Well said Glenn. UTM

Sickly - you've obviously got nerves of steel! That second half was about as predictable as the first half was a joy! Once Wigan pulled one back it was always going to be backs to the walls and a test of nerves for the Millers faithful. Unfortunately, once we sit back we have no-one who has the composure or confidence to hold the ball up and play a sensible pass as opposed to a panicked clearance. Some sensible observers on PorG suggested that our best form of defence is attack and that is absolutely spot on. Unless we aim to push up and attack as often as possible, and hopefully outscore the opposition, there is no way we have the ability to mount a defensive campaign.

A couple of observations about today. Wood, Belaid, Frecks and Adeyemi is the best central formation we have from which to defend strongly and counter attack quickly. Until Broadfoot is 100% match fit, I'd stick with this group. Lewis Price turned up wearing his new Christmas slippers. I can't remember seeing a keeper kick so badly throughout the whole game. We just can't afford to present the opposition with possession on so many occasions through goalkicks going out of play. Brown had a great first half but then looked as if the job had been done after the break and showed little energy to put their back 4 under pressure. I'd really like to see Newell and Forde get more involved - at present they play well in patches but we need a lot more out of them. Finally the Ref lost control in the first minute when he failed to book the Wigan player who scythed down Brown - he then went on to book far more innocuous challenges by Rotherham players.

On balance, Rotherham's brilliant first half performance was sufficient to deserve the 3 points. But it could have been a different and deflating story if Wigan had a bit more composure in front of goal. I hope we put a performance in against Burton which extends today's first 45 minutes out to 90. If we win that one, we're still in with a shot at survival. Onwards and upwards!!

Some good points.

Invariably teams get relegated because they can't score goals. When Belaid volleyed that in, ok bit of fortune from Frecks mi**** shot, you've scored first - that in itself, and especially in our position is what needs to happen more than not if we're going to get out of this mess. But we still made chances, and very good chances too. Yes we got some luck from Ward's shot but if you don't buy the ticket you haven't got the chance to win (as they say). Then there were the 2 Adeyemi's shots, 3 in total of the 1st and 2nd he really should have scored and the 3rd if that had gone in, the goal would have ended up in the the Police HQ he hit it that hard. In the midst of all that you could see Wigan in waves had some very clever movement and they saw attacking our full backs as getting in, and they turned us inside out and sideways on many occasions (Fischer & Belaid bookings were classic examples). The 2nd half for me was waiting to happen. 3-0 a bit of complacency as well as not wanting to break out or take a chance to mount an attack. I couldn't remember from 45-68 minutes when we actually got into the final 3rd it was that relentless. Wigan had some very good footballers, it was quite astounding they were in the position they are in.

While we look dangerous going forward and that bodes well, our utter inability to keep any form of possession is extremely worrying. At 3-0 we should have been coasting and olaying but we couldn't get the ball off Wigan, that is very poor indeed.

I understand why Pricey had to go to the sides for his kicks, to keep the ball away from that freaky no. 33 who is a mountain of a centre half, I don't care what you say, if he was in our back line there's no way we'd have conceded 50 this season - he's far too good for that team and many in this league. However it was clear after kicking the ball straight out 3 times in quick succession the young lad does not have the accuracy to carry out this instruction, so why did we not mix it up and play out from the back once in a while?

We may have won 3-2 today but it just shows you how far technically we're behind even the 23rd placed team in this league and we can't, if we get out of this mess, continue in this way. We either get to be the fittest team in the league and chase balls for 70 minutes of a game or we learn when are the right times to keep a bit of ball. This should have been done particularly at 2-0 and definitely that first 20 mins of the 2nd half where we were the architects of our own downfall.

One last thing, when a referee gives an offside call without the linesman even flagging to advise him - you know what incompetence you're up against. And that's not even getting into the things the ref did or should I say didn't do. When he waved play on and Forde was it got clattered in the build up, it took the baying crowd to make him realise to go back to the said player and deal with him. Even funnier was when Mattock did the most bizarre handball I've ever seen and very nearly didn't even book him. As an FA ambassador I am taught to appreciate the horrible job they have to do - but when you see that kind of performance & the likes at Hillsboro - it's about time the FA stopped putting them behind closed doors and giving them public accountability because it's the only way they'll get better. We're not talking about human mistakes here, which are acceptable and innocent enough in any job, we're talking sheer inability to carry out the job to a level expected and that is totally unacceptable.

Got a jaunt back to Exeter tomorrow, hoping to be back in time for Burton - where I hope we can keep that attacking intent but also show an ability to place value on possession when it's required.