Rotherham United have sacked their manager Matt Taylor following a 5-0 away loss to Watford, the club have announced.
The 41-year-old was in charge of the Millers for 13 months and took charge of 55 matches during his time at the club. This included keeping the Yorkshire side in the Championship in the 2022/23 season, their first season back in the division after promotion from League One the year prior.
Taylor was previously in charge of Exeter City, his first managerial job, where he brought promotion to the club from League Two with a second placed finish. After 227 games in charge of the Grecians, they permitted him to discuss the vacant managerial position at Rotherham following the sacking of Paul Warne two weeks prior.
Despite managing several favourable results this season, most notably a pair of draws against high-flying Ipswich Town and away to Southampton, Taylor’s 18% win rate wasn’t enough to keep himself in a job. The 32 goals the Yorkshire side have conceded this season is the highest in the division.
The Yorkshire side find themselves sitting in 22nd place in the Championship table, just four points from safety. Speaking in the club’s official announcement, their Chairman Tony Stewart said:
“It was felt by myself and the Board that we had to act now by making a managerial change in order to give ourselves the best possible chance of retaining our Sky Bet Championship status this season.
“We are grateful to Matt for his efforts over the course of the last year and it has not been an easy decision to make. It goes without saying that he leaves with the very best wishes of everyone here at Rotherham United.”
The search for a new manager is now underway at the club and with the international break coming at a favourable time, no caretaker manager has been appointed in the interim. After the break, Rotherham welcome the league’s most in-form side Leeds United to the New York Stadium.
Writer’s View
The Championship is a brutal league and history suggests the earlier the managerial changes happen, the more likelihood of survival. With just under two weeks before they return to action, now appears as good a time as any to make a change.
If they can get their next appointment correct then the rest of the division’s struggling sides remain well within touching distance with much of the season still to play.
Sam writes for The Real EFL, covering all EFL tiers while pursuing a Sports Journalism degree at the University of South Wales.
