NEWSATDEN looks at all of Millwall’s 23 opponents ahead of the 2018-19 Championship season.
Next up, Lucas Ball casts an eye over newly-promoted Rotherham.
Name: Rotherham United
Nickname: The Millers
Manager: Paul Warne
Stadium: AESSEAL New York Stadium [12,021]
Postcode: S60 1FJ
Club website: www.themillers.co.uk
Nearest train station: Rotherham Central
Match-day directions: footballgroundguide.com
Promotion odds (Sky Bet): 80/1
Last meeting: Sky Bet Championship – Rotherham 2-1 Millwall [Danny Ward 58′, Kari Amason 85′; Martyn Woolford 20′]; February 28, 2015
Last season: 4th in Sky Bet League One [Promoted via the play-offs]
Goals for: 73
Goals against: 53
Top league goal scorer: Kieffer Moore (13)
First-team 2018-19 transfers
Ins: Sean Raggett [loan from Norwich]; Billy Jones [free transfer from Sunderland]; Kyle Vassell [undisclosed from Blackpool]; Zak Vyner [loan from Bristol City]; Clark Robertson [undisclosed from Blackpool]; Marek Rodak [loan from Fulham]
Outs: Jerry Yates [loan to Carlisle]; Jonson Clarke-Harris [free transfer to Coventry]; Ben Purrington [loan to AFC Wimbledon]; Dominic Ball [loan to Aberdeen]
Paul Warne, formerly a physio at the New York Stadium, did a fantastic job last season in guiding his team to promotion. Having initially taken the job on an interim basis, Warne impressed the board and Rotherham eventually beat Paul Hurst’s Shrewsbury Town at Wembley, with Hurst having since moved to Ipswich to replace ex-Millwall boss Mick McCarthy.
Sean Raggett, a former target for the Lions, joined the club this summer as they looked to strengthen their squad, and the likes of Kyle Vassell will hope to add the goals.
Midfielder Will Vaulks will have a key part to play again this season it seems, having scored six and assisted five goals from midfield last season.
Prediction: Relegation
There isn’t enough about the squad quality-wise to stay up, and they are operating on one of the league’s smallest budgets. The odds for the Millers to win promotion are the joint-lowest in the division with Bolton.
They are lacking a striker to keep them out of trouble, as well as the wingers to provide a good enough service to him. The defence last season was a bit of a worry for a top-six side, conceding the most out of those sides and 13 more than second-placed Blackburn.
This season’s fixtures:
Rotherham vs. Millwall – Sunday, August 26, 2018 [Kick-off: 12.30pm]
Millwall vs. Rotherham – Saturday, February 2, 2019 Kick-off: 3pm]
Image: Rotherham United