Knill - It will still be tough

The Millers lie one point and one place outside the drop zone with five games to play, and ahead of the Brentford game on Saturday, home form is going to be the key with three games left at Millmoor.

In a full interview with BBC sport online, Knill says he expects nothing but a hard battle ahead at the business end of the campaign and despite speaking to the new owners he's unsure what the future holds: ""I really don't know what will happen. I have spoken to the board but it was on an informal basis on both sides. I am confident I have done a good job and I like doing it - but it is not for me to decide. I took the job under duress really, because I thought the players wanted me to do it. Their performances beforehand were good - and we have played pretty well since then too.

"Throw in the problems we have had off the field though and it has been hard going - at times I have thought 'what the hell have I done here?' - but it has been a good learning experience for me."

Knill has been in the hotseat since Mick Harford departed, winning his first game in charge at Bradford before taking full time charge in January. In such troubled times on and off the pitch, he's quick to praise uncle Colin from up the road for the loan signings of Stephen Quinn and Jonathon Forte, who's now returned after showing his best form in the last month of his spell: "Neil has his critics but I can only speak as I find. As soon as news came out about the trouble we were in, he was on the phone asking 'do we want this, do we want that'.

"Initially we took them on loan but once it became clear we couldn't afford them he fixed it so they were paying their wages too. We have had them for nothing which was fantastic. It's been great because we have seen them progressing too, which for me as a coach is important. They will go back stronger so it works both ways. They were never going to come here and just play without learning anything. I didn't know Neil that well but he has been superb and I am sure if I wanted advice at any time he would be happy to help. I can't thank him enough."

Of the crucial run-in, Knill knows that anything on the road is a bonus but the home games are a must win: "We've only lost once at home since I've been here, but away from home we've struggled. We still have to go to Swansea and Colchester and we have got to do better.

"But three of our last five games are at home so looking at the other clubs down there, I'd rather have our run-in than anyone else's. Our home form will be the most important factor. I'm looking at three wins out of three and I would like to think that will be the bare minimum that will keep us up."

Better times ahead?

Now that the club has been saved from liquidation, the gaffer admits it's a weight off everyone's shoulders just at the right time: "It was a fantastic relief. People didn't realise that after the Bristol City game on 25 March we should have been locking the club's gates. We were finished but the new board has helped put our head back above the water.

"It will still be tough but the new people in charge have some good ideas and there are better times ahead."