RUFC- Why didn't we go up?

Rotherham United, who were one of the favourites at the start of the season to go up automatically, unfortunately didn`t make the play-offs - though we guessed as much for the last month and knew it last weekend.

Why didn`t we make the play-offs? Well, obviously we didn`t get as many points as the one`s who did! We ended up with sixty-six points, two less than Torquay, who did get into the play-offs and six less than seventh place last season - who were Dagenham and Redbridge on seventy-three.

Of the three who have gone up - and good luck to Chesterfield, Bury and Wycombe Wanderers - both the Spireites and the Shakers ended in eighth and ninth places respectively last season, with Wycombe coming down from League One.

So, it`s obvious to me, that something somewhere was wrong. But what?

I still think Don Valley has something to do with it - it doesn`t seem to matter how good the pitch looks to the untrained eye, there is always the odd bobble here and there (more than the odd one as the season progresses) to catch out a striker or passer of a ball. Which, in my mind, makes us play the ball in the air much too much. But, we know what Don Valley is like - we`ve been there three seasons now - so surely someone should train our players to learn to play on it? I am almost certain a natural footballer can play on a good pitch so away games shouldn`t suffer from learning to play on a poor pitch - should they?

Injuries and suspensions - we`ve had a few injuries this season but not many suspensions and have always seemed to have someone ready to move into the injured players` place, so I don`t think we can blame that on our position in the league.

Tactics - well, the only tactic at the start of the season of 'get the ball to Alfie` seemed to work fine. Then we stopped doing that and went back to hoof ball (which, to be fair, solved the problem of the bobbles at Don Valley).

Problems in the dressing room/behind the scenes - there have been plenty of rumours flying around but none have been proved of unrest. And, we shall probably never find out. Although, every player who has come in or on loan has said how 'good the dressing room is`.

Postponements - we had a fair few again this year in the winter months. It can`t help but we weren`t the only ones. And, even when we had the games called off, other results went for us.

It`s been a bit of an up and down season for me - I`ve never quite felt the elation I thought I should have when we were in the top three of the table, I always felt like there was someone at the back of me saying 'whoa, hold on a minute.`

OK, we`ve not gone up but on the other hand I don`t think we have got to the 'depressed, disappointed and disillusioned of Rotherham` quite yet.

After all we didn`t get relegated

Nope, I don`t know why we didn`t go up - we had the money to spend, most of the players were happy to stay at the end of last season, we`ve never really looked like we were heading for a fall. So, why didn`t we at least get to the play-offs?

Why do you think? Tell us here on Vital Rotherham - the season might have finished but we are still around….



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