After being relegated from League One last season, Rotherham United find themselves in a relegation battle again. This time, it’s their EFL status on the line. However, they’ve been backed to avoid the drop.
The Millers hired Alex Bruce, son of former Manchester United player and well-regarded manager Steve, as their head coach at the start of the season. Along with Bruce, former England manager Steve McClaren joined Rotherham United as their Director of Football.
Tony Stewart likely brought the pair in to stop the downward trajectory of the club. Unfortunately, that’s not going as planned with the Millers 22nd in League Two. They are level on points with Colchester United in 23rd and three points above Crawley Town in 24th, but Bruce’s side have played a game more than Colchester and two more than Crawley.
Despite their struggles, Opta’s supercomputer has backed the Millers to avoid the drop this season.
Positivity Ahead for Rotherham United?
Opta’s predicted League Two table makes for good viewing for Rotherham fans. Their supercomputer suggests the Millers will end the campaign in 21st with 55.06 points, just under seven points ahead of Rochdale in 23rd.
They certainly aren’t out of the battle to avoid dropping out of the Football League, but their probability of finishing in the bottom two is small. Opta gives the Millers a 6.42% chance of finishing bottom of the league and an 8% chance of finishing second bottom.
While it’s not the season many Rotherham fans likely expected after being relegated from League One, securing their safety at the end of the season allows them to rebuild once again.
Paul Mullin Key for the Millers
Experienced striker Paul Mullin joined the club on a free transfer in the summer after mutually agreeing to end his deal at Wrexham. He had struggled to make an impact as the Red Dragons went up the pyramid, but as he’s shown at Rotherham, he knows how to score in League Two.
Mullin has scored eight goals in 14 games for the Millers, with the 32-year-old leading their fight to pull away from the drop zone. He has shown he can score at this level, scoring 56 goals in his last two full seasons combined at this level.
If the South Yorkshire side want to stay in the EFL, keeping Mullin fit and providing him with chances will surely be the best way to do that.
