It has been a season to forget so far for Rotherham United.
They lie bottom of the Sky Bet Championship with their back-to-back promotions two years ago seeming a distant memory.
So far, a new look squad and a change of management have done little to arrest the Millers' fortunes as their recent 5-2 loss to Ipswich Town has left the club dejected.
The Yorkshire club have amassed a mere nine points in their 16 league fixtures this season, and they have not won since the 26th September, in a 2-0 victory over Birmingham City
Millers boss Neil Redfearn has his work cut out, and here are THREE things he should do to keep Rotherham in the Championship......
[ffc-gallery]
PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE THREE THINGS!
[/ffc-gallery]
Sign a striker
Having a striker that regularly scores whether the team is in poor form or good form is extremely important to survival in any league.
Charlie Austin is a good example despite not being able to single handedly keep QPR in the Premier League last season, his 18 goals accumulated to 42% of all of QPR's league goals which is a massive amount, without him they would have fared far worse.
For Rotherham, Jonson Clarke-Harris is their best attacking outlet currently, the 21-year-old can change games in an instant and is a constant nuisance to the opposition, but he requires a partner with experience, power and an eye for goal, the likes of Bowery and Derbyshire could fare decently in a team that is playing well, but in a team where you need the individual desire and ability to change a game singlehandedly, a strike partner is sorely needed for Clarke-Harris.
Find the root of the problem in defence
Week in week out the Rotherham's back-line manage to concede goals thanks to defensive errors.
With Steve Evans leaving new manager Neil Redfearn a catalogue of problems in the defensive department, the new gaffer now has a chance to really look into what goes wrong at the back before the January transfer window.
Last year, United conceded 67 goals in the league and they escaped relegation by a small margin, this season the South Yorkshire club have conceded 33 goals already which is alarming.
The problem could potentially be that nearly every defensive player this season is new to the club with the sales of Kari Arnason and Craig Morgan leaving a massive gap for anyone to fill.
The signing of defensive coach Eric Black has also been a failure so far, after playing a part in Wigan's relegation last season,
Eric Black and Rotherham are conceding more than they did without a defence coach last season and it is clear he is simply not doing enough as conceding 33 goals in 16 games is criminal.
Whether it be the players or the coaches, or Redfearn himself, the 50 year old needs to stamp down on the problems in defence quickly.
The players have to start to show a never-say-die attitude
Two years ago Rotherham were renowned for being a side that would put its all into a game, the 4-3 win over Gillingham in 2014 and the 2-2 draw with Leyton Orient at Wembley were perfect examples of the Millers' desire and positive attitude, as in both games they came from behind to win emphatically.
This season the desire to win simply is not there from Rotherham, while at times they show guts and determination they have lost 2-1 five times this season.
This shows that they have the ability to score against their opponent but never seem to go the distance and fight for a draw, far too often the fans hopes are dashed as the Millers get back into the game at 2-1 only to see the game fizzle out as a disappointing loss, a story of what could have been.
If Redfearn gets his players to run that extra step, then Rotherham can again be known as a team for hard work and graft.
This season the Reds have been rolling over for superior teams far too often, the side could pose a real problem to any Championship team if they work hard and frustrate the opposition, all it needs is for Redfearn to show his true credentials to inspire his team.
Do you agree that this is a step in the right direction for Redfearn and The Millers? Is there anything else Rotherham need to avoid relegation? Let us know in the comments!