For manager Paul Warne and his Rotherham United side, goals have come at a premium – both this season and last. But don’t let the lack of goals be too misleading. The Millers are a team who create chances and take shots – a lot of shots – they just don’t necessarily find their way on target. It’s something manager Warne feels will change soon.
In fact, the Millers have taken more shots than their opponent in all but one game so far in 2021/22 – that being when Accrington Stanley recorded 14 shots to the Millers’ 13. Aside from that, Rotherham had 19 shots vs. Plymouth Argyle, 15 shots vs. Morecombe and 14 shots vs. Sheffield Wednesday.
Dating back to last season, the Millers have scored just 10 goals in their last 17 games across all competitions. This includes a 3-1 win at home to Queens Park Rangers (April 13, 2021) and a 2-0 win to begin the League One campaign this season against Plymouth Argyle.
When it comes to the goals being scored, Rotherham does have two of the team’s three top scorers from the previous campaign: Michael Smith and Freddie Ladapo. Both players combined for 19 goals last year, while former teammate Matt Crooks (who scored seven goals in 2020/21 for the Millers) now provides his services to Middlesbrough.
Aside from the aforementioned players, nobody else scored more than three goals for Rotherham last season in the Championship. This season, with the team having netted four goals in five games, it’s Ladapo (1) and Smith (1) each already having opened their scoring account for the campaign.
Rotherham are a side who bounce between League One and the Championship over the past six years and so boast a significantly positive record in the third tier. As for the head-to-head: Rovers have won two of the last five league clashes, the Millers have won one, and two ended in draws.
This season, Rotherham sits 11th in the League One table with six points heading into the clash with Rovers, boasting wins against Plymouth Argyle and Morecambe. The Millers suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday in their last fixture a week ago at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.