Rotherham boss Paul Warne fully aware of task they face at Brentford
The Millers are fighting for survival in the Championship
Last updated 27th Apr 2021
Paul Warne says a shock victory over play-off-bound Brentford will feel like winning the Champions League for relegation-threatened Rotherham.
The 22nd-placed Millers are in desperate need of points to stay in the Sky Bet Championship and face a daunting trip to west London on Tuesday evening.
Having had a host of fixtures postponed earlier in the season, the struggling South Yorkshire club are preparing for their ninth game of a manic month.
They have so far taken just four points from a possible 24 in April and manager Warne admits to being slightly surprised his side are still in contention to beat the drop.
"We need to take our chances, because we are running out of games,'' he told Rotherham's website.
"Fortunately for us, other teams around us have kept us in it. If you'd have told me we'd lose three or four on the spin two weeks ago, I'd have said we had no chance (of staying up) but we still have.
"The door is still a little bit ajar for us and if we can get our bodies through then great.
"It is one of our games in hand but Brentford away is probably the one I wouldn't have selected - that or (leaders) Norwich away anyway!
"Anything we get is a bonus. If we can come away with a point, great. If we can come away with three then we'll come home feeling like we've won the Champions League.''
Rotherham, who lost 1-0 at Barnsley at the weekend, are currently four points adrift of 21st-placed Derby and above Sheffield Wednesday only on goal difference.
The Millers travel to the capital having played two games fewer than their closest rivals.
"We're still upbeat, I think the lads came away from the game on Saturday really positive from how we played,'' said Warne.
"We've played virtually a quarter of a season in five weeks, it has been brutal but the effort from the lads cannot be questioned.
"I don't think there have been many games where Rotherham fans or neutrals even have gone away and thought that we definitely deserved to lose.
"We just haven't had that little bit of sugar when we've needed it.''
Third-placed Brentford guaranteed their play-off place on Saturday by beating fellow promotion hopefuls Bournemouth 1-0.
With Norwich and Watford having already wrapped up the automatic-promotion places, Bees boss Thomas Frank hinted that he could rest players.
However, the Dane will not allow his team to take their foot off the gas.
"We will do everything we can to finish third - the highest position possible, because I think it means a lot,'' he told a press conference.
"Also, of course it's natural that if there's a player that could be rested then maybe it's the game tomorrow, and maybe it's not.
"But I will be going with a strong team. We want to win.''