To be honest last night and during the game I was fuming, mainly because it was 3 points that we could have and should have won, we didn’t because of simple stupid mistakes that is becoming a repeatable pattern, it is the fact we seem to fail to learn and adapt that concerns me more than anything. When that final whistle blew the Hull players fell to the floor and celebrated as if they had won the league, the desire and passion in that team was very visible, we are not just up against bigger better clubs we seem to be coming against other “great group of lads” that want it as much or more than ours. The negatives for me are:

1. Mattock - Yes it is an obsession of mine, but this guy is not good enough in so many ways, for Warne not to see it and deal with it shows very poor management. He goes too narrow, his positioning sense is none existent, so many crosses into our box come from his side (that is his job to stop them), so many dangerous attacks come from his side. Other players are dragged out of position to cover for him, he loses possession too often and all the opposition see this and so attack on that side. This is a clear example of Warne playing his mates and damaging the team to support a personal relationship. Purrington went out on loan because he wanted to play and voiced that, he was told he wasn’t going to and hence he is no longer at the club. He never got a run of games and this does not sit well for me at all. However Purrington is not the issue here it is how bad does Mattock have to play to get dropped.

2. Team selection - The two previous games Raggett had played and was settling in and winning headers and looks a very capable CB, the one fault was being outrun by Roofe at Leeds, where to be honest that is against one of the top 3 strikers in the league in his first league game, if we dropped players for being outrun we would change the team every week. Why was he dropped? We brought in hardly any players but we did get 3 defenders and none of them are getting a chance to establish themselves into this “great group of lads”. If we intended to play 4-1-4-1 then taylor was the man to drop and put Manning wide left and Williams wide right. By the way this isn’t hindsight as soon as the team was announced my head went into my hands

3. Subs - Williams and Palmer were two of our better players, Vaulks was poor and so was Taylor (I like both players but not last night)

4. Tactics - Well this shows a coaching team out of their depth, at home against one of the rivals for a bottom six place and we defend (something we are awful at). We are always so narrow, allowing teams to spread the game, get around the back down the sides and get crosses in, this is a suicide tactic (10 goals in 4 games). We scored on 16 mins, and immediately Barker called over Vyner and gave instructions to defend deep and sit back and play on the break. We all saw him do that from the West stand, that is unbelievable and shows a management team with no courage.

5. How to address these negative tactics - 3-5-2 at home it is so obvious. It solves teh narrow issue and it gets Mattock out of the team. It also ensures we can pack the middle of the park and gives Smith some help. Vaulks at right wing back, Ajayi, Wood, Raggett are the 3 at the back and on the left Williams, Manning, Jones, Hinds. Central mid from Palmer, Manning, Newell, Williams, Wiles or that extra loan player. Then two from Proctor, Smith, Vassell up front.

6. Crowd - Less than 9,000 for a home championship game against Hull, it is awful. Yet Facebook is full of fans asking how to watch the game on TV, get a ticket and sit in the ground is the answer. Also we are too quiet, not helped by the tactics. When we went for it in the last 20 so did the crowd, come on Warne there is a clue there to what we want to see at home, go for it and if we go down do it fighting and trying to entertain. Away from home ok be more defensive not at home. I also see now why the board do not want to invest, if the town doesn’t want a club why should they invest.

7. Half Time - or as it is known in the Rotherham dressing room nap time. This is very very worrying, 3 games out of 4 we have conceded within 3 mins of the restart and twice the minute before the break. That is a pattern, one that shows awful preparation by the management. Our players stroll out, no exercises to get them warmed up again, it is like watching a pub team where the old fat guy at CB lights a fag before kickoff. Warne is supposed to be a health and fitness expert, you are having a laugh. Get this sorted Warne.

8. The Ref - He was poor and like a lot of refs they will fall for the diving and falling over and not protect Smith and will give decisions to the bigger clubs. However we did not lose that game because of ref.

All these issues are easily fixed and quite basic, we will see on Sunday but if Mattock starts again and we make the same mistakes, I may take a break for a while as it is not good for my heart and although we all have season tickets I do not want to waste the time and effort to drive up if they can not put the effort in and allow Warnes Mates United to turn out week in and week out.