Sheffield Wednesday match means more to Rotherham United than any other, admits boss

Taylor’s men arrive off the back of a confidence-boosting 2-0 win over Coventry City on Wednesday evening and will be hoping to record their third consecutive win at Hillsborough. The Owls will bet set on achieving their first win of the campaign in what is Danny Röhl’s first home match as manager.

And with a rapturous reception expected for the German and his players, Taylor was asked whether the nature of the occasion would act against his side. “I’m not too sure on that,” he said. “I think it will be close to a full house anyway. Their fans will be in good voice regardless of that. Maybe it adds a little bit more in terms of excitement and the expectation of what they’re going to see for the first time under a new manager.

“He’s had a limited amount of time to really work with his players. They were at Plymouth on Wednesday night and their previous fixture was at Watford. There’s very little training time. I think form and position in the league goes out of the window in a game like Sunday. In a local derby of this magnitude, those things are irrelevant. This is a one-off game. We’ve got to find a way to keep their big crowd quiet.”

Tongue-in-cheek debate is often had online between the two fanbases as to whether the match constitutes a derby. For Rotherham, Taylor admits, there is no match that means more to their fans.

He said: “I know how much our supporters are looking forward to these games. I get that sense speaking to Rotherham fans. I’ve been involved in Sheffield United derbies but this is the one our fans talk about a little bit more. It seems to mean a little bit more; more than a match against any other opposition team out there. I think that’s a fair comment.

“We don’t want that to be a burden in terms of pressure, we want to go there and put on a performance. We’ll certainly need them. This is a massive game. If we play well we’ll give ourselves a fantastic chance.”