Rotherham boss Matt Taylor is confident he can turn things around after his side’s dismal start to the season continued with a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Bristol City, but accepts results have to improve.
Tommy Conway’s goal in the sixth minute of time added on inflicted a seventh loss from the Millers’ opening 10 games, which is their worst start to a Championship season since 2004/05.
It looked like Taylor’s side, who are ravaged by injuries, would earn a point after Tyler Blackett’s 86th-minute strike had cancelled out Conway’s opener five minutes before.
But they left empty-handed, with Taylor, who celebrated one year in charge on Tuesday, knowing things have to change.
“You can’t afford to keep getting beat,” he said. “The manner of tonight’s defeat, if you are going to get beat, get beat by giving it everything and showing you are good enough to compete at the level.
“There have been a few away games where we have not shown enough of that which is frustrating. But you have to believe that A) you are good enough as a manager and B) your players are good enough.
“But when your best players aren’t available it is an incredible job and an incredible task. It has got an awful lot harder on the back of tonight.
“Like I keep saying to the players you can’t lose heart, confidence and will, if the supporters do that’s down to them, I understand that to a certain extent, but if there is anything this club is about it’s about standing up and showing a bit of character and fight and sticking together as well.
“It’s understanding that Championship level football for Rotherham is a hell of an achievement, it was a hell of an achievement last season and what we are up against is an absolute beast and it keeps on taking big chunks out of us.
“But we are still alive. We are 10 games in and still showing signs of brightness in certain moments and no one else will be thinking of Rotherham right now. I am looking forward to what we can achieve at the weekend because I still believe in this group of players.”
For the opening 81 minutes it was a forgettable encounter, with just one shot on target, before it burst into life with Conway’s opener.
Robins boss Nigel Pearson was pleased with the outcome rather than his side’s performance.
“What you have always got to do is keep alive in the game,” he said. “It is a good illustration of it being a squad game tonight, Tommy coming off the bench and scoring two quality goals.
“We were mugged at the weekend. They will be feeling a bit down, it wasn’t a game of a lot of quality but the important thing is we won a scrappy game.
“Tonight we have come away from home and got three points at a ground which is tough to come to at times.
“It is good for the players to come away with a quality result, especially having conceded a late equaliser.
“A good day but we are not kidding ourselves. Credit to the players they were prepared to keep going, a good night in the end, but it didn’t feel like it for much of the night.”
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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