ROTHERHAM United supporters skimming down the fixture list wondering where and when a first away victory of the season might arrive would likely have whizzed past today’s match without even pausing for a moment’s contemplation.
Few will give the English Championship strugglers any chance of ending that winless record when they travel to the Etihad for their FA Cup third-round tie to take on a Manchester City side fresh from ending Liverpool’s unbeaten record on Thursday night.
Still, stranger things have happened. Rotherham may be 33/1 outsiders but, given their last away victory came at Wembley Stadium no less – in last year’s League One play-off final – then they at least go into today’s tie knowing they have experience of prospering in the big occasions.
Clark Robertson wasn’t a Rotherham player at that point – he joined later that summer – but can boast his own decent pedigree, having won at Wembley with former club Blackpool, played at Hampden with Aberdeen, and earlier this season helped give Everton an awkward night at Goodison in the Carabao Cup.
The Scot believes today’s visit to the Etihad will be on a par with those experiences but with little of the pressure. Robertson’s biggest challenge, in fact, will be trying to impress the coach-load of friends and family who are journeying down from Aberdeen for the game.
“I’d imagine this match will be up there with anything I’ve done in my career, including playing at Hampden and Wembley,” the defender said. “Man City are one of the best teams in the world with so many top players so it’s going to be a special experience.
“It gives us a bit of a break from the league which is welcome as there is no pressure on us at all. Everyone will expect City to thump us so hopefully we can go out there and just try to enjoy it.
“City might rest a few after the Liverpool game but I hope not too many. Everyone wants to play against the best and it would be brilliant if I got the chance to line up against Sergio Aguero or Gabriel Jesus, although I’m sure their second team will be just as strong.
“I was at the Etihad a few years ago to watch them play PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and it was electric that night. There might not be as many there for this game but I’m sure it will still be a special atmosphere, especially with 6000 of our own fans expected.
“My dad has hired a 33-seater bus that is coming down from Aberdeen filled with my mates and family and they’ve all got tickets. So the biggest pressure will be trying to put on a show for them.”
Today’s match marks the latest step in the steady upwards trajectory in Robertson’s career. He has progressed from League Two, to League One and now into the Championship in three successive seasons and feels comfortable at this level, despite Rotherham’s struggles in one of the most competitive divisions in Europe.
While a win over City would reverberate all around the world, a greater success this season would be Rotherham simply staying in the league.
“It would be a great achievement for us if we could stay up,” Robertson said. “We’ve probably got the lowest budget in the Championship so every week we’re going into games as underdogs. If someone had said we would be outside of the relegation zone after 26 games we would have taken that. We just need to keep battling away.”
Robertson remains hopeful that Alex McLeish might be following his progress, too. The 25-year-old made 10 Scotland under-21 appearances but is yet to receive international recognition at senior level. He notes the leap made by former Aberdeen team-mate Scott McKenna into the Scotland set-up and hopes a similar opportunity will come his way, too.
“Nothing has fazed me at this level even though you’re playing big teams every week in the Championship,” he added. “Hopefully someone within the Scotland set-up will notice and I’ll get a chance there in the not-too-distant future.”
A win today would do his chances no harm at all.
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