A trip to New York awaits Norwich City this afternoon, and Dean Smith will be hoping his side can bring the glamour.

With City preparing to travel to the States during the international break, any planned trips to the Statue of Liberty or Central Park will have to wait for now.

Instead, Rotherham are the opponents as City seek to build on an unbeaten week at home with a victory in their penultimate game before the World Cup break.

Heading to Yorkshire to face Rotherham is always a game that prompts a puff of the cheeks from coaches - it is renowned as being an incredibly difficult place to go.

Over the years, Norwich have had a real mix of results when facing them in spite of the condition they are arriving in.

That challenge does feel somewhat different without Paul Warne leading the Millers from the dugout.

The Norfolk-born coach is a boyhood Canaries supporter who was always able to extract an extra percent from his team when Norwich came to town.

Warne was able to lean upon his personal emotion to provoke a performance from his players.

Matt Taylor, who succeeded Warne after he left for Derby last month, has lost half of his opening eight games in charge and Rotherham have struggled to sustain their positive early-season momentum.

In spite of the change in the dug-out, Smith is anticipating a tough afternoon where Norwich may have to win the arm wrestle before they can impose themselves on the contest.

Eastern Daily Press: Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor has had a mixed start to life at the New York Stadium.Rotherham United manager Matt Taylor has had a mixed start to life at the New York Stadium. (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

"They were very close to getting a result against the in-form team in the league in Burnley. It's going to be a very tough challenge," Smith said.

"They've got some good players. They've got a player in Richard Wood who actually made his debut alongside me (at Sheffield Wednesday) - I'm looking forward to seeing him.

"I don't think their approach has changed at all (after Warne's exit). They have the same players.

"The manager will be getting his own philosophy across to his players, but they are the same players."

That last sentence indicates that Smith isn't expecting any surprises in terms of the problems that Rotherham will pose Norwich this afternoon.

Survival will be the primary objective for a side who have bounced between the second and third division in recent seasons. That brings with a particular type of game.

Only Birmingham and Reading have averaged lower amounts of possession in the division this season - that should convert to Norwich enjoying more control of this game.

But Smith will be keen to see his side be more purposeful with their use of the ball than was the case during City's midweek stalemate with QPR.

Norwich 'got frustrated' in their attempts to breakdown Rangers on Wednesday, in Smith's view, but he was willing to put that down to the continued evolution he is overseeing from his team.

Given the initiative will be on Norwich to carve opportunities against Rotherham today, they will need to be incisive with their attacking moments.

Reflecting on that draw at his pre-match press conference, Smith believes some of the qualities they displayed during that 90 minutes will help them at the New York Stadium this afternoon.

"On the positive side, we opened up a very defensive team, a very well-organised team a number of times," Smith said.

"We should have profited from that so it does feel like two points dropped but the positive is that the players know it was a step in the right direction with their performance."

Eastern Daily Press: Norwich City are boosted by Josh Sargent's return to fitness.Norwich City are boosted by Josh Sargent's return to fitness. (Image: (C)Focus Images Limitedwww.focus-images.co.uk+44 7813 022858)

After their dramatic 3-2 defeat to table toppers Burnley in the week, Taylor described his players as being 'at breaking point' due to the relentlessness of the schedule.

Norwich, on the contrary, are welcoming fully-fledged internationals in Josh Sargent and Dimi Giannoulis back to their squad this weekend and are now seeing players return.

Smith is hoping to have a clean bill of health following the World Cup hiatus with Adam Idah and Andrew Omobamidele among the players to return to the squad.

That serves as a reminder of the quality they possess in their squad - something that is envied among opposition managers, as QPR boss Mick Beale expressed on Wednesday.

Smith utilised his options from the bench perfectly last weekend as they beat Stoke 3-1. If Rotherham are able to succeed in their bid to frustrate, he may need another inspired change as this encounter wears on.

Eastern Daily Press: Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare will be hoping for more control from their Norwich City side as they travel to Rotherham United this afternoon.Dean Smith and Craig Shakespeare will be hoping for more control from their Norwich City side as they travel to Rotherham United this afternoon. (Image: (C)Focus Images Limitedwww.focus-images.co.uk+44 7813 022858)

But feelings of frustration that Smith feels have contributed to the dip in performances within games will need to be curbed this afternoon.

As they search for three points to help keep them in the pack chasing the top two automatic promotion spots, this will be a game that serves as a major test of their minerals as a team.

With Smith setting a points target of four minimum from the next two matches - the pressure is on City's players to perform.