Alex Bruce has called for an immediate response from his Rotherham United players after a 2-0 defeat at Fleetwood Town deepened their League Two slump. The loss at Highbury Stadium on Saturday was their fourth consecutive league defeat, leaving the Millers 20th in the table with just 10 points from 10 games, having recorded only two wins and four draws all season. Their recent form has been particularly poor, with no wins and just one draw in their last five matches.
Shaun Rooney broke the deadlock for the hosts a minute into the second half, converting from a short corner. Rotherham created chances through Paul Mullin and Jayce Fitzgerald, who clipped the post with a free-kick, but Ronan Coughlan's 80th-minute header from a Crispin McLean cross sealed the points for Fleetwood. This result followed a 1-4 home defeat to Gillingham the previous Saturday, where Mullin scored his fifth goal of the campaign.
Bruce's assessment
Bruce acknowledged the team's fragile confidence but insisted a turnaround is possible. "The players look edgy, they look low on confidence," the head coach said. "I'm doing everything I can. A few have tried to change it.
He pointed to a need for improved basics and defensive discipline as the route out of trouble. "I sound like a broken record, but it's the same thing at the minute - we have to do the basics better and defend the box better," Bruce added.
Team news and key moments
Bruce made four changes simultaneously eight minutes after the restart, introducing Kian Spence, Jayce Fitzgerald, Aaron Nemane and debutant Klaidi Lolos. Hamish Douglas made his first league start since February and Jamie Jellis returned from injury.
Rotherham's top scorer Paul Mullin, who has five goals this season, was partnered by Tom Bradshaw in attack but they were kept quiet. Goalkeeper Julian Eyestone made several saves, including a late stop to divert a Will Davies effort onto the post, but defensive errors proved costly. The defeat leaves Rotherham nine points adrift of leaders Salford City and with a goal difference of minus four after conceding 16 times in 10 matches while scoring only 12.
Bruce has now challenged his squad to respond in their upcoming home games, starting with Tuesday's fixture against 12th-placed Newport County at the New York Stadium. "I've just said to the players, you've got two home games now and we need a response," he said. The team's next opportunity to halt this slide comes on Tuesday 20 October against Newport County.
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