Plymouth Argyle provide the opposition for Paul Warne's Rotherham United as they visit the AESSEAL New York Stadium in Sky Bet League One on Saturday. We take a look at who the Millers are facing in our opposition analysis....
In the Dugout
Manager Derek Adams was a midfielder in his playing days, representing Aberdeen, Burnley, Ross County, Motherwell, Ayr United and Livingston, making over 300 career appearances. He retired as a player in 2009 at Ross County, with his playing career spanning over seventeen years.
His managerial career started in 2007 when he rejoined Ross County as a player-coach initially, in 2006, before being promoted to a player-manager. As a player-manager, he won promotion from the Scottish Second Division in his first season, before reaching the Scottish Cup Final two years later, when they were beaten by Dundee United 3-0.
He joined Hibernian as an assistant manager in 2010 and then returned to Ross County a year later, winning the Scottish First Division and was voted PFA Scotland Manager of the Year for the 2011/12 season. He left Ross County in 2014 and joined Plymouth in June 2015. In his first season in English football, as a manager, he took Plymouth to the League Two Play-Off Final at Wembley for the first time in twenty years. In the following season he guided Plymouth to 2nd, winning promotion to League One for this season.
Stats
Plymouth are currently sitting in the relegation places in 22nd in League One, level on points with 20th-placed AFC Wimbledon, who boast a better goal difference.
They have had mixed fortunes in recent weeks, but have picked up their form in Sky Bet League One in their last five games, winning three. They have, however, been knocked out of both the EFL Trophy and FA Cup by Yeovil Town and Bradford City respectively. They recorded a 2-0 victory over Northampton before getting beaten 1-0 away at Portsmouth. In their last game, they beat fellow relegation rivals Gillingham 2-1 thanks to goals from Joel Grant and a stoppage time winner from Toumani Diagouraga.
Previous Meetings
This will be the 69th meeting between the sides with the Millers winning 25 of them, drawing 16 and Plymouth prevailing 27 times. Plymouth haven't triumphed over Rotherham since October 2004, beating the Millers at Millmoor 0-1 in the Championship, courtesy of a goal from Mathias Doumbe.
The last time these teams met was in League Two. In April 2013, the Millers beat the Pilgrims for the fourth successive time thanks to a Kieran Agard finish in a 1-0 victory at Home Park.
Ones to Watch
Our player watch starts with Dutch goalkeeper Kelle Roos, who will be no stranger to Millers fans after his loan at AESSEAL New York Stadium. The 25-year old joined on an emergency loan from Derby County following a goalkeeper injury crisis at Plymouth, making him the seventh keeper to represent the club this season.
At the heart of the defence is former Hull City centre-half Sonny Bradley who has chipped in with three goals this season, making him the top scoring defender at the club.
In midfield, Irish playmaker Graham Carey has been Plymouth's main man and is their top goal scorer with five goals to his name so far. Jamaican international winger Joel Grant, who they signed from rivals Exeter City in the summer, has also chipped in with three goals and looks a threat out wide.
Up front, striker Jake Jervis has been the talisman for the Pilgrims, netting three times in the league this season. They also have firepower in the forms of Nathan Blissett and ex-Rotherham man Ryan Taylor, who signed for the Pilgrims in January 2017 from Torquay United and Oxford United respectively.