Rotherham United

Our Gaffer on a Sunday feature returns this week after last week’s absence due to the managers coaching course commitments.

I have had the time to look back at the match on DVD so there is some clarity of thought in my head. In summary, once again, it is a match we dominated from start to finish and as any form of contest it should have been finished by half-time.

The lads are playing some fantastic football and I use that word carefully, yesterday was another clear example of that. I am fed up with opposition managers, players and Directors tell me how good we have played and we are not getting the points that those performances deserve. I am the most positive man in the world but recently it has been hard to take.

I feel for my players, they are giving it everything they have. We are in a period where every mistake we make is being punished and our numerous goal scoring chances are not being converted at an acceptable rate. I hate talking about luck in football, I firmly believe you make your own luck but I am having to dig deep inside myself to keep that positive thought.

Referees are not something I wish to discuss, I would rather collect the leaves in the local park. 

Our performances have been fantastic, our supporters know that and have made it clear to all of us but at the minute we would all settle for a scruffy 1-0 victory. We have to keep playing as we are, we will all keep believing and it will happen for us.

Tubbsy was more like his old self. He worked his socks off and was running on empty when I took him off late on. His goal was a class finish and he is unlucky not to have got another couple. He linked up great with Alex Revell and they gave the Colchester defence huge problems all afternoon, there efforts alone deserved us to get three points.

The fact is all my players had good performances and the sickening thing is that we do not win the match. We give away two very sloppy goals and yet we are having to work so hard for ours. 

Suspensions are all part and parcel of football but when I look at the cautions my lads receive I get really annoyed. 

We have been decimated with suspensions, injuries and International call up's but there is no point in complaining or moaning. Every manager wants consistency in team selection, you want players form to be the decider for who plays. In the main we have a great squad of lads, they want to work hard every day and those that don't will sadly drift away.

The FA Cup is always special and there is no doubt it is the top match in round one. They are an excellent team, many top class players. Like us they have passionate supporters and that will ensure there is another superb atmosphere as a full New York stadium will no doubt be in place. 

Bradford have adapted to life in League One as I thought they would, they are having a cracking season. Our performances have been good so it should be a great match to watch and who knows we might even get a slice of luck for the first time this season but I will believe it when I see it.

The lads will be back in tomorrow morning and our work towards Saturday will begin. By the morning we will all be positive again and that is what we need ahead of such an important match.

There is a reserve match away at Hartlepool on Wednesday evening but we have designated this a youth team fixture as we need to look at those lads playing against men, it will be part of their education.

Tomorrow evening (Monday) our youth team are themselves in FA Cup action when Fleetwood Town visit the New York. All my staff will be watching on and I am sure a number of the first team lads will also so if any of our supporters have the time them I'm sure our youngsters could be doing with your support.

There was not much sleep last night but the reality is we are two points outside the playoffs in League One, there is one word to sum up the progress on and off the pitch in 15 months – staggering.