Ok, so that didn’t quite to go plan. Middleborough came to Carrow Road and did what almost every team that has beaten or drawn us has done this season. Scored early, and closed up shop. One of the teams that did that was Rotherham, back in our 1-1 draw against them in early October. That was one of the most frustrating Norwich games I have ever watched. We messed up chance after chance, and now I look back and can’t help think how much we could use those two points now. Here are five things to look out for to make sure we get all three points this time.
1. The Mental State
Alex Neil needs to drill into the heads of the players that automatic promotion is not out of the question by any stretch of the imagination. Football can turn on a dime. Pressure often gets to teams that are so close to promotion. Let’s say Bournemouth lose their game on a goal that takes a freakish bounce, and Middleborough come up against a goalkeeper that is having the game of his life and draw, with us beating Rotherham. That scenario right there puts us back into automatic promotion places with a chance to wrap it up at home vs. Fulham. It’s not likely, but Alex Neil needs the players to believe it can. If we are still thinking and dwelling on last week, it makes the Rotherham game that much harder. Get off of that. Yes, it was a bad result, but what’s done is done. Nothing we can do about it now. Take the loss, and move on.
2. Quick Start
It’s no secret that teams try to score early and park the bus. It seems to be the only way to beat us since Alex Neil took over. We have to get out of the blocks better, it’s just that simple. Rotherham are playing in front of their home fans and need a result in the relegation race. They will feed off of the crowd if they get off to a fast start. Nobody is doubting that those first 20 minutes are what killed us last time, so let’s not do that again.
3. Taking Our Chances
To tell you the truth, I don’t know how Rotherham have accumulated 44 points this season. They have lost three out of their last four home games, have conceded the fifth most goals, fifth least scored, third worst goal difference, fourth fewest wins, it goes on and on. Some teams have one or two things they do really well, and that keeps them up. Rotherham do not have that. I guess they are just less worse than the teams in the relegation zone. Their defense opens up like a book, but their goalkeeper is what has saved them it seems. Against Norwich, the Canaries had 65% of the ball, outshot them 27-6, and beat them 12-3 on corners. Their only goal came from a penalty on the stroke of halftime, and their keeper made the most ridiculous triple save I have ever seen. If we can take our chances, a crooked number might be on the scoreboard. That would be massive, as goal difference could be a huge factor as we head into the final two weeks.
4. Don’t Stand Off
Rotherham don’t exactly play a complicated style. They have played a either a flat 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 in 33 out of their 43 league games this season. They do not have a lot of attacking quality, as shown by their top goal scorer Matt Derbyshire only having nine goals this season. Because of this, Rotherham are 2nd in the Championship in long balls per game, averaging 94 hoofs a game. They are also 2nd bottom in the Championship with just Blackpool behind them in pass accuracy. So what does all of this mean? Pressure them! Any team (even a team as bad at passing as the Millers) can get comfortable with the ball. If we just play the ball and put them under a little bit of pressure they will be spraying passes all over the park. From there we can start counter attacks, and their lack of great pace should give us some good chances to score.
5. Desperation
Theoretically, Rotherham should be safe. They are four points clear of Millwall, but that number could dwindle to one if they are deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player against Brighton. Even so, they do have a game in hand on Millwall, and that is a home game against struggling Reading. Millwall have to play Derby and Wolves, and need probably at least four points to have a chance. However, the Championship is a crazy division. I think that they will be desperate to get a result from this match. Norwich will obviously need to keep pace with the other automatic promotion hopefuls, and a lot hinges on Watford in the early kickoff. I think that both teams are desperate for a result for their own separate reasons, and caution will be thrown to the wind. That make this a very compelling game, but one that we have to win.
It starts with Alex Neil getting the players in the mindset that we still have hope for the autos. We get off to a fast start, pressure them in possession to win the ball back and create scoring chances, and take those chances. That will make Rotherham more desperate, they will fling bodies forward, we get some goals on the counter, and win big. Those are my five keys to the game in a nutshell, how hard can it be? It’s our last away day of the season, so if you are travelling to Rotherham enjoy yourself and make a lot of noise. OTBC!
