Rotherham FC vs Ipswich Town Preview & Matchday Thread
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 6:16 am
Rotherham United v Ipswich Town
Saturday 7th November 2015 – 15:00
New York Stadium
Opening Thought – Jamma
I think we’re all feeling a bit better after that one, aren’t we? It still seemed too early to be calling the Bolton match a ‘must-win’ but it certainly had that feel to it, particularly after we had gone five home games without a victory, and given the opposition’s precarious league position. But, as Lucy pointed out post-match, Town had, somewhat amazingly, won 13 consecutive matches on a Tuesday night at Portman Road. That, together with the fact that we kicked off playing towards the Sir Bobby Robson Stand – as we had done against Burnley in our previous win – meant that the result was never in doubt! I jest, of course, but I think we had all set ourselves up to expect a nerve-jangling affair, especially as our last three home encounters against Bolton had been decided by a single – more often than not late – goal. Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ strike inside 15 minutes therefore came as a welcome relief and allowed us to settle into our game. Aside from a Bolton rally which we managed to negotiate before half time, the Blues controlled the match and should have won by more than two. After the coverage given to the lack of goals from our strikers, it was good to see Brett Pitman claim the killer second, and a third from Daryl Murphy would have been the icing on a still perfectly palatable cake! The strikers will deservedly take the plaudits, with Freddie Sears also involved in the build-up to both goals, but it was above all a good team performance, or, in Dean Gerken’s words, what we have come to identify as an ‘Ipswich Town performance’ under Mick McCarthy.
McCarthy’s relief at finally securing that all-important win was clear to see (or hear!) in his post-match press conference. He used some typically ‘colourful’ language to describe the emotions that players and supporters alike will have been feeling. It proved to be a good night all round, with the four teams immediately above us all losing, seeing Town rise from 14th to 10th. This means that, barring an unlikely set of results, our remaining fixtures in October will all be against sides who are below us in the table. From being in a position where we were starting to cast nervous glances over our shoulder, we could go in to the international break within touching distance of the top six. It really is amazing what a win can do!
Before we start getting ahead of ourselves, though, we have been here before. As satisfying as Tuesday night’s win was, that was all it was: one win. We need to take the confidence and momentum gained into the game against Rotherham, and make sure we don’t suffer the same fate as we did last season, when the Millers turned us over on the back of a similarly winless run. Another ‘Ipswich Town performance’ will be just fine!The Opposition – Rotherham United
Rotherham United FC (known as the ‘Millers’) was formed in February 1925 after the merger of two clubs, Thornhill United & Rotherham Town, who had been playing in the area since the 1870s.
The club's traditional home was Millmoor in Rotherham, where the team played from 1907 to 2008.
The red and white was adopted around 1928 after they originally played in amber and black, and Rotherham spent their time in Division 3, only just remaining in the Football League in 1931 as they had to apply for re-election.
Immediately after the Second World War, things were looking up. United finished as runners-up three times in succession between 1947 and 1949 and were then champions of Division Three (North) in 1951. Rotherham reached their highest ever league position of third in the Football League Second Division in 1955.
The club held on to its place in Division Two until 1968 and then went into a decline that took them down to Division Four in 1973. In 1975, they were promoted back to the Third Division, finishing in the 3rd promotion spot in the Fourth Division. The Millers won the Division Three title in 1981.
During the 1990s, Rotherham were promoted and relegated between the Football League's lowest two divisions and they slipped into the Fourth Division in 1991, just two years after being promoted, but reclaimed their status in the third tier (renamed Division Two for the 1992–93 season due to the launch of the FA Premier League).They survived at this level for five years, never looking like promotion contenders, before being relegated in 1997.
In 1997, just after relegation to Division Three, Ronnie Moore took charge of Rotherham United. His first season ended in a mid-table finish and then his second in a play-off semi-final defeat on penalties. It was third time lucky in 1999–2000, as Rotherham finished as Division Three runners-up and gained promotion to Division Two. They were favourites to be relegated in the 2000–01 season, but surprised many by finishing runners-up in Division Two and gaining a second successive promotion.
Rotherham managed to remain in Division One for four seasons until relegation to League 1 in 2005.
Early in 2006, it was announced that the club faced an uncertain future unless a funding gap in the region of £140,000 per month could be plugged. An eleventh-hour intervention by a consortium of local businessmen kept them in business, but they suffered relegation to League 2 and entered into administration in 2008, being deducted 10 points.
Local businessman Tony Stewart then took over as Chairman for the 2008–09 season and took the club out of administration via a Creditors Voluntary Agreement, resulting in a further 17-point deduction. The Millers were subsequently forced to leave Millmoor, their home of over 100 years, for the Don Valley Stadium in Sheffield, after disputes with the landlords.
Chairman Stewart appointed Steve Evans as manager on 9 April 2012. Evans got them promoted back to League 1 in the 2012–13 season. The same season also signalled a new era for Rotherham United as the club returned to playing home matches in Rotherham, at the newly-built New York Stadium.
Rotherham gained back-to-back promotions by winning the 2013-2014League One play-off final. Rotherham beat Leyton Orient 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw, having come back from 2-0 down.
Last season, Rotherham finished 5 points clear of relegation, with 46 points and in 21st place on the table.
One To Watch – Lewis Buxton
The Millers’ squad has a less familiar look about it this season, with just the three former Town player left in their ranks (Danny Collins, Frazer Richardson and Paul Green, in case you’re wondering)! They do boast a number of recognisable names at this level, with the likes of Lee Camp, Danny Ward, Greg Halford and Matt Derbyshire providing Championship experience. Another player who knows what this league is all about is former Sheffield Wednesday defender Lewis Buxton.
Buxton – not to be confused with namesake Jake at Derby – started out with Portsmouth, and also took in loans with Bournemouth and Exeter. He moved to Stoke in 2004, becoming a regular member of the side in the Championship before suffering injury. After failing to force his way back into the team following his recovery, he earnt a permanent move to Sheffield Wednesday on the back of a successful loan spell. Unfortunately, Buxton was part of the side that was relegated to League One in his second season at Hillsborough, but he and his teammates bounced back strongly as they returned to the second tier at the second attempt. The 31-year-old endured further injury frustrations in 2014/15, and saw his time in South Yorkshire come to an end when he was released in the summer. Rotherham were quick to add him to their squad, and he joins Collins alongside Joe Mattock and Kirk Broadfoot in an experienced backline. With the Millers having conceded the highest number of goals in the Championship so far, Buxton & Co. will be keen to keep out Town’s newly reinvigorated strikeforce.
The Manager – Neil Redfearn
Neil Redfearn played 790 matches in the Football League, the fifth highest total of all time, and more than a thousand first team games overall in a career that spanned 24 years.
Redfearn began his career at Bolton Wanderers in 1982, having previously been on the books of Nottingham Forest's youth team. He later made his name as a goalscoring midfielder at lower division sides Lincoln City and Doncaster Rovers. In 1987, he was signed by Crystal Palace, and he later played for Watford, before moving again in 1989 to Oldham Athletic.
Redfearn's last season with Oldham constituted a career highlight as he was an ever-present in the team that won the Second Division title, gaining promotion to the top-flight of English football after a gap of 68 years.
In September 1991, Redfearn joined Barnsley and, in his seven seasons at Oakwell, he hardly missed a single game, and was named club captain. In the 1996–97 season, Redfearn scored 17 goals as Barnsley won promotion to the FA Premier League for the first time in the club's history. Barnsley were immediately relegated the following season. However, Redfearn's performances had made him a wanted man and he was signed by Charlton Athletic in the summer of 1998. He left Barnsley having played 338 first team games, scoring 84 goals.
At the end of the 1998/99 season, Redfearn jumped at the chance of returning to his native Yorkshire and joined Bradford City. Redfearn did not make much impact at Bradford, and joined his tenth team, Wigan Athletic, after just nine months in Bradford. Despite a very good goalscoring record, Redfearn never became first choice at Wigan either, and he dropped down two divisions to join Halifax Town in 2001.
At Halifax, he also got his first taste of management, being appointed caretaker manager following the resignation of Paul Bracewell on 30 August. Redfearn started a second spell in caretaker charge on 4 March 2002. However, his contract with the club was terminated on 25 April after he was snubbed for the permanent manager's job so he joined Boston United as player/coach.
Redfearn spent the best part of two years at Boston, before finishing his Football League career at Rochdale in the spring of 2004.
Rochdale did not offer him a new contract at the end of the season, after which Redfearn dropped down to the Conference, where he became player/coach at Scarborough. On 24 October 2005, Redfearn was named caretaker manager, before being appointed permanently on 1 November while remaining registered as a player. Redfearn resigned on 6 July 2006 and he subsequently signed with Northern Premier League First Division side Bradford Park Avenue later that month. He made his 1,000th competitive appearance on 4 November 2006, when Bradford Park Avenue faced Solihull Borough. Redfearn quit Bradford Park Avenue in March 2007, joining Northern Premier League First Division rivals Stocksbridge Park Steels, but left on 19 June to become manager of Conference side Northwich Victoria. He resigned on 17 September 2007, after the club only managed one point from their first nine games, leaving them bottom of the Conference National.
He joined Northern Premier League Premier Division club Frickley Athletic as a player in September 2007. He left the club over a month later to join Bridlington Town on 5 November. He left them in January 2008 and was appointed as York City's youth team coach in February. He joined Emley in July, playing when his commitments with York's youth team allowed. Redfearn moved on to Salford City of the Northern Premier League Division One North in October 2008. He took over as caretaker manager at York on 21 November 2008 and then took up the position of assistant manager at the club on the 24th.
Redfearn left York over a month later after being appointed coach of the Under 18 academy team at Leeds United on 30 December and he assumed this role on 1 January 2009. He took over as manager of the Leeds reserve team in December 2010 and was appointed caretaker manager at Leeds following the sacking of manager Simon Grayson on 1 February 2012. Redfearn was replaced by Neil Warnock as permanent manager on 18 February. In April 2012, Redfearn guided Leeds' Under 18s side to a 2nd place finish in the Under 18s League.
On 1 April, following the departure of Neil Warnock, Redfearn again took charge of the first team for one game.
In April 2013, manager Brian McDermott announced that Redfearn would become the new first team coach, as well as combining his role as reserve team/development squad manager. When McDermott left in May 2014, Redfearn stood down from his role of first team coach to continue his role as reserve team/development squad manager, as well as his role of academy manager.
On 28 August 2014, Redfearn was appointed caretaker head coach after head coach Dave Hockaday was sacked by owner Massimo Cellino, having been in the job for only 70 days. This was the third time Redfearn had been appointed as a caretaker manager/head coach of Leeds. After recording a record of three wins and one draw in his latest stint as caretaker, Leeds announced that Redfearn would be stepping back down into a role described as "academy manager and head of coaching", with Darko Milanič appointed the new head coach of Leeds United.
On 25 October, Milanič was sacked by the club after only 32 days in charge. Cellino confirmed that Redfearn would be appointed as Leeds' new head coach.
This tenure as head coach was troubled by controversy, usually surrounding the strange dealings of owner Cellino involving signings and team selection.
On 14 May 2015, Owner Massimo Cellino carried out a press conference unveiling Adam Pearson as the club's Executive Director to work directly alongside him. The press conference ran for over an hour, with Cellino refusing to reveal the future of Redfearn.
However, on 16 May, with speculation mounting further about Redfearn’s future as Leeds United head coach, Cellino proclaimed Redfearn to be 'weak' and 'a baby' in an interview with The Sunday Mirror.
On 20 May 2015, Leeds announced Uwe Rösler as their new head coach, thus ending Redfearn's reign at the club, and, on 10 June 2015, it was announced that Redfearn had agreed to return to his role at the academy. On 16 July 2015, Redfearn resigned as academy director.
On 9 October 2015, Redfearn was appointed manager of Rotherham United on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Trev's Trivia
Players that have played for both clubs
Scott Loach Ipswich 2012-2014 Rotherham 2014
Paul Taylor Ipswich 2012-2015 Rotherham 2014 loan
Paul Green Ipswich 2014 loan Rotherham 2014-present
Anthony Wordsworth Ipswich 2013-2015 Rotherham 2014 loan
Media Watch - K L Blue
Richard Wright's son signs professional Ipswich Town deal.
Youngster Harry Wright, who is the son of former Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard, signs a professional contract with the Suffolk-based club.
Wright senior, who is currently on the books of Manchester City, made 355 appearances between the posts for the Tractor Boys during three separate spells in Suffolk.
Seventeen-year-old goalkeeper Harry has now followed in the footsteps of his father, having committed his immediate future to Portman Road.
"Over the moon to sign my professional contract with Ipswich Town. One more step closer," he wrote on Twitter.
Harry's grandfather and Richard's father-in-law Geoff Hammond also turned out for Ipswich during the early 1970s.
Stat Time
Head to Head
Rotherham Wins..............6 (23.08%)
Ipswich Wins.................13 (50.00%)
Draws..........................7 (26.92%)
Rotherham Goals...............35 (ave. 1.35/match)
Ipswich Goals...................51 (ave. 1.96/match)
Head to Head at Rotherham
Rotherham Wins.................3 (23.08%)
Ipswich Wins.....................7 (53.85%)
Draws..............................3 (23.08%)
Rotherham Goals................15 (ave. 1.15/match)
Ipswich Goals....................26 (ave. 2.00/match)
The Predicted Teams
Rotherham United
Having made changes for the midweek trip to Middlesbrough, Neil Redfearn will have to decide whether to stick or twist, with Jordan Bowery pushing for a start up front as Rotherham look to address their own scoring deficiencies.
1 Lee Camp
2 Lewis Buxton
4 Danny Collins
20 Farrend Rawson
3 Joe Mattock
33 Richard Smallwood
11 Paul Green
17 Grant Ward
9 Danny Ward
18 Jordan Bowery
19 Jonson Clarke-Harris
Ipswich Town
I reverted to type for the Bolton game, by coming up short with my line-up prediction! I’m going with an unchanged team for the visit of Rotherham, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles the only doubt after being withdrawn early on Tuesday night.
1 Dean Gerken
4 Luke Chambers
5 Tommy Smith
6 Christophe Berra
3 Jonas Knudsen
7 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
8 Cole Skuse
17 Kevin Bru
20 Freddie Sears
9 Daryl Murphy
11 Brett Pitman
Marko's Caption Contest
Very quiet Cardiff preview thread, no arguments, everyone agreeing with each other and licking arse (boring!) but HEY, still 12 entries to the caption with two newcomers. Excellent.
5 points to Shed on Tour, very good....., but they were all very good....., had to give 2 points each to Nics and ITNO1.
Scores
Shed 5
Ando 4
Longjohn 3
Nics & ITNO1 2
LEAGUE TABLE
DerickIpsw 25
Barmy Billy 25
Blueblood 23
Nicscreamer 21
Number 9 21
Frosty 20
Ando 17
Quasar 17
Floors 15
James Scharmann 13
Ashfordblue 13
IpswichtownNO1 11
Shed on Tour 11
Charnwood 10
Foxy Lady 8
Bluemike 7
Hallamblue 6
Herforder 6
Watership Down 5
Longjohn 3
Ohiotractorboy 3
Kerry Blue 2
Karlywoo 1
LoudNProud 1
Have a pop at this:
Match Referee - Darren Drysdale
Final Thought - Frosty
Firstly, we only obtained a win when I put the last Preview up, so James has been summarily dismissed!
Mike was going to jump off a bridge if we lost ……….. but bugger it we won 2-0 against the ‘Trotters’
Nice to break the cycle, and great to see another clean sheet. I think if we can back up Tuesdays performance with another positive result at the New York Stadium on Saturday then it’s safe to say we are getting back on track.
Rotherham aren’t the most terrifying opposition we will face this season, however those who travelled to the match back in February will no doubt well remember the 2-0 defeat we suffered at the hands of the Millers that day. Currently they sit in the unenviable 24th place on the Championship table.
Their recent form suggests that if we lose on Saturday it’s basically an upset, Neil Redfearn hasn’t been able to arrest the slide after taking over from Steve Evans and their recent results have seen losses to Middlesbrough, Derby, Wednesdays, Brentford with the only point gained being a creditable draw with Reading.
With 7 other teams either above us or below us by the margin of 3 points, fixtures such as Forest v Derby, Cardiff v Reading, Blackburn v Brentford, Fulham v Birmingham and QPR v Preston will be worth keeping an eye on over the weekend.
For those of you travelling on Saturday, at least enjoy the relatively new stadium, it’s about the only structure in the whole place that has probably been built in the last 50 years.
ROTHERHAM UNITED 1 IPSWICH TOWN 2
I think we will lose this like we did last season, what's the saying a soul for of hope, or a hole full of soap??? any way 2-0 the millers.