Rotherham United boss Paul Warne urges his players 'to put their bodies on the line in the final third'

Rotherham boss Paul Warne has one major area he wants his side to improve on after the opening quarter of the season and that is to be more creative.
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The Millers notoriously find goals hard to come by in the Championship and this season is no different as they have scored 10 goals in their opening 11 games.

Half of those came in two games – a 3-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday and the 2-1 victory over Preston – and it has often been a struggle for Warne's side to create.

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They are relatively secure at the other end and Warne knows if they get it right at the top end of the pitch then a good season could be on the cards.

Rotherham United manager Paul Warne.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)Rotherham United manager Paul Warne.  (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Rotherham United manager Paul Warne. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

“All I want to see is the same effort with just a bit more cutting edge up top,” he said.

“It's the responsibility of everyone to cross the ball in the final third, it's the responsibility of everyone to put their bodies on the line in the final third and sometimes just have a bit of calm in the final third.“At the moment, that's my one criticism. I think our overall play has been good.

“Apart from conceding three against Reading, our goals-against record is really good. “We're moving the ball really well. In the final third, our set-pieces haven't been as good and sometimes our final ball into the box hasn't been as good as I would like.

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“We're disappointed we're not picking up enough points when our performances have been reasonable.

“Fundamentally, you're judged on goals and no other statistic, in my opinion. We just need to be more aggressive in the final third.”

The Millers are ramping up their preparations for the resumption of the league this weekend, when a hectic schedule unfolds.

They visit Swansea on Saturday before hitting the road to QPR next Tuesday ahead of home games against Bournemouth and Brentford.

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