Rotherham United manager Paul Warne hits back at critics

The Millers are fighting to stay in the Championship against clubs on much bigger budgets, a task made harder by Easter Monday’s 3-0 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers.

Warne is trying to get Rotherham out of the cycle that has seen them swap division at the end of every season during his five years, even if that means football a bit too direct for some purists. Fifth-placed Barnsley have faced similar sneers.

“Cardiff don’t play any better football than us,” said Warne. “I read an article the other day and Mick (McCarthy, their manager) was saying they’re playing this (style of) football now and they’re an unbelievable team but they play exactly the same as we do.

“They don’t take any unnecessary risks at the back, they don’t play out from goal kicks, they try to get the ball into Kieffer (Moore), as we do with Smudge (Michael Smith), they try to put crosses into the box.

“Teams don’t all have to play the same way.

“The way we play is the best way with the players we have.

“I get offended because I see a lot of teams playing exactly the same way we do but when we get a result the first thing other managers sometimes come out with is: ‘Well, we knew it was going to be difficult because they’re a really physical team.’

“I don’t think we’ve given away more fouls than other teams in the league, we’ve had no more sendings-off, no more bookings. Our set-pieces sometimes get mentioned but every team in the world is good at set-pieces. If not, they’re not coached properly.

“I do get frustrated. I find it wrong. I do.”

On Saturday, Rotherham kick off a massive week at Huddersfield Town before four home games in just eight days.