddled rather than a has-been.
So based on all of the above, the competition is much tougher than it was 9/10 years ago. The influx of foreign players into the top flight has no doubt impacted the standard in the second tier, making it much superior to that of 9/10 years ago.
Pace seems the invaluable attribute. Players that stood out for us last season have struggled to do so this year. A better quality player, perhaps, but the grit, snappiness and pace the opposition close the ball/space down make it extremely hard for slower ball players to impose themselves on the game (unless they're really, really good).
The Millers? We've struggled. Even when I think we've played well, opposition fans and the media have described us as ordinary and "we should be beating teams like that."
I think we'll go very close, but hoping we have enough to inch out of it. Blackpool have too much to do I would think, Charlton looked dire, as did Wigan. Not seen Millwall, but they've added well and have put two good results together, and you'd think Olly would at least have them going down fighting. Brighton have enough quality to pull away, as do Leeds and Bolton.
You could argue anyone up to 12th could be dragged into it, but my instinct is that Blackpool will go, and then two from ourselves, Millwall, Charlton, Huddersfield and Wigan will go.
I hope it isn't us, but it's full of local derbies if we go down. Looking on the bright side is part and parcel of supporting a club like RUFC.
I'm looking forward to exchanging jibes with proper football fans of all clubs great and small.
