Despite a loss of form towards the end of last season, Rotherham managed to cling onto an automatic promotion spot, ultimately finishing a point ahead of third-placed Milton Keynes Dons in League One.
The Yorkshire-based side are in a serious yo-yo cycle under manager Paul Warne, with their record since he took over the club in 2016 reading: relegated from the Championship,
promoted from League One, relegated from the Championship, promoted from League One, relegated from the Championship, promoted from League One.
The 49-year-old will be desperate to put that run to an end this season by avoiding relegation, but the scale of the task awaiting him and his players is best summed up by the fact that their star
strikers of the past four seasons, Michael Smith and Freddie Ladapo, have both opted to drop back down a level to Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town respectively.
It is clearly a huge ask for the incoming Tom Eaves and Conor Washington to replace the departed duo’s goal threat at this level. Both will
provide the industriousness that Warne demands of his players, but neither have ever bagged double figures in a Championship campaign.
With all that being said, Rotherham have gone seven games unbeaten in pre-season, and Warne will be hopeful of there being three teams less
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competitive than his side this season. His players will undoubtedly always give their all under him, starting with a tough test against Swansea on Saturday.
Swansea, meanwhile, showed flashes of brilliance in Russell Martin’s debut campaign after the former Norwich City defender’s switch from the MK Dons dugout, but ultimately paid for a porous defence as they failed to mount a challenge for the playoffs.
Indeed, only five teams conceded more goals than them in the Championship last season, making it clear where Martin needs to focus on improvement in the coming campaign.
