'Bloody' marvel lies in wait for Millers

THERE aren't too many nationally known names down in League Two, but Rotherham United come up against one tonight at Griffin Park.

Terry Butcher - along with MK Dons's Paul Ince - is one the two best-known managerial figures in the league's basement by dint of their top playing pedigree and the international careers they carved out.

Butcher had a successful time at Ipswich and played at Glasgow Rangers too before starting out on the managerial side as player-boss at Coventry.

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He managed Motherwell and even had a stint out in Australia.

He is now trying to resurrect both his managerial career and the fortunes of Brentford.

Butcher was capped 77 times for England, and one of the striking images of the past 20 years is his bloodied head and shirt from his heroics in a World Cup qualifier in Sweden when he defied a re-opened gash to defiantly lead the way to the draw England needed for qualification.

Now, having joined the West London club last April when they were already doomed, he is looking to his Brentford side to show that sort of bloody-mindedness as they - like the Millers - come to terms with life after relegation.

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Brentford are finding it marginally more difficult at the moment and are eighth bottom, although they are only three points below Mark Robins's men. Butcher admits his team's confidence is down but he said they had " a good long chat" in the wake of last Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Hereford.

"There was not much in the game but they were full of confidence and we were not," he said.

We have to work this out together. We will do and I'm still convinced that we can get it together and go on an unbeaten run."

Griffin Park was the scene of the first away game as caretaker manager for Mark Robins last March.

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He shook up a side beaten 5-1 at home by Port Vale the previous week by gambling on the introduction of several youngsters.

He handed debuts to Jamie Yates and on-loan Rossi Jarvis and a first start to Liam King and a much-changed side secured a 1-0 away win - the first away success for 11 matches. Of the 11 sent out that afternoon, only two are likely to start tomorrow - Ian Sharps and Stephen Brogan - while seven of the team are no longer at the club.

Butcher was at Millmoor on Tuesday to check out Rotherham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy against Grimsby.

He will know that two players on the bench that night, goalkeeper Andy Warrington and central defender Graham Coughlan, will play tonight.

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