MR CHAMPIONSHIP IS AT IT AGAIN WITH REVIVED MILLERS

WHEN I watched Rotherham earlier in the season,the last word you’d associate with them is ‘desire’.

Now? They’re brimming with it and that has to be down to Neil Warnock. Mr Championship is waving his magic wand again.

What he brings to a dressing room is passion and a love for the game.When he walked in the Millers had just one win in eight.

On a run like that you’re so low. You do try to pick each other up in training, dig out the positives and put things right, but the confidence is gone. It leads to mistakes and the whole situation snowballs.

You don’t need a coach who is full of ideas and wants to talk about philosophies.You need someone to change the atmosphere and bring out the ability that’s been crushed. That’s Neil. He’s charismatic, he loves football, he’s enthusiastic and encouraging.

They’ve beaten Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough. They beat Middlesbrough 1-0 at home. A few months ago, they’d have gone into big matches like that thinking,‘Let’s just keep the score down and see if we can get anything from the game’.

Now, they’ll go into tough-looking games against Ipswich and Derby fancying their chances of getting all three points.That’s what confidence can do.

Neil’s shaken things up. He’s signed a few experienced players. He’s spotted the confidence players like Jonson Clarke-Harris and made them feel a million dollars.

It’s not rocket science but it’s exactly what the situation required. The way the momentum has shifted, I actually think they’ll stay up.