Rotherham take on League Two side Sutton United in the final of the Papa John’s Trophy at Wembley, providing a welcome distraction for Paul Warne and his players, having won just one of their last five league fixtures.

On return from the international break, the week prior to the final doesn’t get off to the best start. Head of Medical Stephen Gilpin reveals that first choice goalkeeper Josh Vickers could be out for up to nine months with a hand injury.

After the team arrive in the capital for the final, Paul discusses his fears for the game and how, if they were to claim the fifth piece of silverware in their 96-year history, the feeling would be one of relief rather than joy.

Paul shows his human side when discussing which senior pros won’t make the match day squad for the final, a decision he has chewed over numerous times in his mind, and one he can relate to as a player with no-one wanting to miss out on the opportunity of being involved at Wembley.

On the day of the final, Paul delivers an emotional speech to his players in the hotel before they drive to Wembley. Will his Rotherham side handle the pressure of being favourites and lift the trophy? Time – or extra-time – will tell.

Some time away from the dugout allows both Paul Warne and Karl Robinson to recalibrate during the international break as the managers oversee their sides’ contrasting results.

With Rotherham only winning one of their last five, Paul tries to grapple with his players’ poor run of form and the abuse that followed from the home supporters after a 3-0 defeat to Shrewsbury. And, as they head to the business end of the campaign, it appears the players are starting to feel the effect of having played 50 games in all competitions.

Robinson, however, is on a high after only losing three times in 13 games. Forward planning is key as the team talk logistics ahead of trips to Plymouth and Morecambe, followed by Sunderland at the Kassam Stadium, all in the space of seven days.

A trip to north Norfolk beckons for Paul and his best friend, Chief the dog. He discusses how just one day without the mental stresses and strains of football can be so uplifting for managers and players.

Sadly for Robinson, he does not get the relief of a small break. He’s representing the current crop of Oxford United staff and players at the funeral of club legend Joey Beauchamp – who tragically took his own life at his own home in February.

On the eve of the last international break of the 2021/22 season, both Paul Warne and Karl Robinson were in a reflective mood, discussing their childhoods, footballing journeys and what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Paul was a late bloomer as a player who went on to make over 260 appearances for the Millers before taking on the role as fitness coach and then manager. He also used to be a school teacher – something which he credits with helping shape his managerial philosophy.

For Robinson, it was a very different path. He started coaching with Steve Heighway in Liverpool’s academy before working with former England manager Sam Allardyce at Blackburn and eventually taking over from Paul Ince at MK Dons as the youngest manager in the Football League at 29.

Paul’s journey to becoming professional footballer is an emotional one filled with highs and lows. This is mirrored in the discussion with Karl, who has to pause the conversation to do something no first-team manager wants to and deliver a crushing blow to two Oxford youngsters.

We meet Oxford manager Karl Robinson and some of the people behind the scenes that make the club tick: club groundsman Toby Ruoss, who is an MK Dons fan (Karl’s former club), and psychoanalyst Gary Bloom.

Gary challenges Karl on whether he is obsessed with or addicted to football, leaving the manager to contemplate whether some addictions can be healthy.

With a Covid outbreak threatening to dismantle the squad, the promotion chasers travel to a Shrewsbury side who held leaders Rotherham to a point in episode one. The game is decided on a late Cameron Brannigan penalty, before a touchline flare-up at full time.

Afterwards, Karl shares intimate moments with his mum Carol, who stood behind her son and kicked every ball during the action – before also calling his dad. The conversations lead to him revealing the vulnerability he feels in his profession, underlining that – if you strip away the bravado and ego of a football manager within that small box in the dugout – there is a human being.

In the opening episode we meet Rotherham’s Paul Warne, former club legend turned fitness coach and now manager, as he prepares his team for a midweek trip to Shrewsbury.

We’re almost into March and Rotherham sit top of the table, nine points clear of second place, having lost just twice in their last 30 league games. And, even with star midfielder Dan Barlaser attending the birth of his child, Paul is contemplating resting three players with trickier tests on the horizon.

This episode goes from the manager’s office to the dressing room as Paul delivers the news to those left on the bench hours before a rallying cry to his high-flying Millers. Mic’d up on the touchline, Warne is excruciated by a goalless draw that will foreshadow a difficult run for his men.

At training the next day, Paul, his assistant manager Richie Barker and first-team coach Matthew Hamshaw reveal how all three of them struggled to sleep, what they watched on TV and how their thoughts were consumed by the previous night’s result.

Fears grow that the players are beginning to hit a wall. With a tough fixture list ahead, how many points can the Millers afford to drop?

What does it take to be a football manager? We all think we can do it: pick a team to win a game, sign a couple of players who looked good on FIFA... I mean, we’ve all played Championship Manager right? The reality is very few people can ever truly master it, can deal with the torment, the anguish, the pain of defeat or even the blessed relief of victory. And what about putting their families and friends in the firing line of fans, the media and everyone else who has an opinion on how you do your job?