Where the numbers don’t stack up for Rotherham United

The Millers are putting up an admirable fight in the Championship this season, despite a significant disparity in resources, and currently sit outside the relegation zone heading into the final third.

But there is a sense that their outlook could be even better had they taken the points their performances had deserved.

But they have often been unable to take their chances when they have presented themselves.

Only Leeds, Aston Villa, Norwich, Brentford and West Brom have had more than Rotherham's 400 shots, yet just Ipswich and Bolton have scored fewer than their 28 goals.

Their 0-0 draw at Millwall, while still a positive result, was another example of a match they might have got more out of had they taken their chances as Michael Smith wasted two good opportunities.

“I think we just need a bit of cutting edge, hence why I was trying to get someone in at the top of the pitch,” Warne said.

“When I spoke to a player I was telling him about how we play and the stats and I think we get the sixth most crosses in the league, we have the sixth most attempts on goal, but we are fourth bottom.

“So that says to me that we just don't take enough chances, that isn't through lack of effort or coaching, it's just about that little bit of class and that is why the strikers go for the big money.

“That isn't a criticism of Smudge, he's virtually faultless for us.”

The list of games where the Millers have not taken their chances is endless and coming up against teams who can score at any moment, Warne accepts it is not a good combination.

Warne added: “At the key moments we let ourselves down by not taking our chances and in this league everyone has the firepower to score.

“We are losing by the odd-goal, but we have still been losing. The lads are giving everything.

“I don't want to look back at the end of the season with regrets, we self-reflect all of the time and it is a difficult job to get it all right.”