Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor took time to speak to the local media as his side prepare to take on Burnley in the Sky Bet Championship this Wednesday.
The Millers will head to Turf Moor boosted by Chiedozie Ogbene, Peter Kioso and Shane Ferguson all returning to training, with the trio set to be assessed whether they will be fit to play a part against the league leaders.
The manager discussed a number of topics, including chance creation, Cardiff reflections and other aspects of team news.
You can read highlights from the interviews below, with video content to appear here on iFollow Millers.
Taylor on Cardiff reflections…
“In terms of reflecting on Saturday, the players were trying their hardest, we just couldn’t get any impact on the game, in and out of possession.
“Sometimes you can have games where your in-possession play is poor, but that is balanced out by your off the ball play but we didn’t quite get the pressure on the ball where needed to get it.
“Certainly when they got close to our goal, we didn’t make it hard enough for them to enter our final third and that made us drop deep as a team.
“This had a knock on effect because we didn’t create many chances and that meant that it was difficult to get back into the game.
“It was a difficult afternoon, but we found a way of keeping in the game. If there is anything this team can do, it is defend their box with their lives but we have to find a way of making those entries less and less.
“I’m learning as much about this group as anyone else and what they are capable of. Straight away, I love them to bits because straight away they give everything.
“You look at them at the end of a match and they are out on their feet because they can’t give anymore. We have to find a way of improving that inner game to help that physical output."
Taylor on creating chances…
“I think we’ve been making progress in terms of creating chances, although it was probably one step forward and two back in terms of the weekend.
“You put the Blackburn game into context in terms of our chances and the Coventry game, we feel like we’ve been making progress.
“However it did go slightly back in the wrong direction, we didn’t hurt the opposition enough on Saturday and didn’t create enough moments.
“That was a reflection of our play at the weekend unfortunately and that is something we’re working on as a coaching staff to give them something to build on.
“We want to give them a real belief and confidence on the ball, because when a game is going like that, sometimes the key is being able to keep possession of the football.
“We’re really encouraging them to do that and working on certain patterns to help them."
Taylor on energy levels…
“We can’t complain, because this is the level we want to play at but it can be difficult to take when sometimes you play against a team who haven’t had a midweek game.
“The effort the players put in every single game, you can see how much it drains them, both mentally and physically.
“The mental strain on those players is phenomenal and on Saturday, the one thing we can take is that at 1-0, we were still in the game and that is because we defend our box and our goal better than any other team in this league.
“We have to find a way to be a little more proactive in our attacking moments and we have to find a way of having some joy.
“We know Burnley are going to put us under pressure, they have the quality to do that and as always, we have to find a way of showing ourselves.”
Taylor on team news…
"Chieo has trained today and that is the best news I can give you in terms of him. The fact that he’s trained today means he might be able to play some part against Burnley.
"Peter Kioso is exactly the same, he’s been more frustrating because we saw a glimpse of it in that reserve game three weeks ago and since then he’s had an ankle injury.
"To get them two back into the fold is really encouraging and Shane Ferguson too, off the back of a week problem in that groin area.
"All of a sudden, we have more bodies available, it’s just a shame about Tolaji Bola, he has picked up a tightness in his quad on Friday, he looks like he’ll be unavailable this week moving forward and the games are coming thick and fast.
"That’s a real shame, because it’s not a player I’ve seen play or train yet and I’m looking forward to do doing so."
Taylor on Grant Hall…
“I think the only blessing of his suspension at the weekend is that he had time to get over his injury complaint.
“Our worst performances since I came to the club have been Hull and Cardiff and Grant Hall wasn’t on the pitch for either of those games.
“That says something in terms of his influence, his defensive attributes but also his composure as well. He’s certainly someone who can add control to any team and take the sting out of certain moments in the team.”