Rotherham United manager Paul Warne was on iFollow Millers press duties ahead of Saturday's first home game of the 2020/21 Sky Bet Championship campaign against Millwall. The boss took time out at Roundwood ahead of the second-tier clash with Gary Rowett's side at AESSEAL New York Stadium.
On the agenda were topics including team news, coming up against a strong Millwall side and his latest recruit George Hirst, who joined on a season-long loan deal from Leicester City yesterday.
You can read the highlights from his interview below, with video content to follow shortly HERE on iFollow Millers.
Warne on last Saturday’s win at Wycombe…
"I’m pleased we nicked a late winner, the game was exactly what we thought it was going to be. We knew the ball wasn’t going to be in play much and that it would be tough. We came out of it pretty healthy and happy. It gave the lads a great start to the season. No one can ever question our efforts, the lads are faultless on that and we thank them for it. I think there’s certain things we can be really good at. We can have a good culture, a good environment and you can be one of the fittest teams. I think we’ve got no reasons why we can’t be one of the fittest teams, one of the most organised and the best on set pieces, and we aspire to do that."
Warne on late goals…
"In modern day football everyone goes to the death, there’s more goals in the last five minutes than ever. At Salford we should have scored way before we did and probably should have taken a couple of chances at Wycombe. To score late is always good and when the fourth official says there’s only a minute left, even better. A win is a win, it’s a bit different at the moment because I don’t think there’s a massive home advantage during these covid times but it’s still nice to get a win. Our away form last year was really good and just getting wins and points on the board is essential to the mood in the camp."
Warne of team news v Millwall…
"Robbo (Clark Robertson) is struggling with a bit of a calf injury, so he’s going to be struggling for this weekend. Woody (Richard Wood) trained on Tuesday so I’m going to have a little look at him today, I’ve got Angus (MacDonald) as well and I think Curtis (Tilt) will begin training again next week, so we’ll go to having five centre-halves available soon."
Warne on new loan-signing George Hirst…
"There’s loads of things I like about him. The main points really are that he can score, scoring goals in football is one of the hardest things to do, you look at any successful team and they have a goal-scorer. His work ethic is very good, he’s happy to run in-behind and he’s an aerial threat. If I had to build a footballer for this football club, he’d be it, so it was no-brainer for me to bring him in. I’ve tried to sign him on numerous occasions and fortunately this time I’ve been successful. He’s a good kid and hopefully he’ll have an enjoyable time with us."
Warne on his striking options…
"All my strikers have different attributes. Freddie (Ladapo) is a very good poacher, Smudge (Michael Smith) is great at hold-up play and probably the best crosser at the club, as well as being a goal threat. Vass (Kyle Vassell) is a very good number 10, he’s good at getting in the pockets and playing. George (Hirst) has a bit of everything, I’m hoping he comes in and improves the standards because that’s what we want. If he can push the standards up among the group then great, we’ve got good competition for places and whoever I start on Saturday, they’ll know they have to play well to keep the shirt."
Warne on transfers…
"This is not me done, I’m well aware of the fact we’ll need a good-sized squad this year, but again it is imperative we get the right people in. We’re trying to do everything very diligently. I think we can bring another one in, maybe two, but at this moment in time, as I speak to you on a Thursday morning, that isn’t the case before this weekend. We’ve still got a few weeks and there will be a lot of movement in and out at loads of clubs, so we’ll see."
Warne on playing behind-closed-doors at AESSEAL New York Stadium…
"This isn’t the first behind-closed-doors game for us, we’ve had many friendlies here with no fans in, so it probably won’t feel as strange to us and it will be the same for both teams. It will be sad, I spoke to my wife on the way home from Wycombe and said that there would normally have been crazy scenes after scoring late. I’m sad for all the Rotherham fans that can’t be there and I hope we can give them a performance to be proud of on Saturday."
Warne on Millwall…
"I really like them, they finished just outside the Play-Offs last season and before the lockdown I thought they were the in-form team in the Championship. They’ve started really well in the games we’ve watched them in so far and they are a very formidable side, who I think will finish in the top 6 this season. This is a real test for us, this isn’t the same Millwall side from four seasons ago where they were struggling, they certainly won’t be this year."