Rotherham United: Stubbs' sole hope for opening day

Big club or small club? Home clash or away game?
Alan StubbsAlan Stubbs
Alan Stubbs

New boss Alan Stubbs doesn’t care what opening day throws up for Rotherham United ... as long as it ends in three points.

The fixtures for the 2016/2017 Championship season are unveiled tomorrow morning and all Stubbs wants from his first match in charge of the Millers is a victory.

“A win. That’s what matters,” he told The Star.

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The action kicks off on Saturday August 6, with the former Hibernian chief targeting an assault on the top 10 in his debut season as a manager in the English second tier.

“You want a really strong start, with players on the front foot,” he said. “You look to get to a points tally, as quickly as possible, which is enough to stay up and then take things from there.”

The 44-year-old admits he will be just like a fan when the schedule is announced at 9am tomorrow, checking on derbies and the programme over Christmas and New Year.

Kirk BroadfootKirk Broadfoot
Kirk Broadfoot

But his professional instincts will quickly kick in as he assesses where and when he thinks his new club can prosper in the forthcoming campaign.

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“You break the season down into months and work out where you think you can pick up points,” he revealed.

“It doesn’t always happen that way. There are some months where you think you can get wins and don’t do as well as you’d hoped and there are other months where you play teams near or at the top and do better than you think.

“Look at Rotherham last season when they stayed up. They went 11 matches unbeaten. That was a run no-one would have predicted.

Stephen KellyStephen Kelly
Stephen Kelly

“There are always surprises and that epitomises what a competitive division the Championship is.”

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Meanwhile, the Millers have yet to make an announcement on the futures of centre-half Kirk Broadfoot and right-back Stephen Kelly.

The club have been in talks with the out-of-contract pair about staying on and Stubbs said last last week that he hoped decisions would be made shortly.