Millers boss Matt Taylor sat down with iFollow Millers on Thursday afternoon to discuss all the talking points ahead of his side's trip to face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Taylor on conversations with PGMOL officials...
"We had communication late on on Sunday. Howard Webb, Kevin Friend and Bobby Madley expressed their desire to come in to speak to us regarding some of the decision-making in last weekend's game and they came across on Tuesday after training.
"We had a really open and honest conversation in terms of our viewpoint on the game and we got the apology on Fred's first yellow card.
"There was a real sense of a need for improvement from all parties - myself included.
"That discipline factor is going to be big for us moving forwards and the officials want to improve as well.
"We're grateful that they came in and spoke the way they did and owned certain things that have maybe gone against us.
"It's important that I get that message to our fans that we don't want to feel sorry for ourselves or like the team that it always goes against. I know it felt like that last weekend and maybe in the Stoke game, but decisions will even themselves out over the course of the season and all we want to focus on is the football."
Taylor on a good performance against Blackburn going somewhat under the radar...
"Bar the penalty - which we dodged a bit of a bullet on - we played on the front foot, we were aggressive and positive.
"We scored two good goals and at 2-0 you're never comfortable in a game of football but you feel you're in a good position to go and win the game.
"Our immediate memory is of the last 40 minutes and how difficult they were. Blackburn's two goals and the decisions towards the back end of the game coupled with the general feeling inside the stadium.
"We can't forget what got us in a good position. We just needed to maintain that level of performance and it is something we're looking to replicate this weekend."
Taylor on the successful deployment of Hakeem Odoffin higher up the pitch...
"Haks has got a certain skillset and that is no disrespect to him.
"I've said to him in the past that when it is a 'clean' game we don't want him involved too much but he's great at disrupting and destroying the opposition's patterns and style.
"He's a real physical presence in the box and I think his goal came from a 'pinch' on a pressing moment.
"He strikes a ball cleanly. You've seen it enough times last season, whether it was Blackburn or Middlesbrough towards the end, he scored some big goals last season and I'm sure he'll do that again this season as well."
Taylor on Onyedinma getting off-the-mark in Millers colours...
"It was a good home debut up until that point wasn't it?
"We know he's going to be a good player for us and it's a shame he is unavailable this weekend and we can't appeal those yellow cards.
"We're still trying to get him fully up-to-speed. He's not played enough game time over the last few seasons, so maybe missing a weekend will put him in a better state in both body and mind for next weekend.
"You want your best players on the pitch and available and he has certainly settled into life well here."
Taylor on team news...
"Andre Green is back and Tom Eaves is back.
"Grant Hall is very close and we'll make a decision.
"To have two, possibly three, players back in the mix is good.
"Both are raring to go and have trained well this week. Andre - similar to Fred - has a certain physicality about him and it is incredible when you have more legs in the training group, let alone on the pitch.
"These are attacking players but actually our best defenders because they are good one-v-one workers. If you are a good one-v-one attacker, you're normally good at defending that way, as long as you have the right mindset.
"Tom has had to be patient with his own body so hopefully barring any recurrence of any niggles tomorrow he will be involved on Saturday."
Taylor on returning players strengthening the feel of the group...
"It does strengthen us and we're looking forward to going into a game with no suspensions!
"You never have a fully fit squad but to be down to six and eight injuries it has been too much in terms of filling a bench.
"You want as many options as you possibly can with that new extra sub rule, but even within our subs at the moment we have players who might not feature further down the line. They might go out on loan and we've got an under 18 who's on there for the experience as much as to come on the pitch.
"We are only going to get stronger going into this weekend and the next couple of weeks."
Taylor on Sunderland test and wanting to improve the away form this season...
"I'm not sure we'd have managed if we'd had a Tuesday night game with where the group were so it has been nice to have a 'free week' as such, although there is no such thing as a totally free week.
"Once Saturday's events had unfolded and we'd discussed them and debriefed we were focused on this weekend and it is probably the best place to play football in the division.
"They're a fantastic team with a good manager, so we're looking forward to the challenge.
"I've had the privilege of watching both of their games and they didn't deserve to lose either with the chances they're creating. Hopefully that continues until certainly after this weekend but we've got to find a way to put them under pressure and get them on the back foot.
"We saw last season what a good team they are and they got into the Play-offs, so there is a lot to admire about the opposition but I want to be talking about us in a footballing sense, as opposed to everything else we've been discussing recently.
"I shouldn't have to say a word to the players on Saturday. When you turn up at Sunderland in that stadium with that fan base you want to play well."
