Matt Taylor says 'brittle' Rotherham United cannot be distracted by Championship relegation rivals

Last weekend was a bad one for the Millers, and not only because of a defeat at home to Coventry City marred by what the manager called a refereeing "injustice".

Huddersfield Town experienced a new manager "bounce" from Neil Warnock, Cardiff City followed victory at Birmingham City with another over Reading, Blackpool beat Stoke City and Wigan Athletic took a point at home to Norwich City.

It leaves Rotherham one place and two points above the dotted line ahead of Tuesday's Championship visit from Sunderland.

The Millers have not won in seven matches but a week ago the spin was they were unbeaten in four. Taylor has seen improved performances and thinks they will get their reward so long as they do not get distracted.

"We see the results, we see the league tables but we can't control what happens elsewhere," he commented. "Our focus is always on our performance and the result we get, something we've been disappointed with in the last few games.

"In the last seven or so games we've been much improved and we have to turn that into points ratio. I am pretty sure most teams down at the bottom aren't playing as well as we are but they're picking up points.

"That's just experience and execution but we're looking forward to continuing some sort of momentum against a very good team.

"There'll be a spell where other teams don't pick up points and we do. We'll try to stay as level as we can because we know it's going to be the ebbs and flows of any relegation battle."

Rotherham have been relegated in their last three Championship seasons, and Taylor is conscious of the mental scars.

"Anyone who was at the Reading game would say that for the majority of it we deserved something out of the game," he said. "For that first-half performance (against Coventry) we might have deserved to be in a better position.

"I just hope it's not taken too much out of the players physically and mentally because we've got quite a brittle set of players in terms of confidence levels simply because we've been on poor runs in the past and what's happened at the past at this club at Championship level."

Rotherham have asked to speak to the Professional Games Match Officials Board – now headed by Millers fan Howard Webb – after Jordan Hugill had an early goal disallowed at the weekend for a foul their manager could not see.

"We have requested a bit of dialogue," said Taylor. "The last time we had a bit of dialogue it was to say the decision not to award a penalty for the foul on Ben Wiles at Bramall Lane was the right decision.

"Sometimes you get that information you can't quite believe what you are reading but at least we will know what the referee was thinking.

"(Webb) was at the Sheffield United game a few weeks ago so I was able to meet him for the first time.

"He has a big job on his hands. He has to sort out the referees' group and I think he is the man to do that.

"I hope it helps he is a Rotherham fan because we feel we are on the wrong end of some decisions."