Last season, Rotherham United avoided relegation from the Championship for the first time in four attempts.
In fact, prior to the current campaign, The Millers had played in a different division in each of the last six seasons, either being promoted from League One or relegated from the second tier. As such, anticipation was high at the New York Stadium throughout the course of last summer, with many fans expecting a season of quiet consolidation. What has unfolded is anything but.
As the 2023/24 season reaches its business end, the South Yorkshire club is firmly entrenched in the mire. They are currently rock-bottom of the table and have picked up just three wins all season. They’re a mighty 12 points adrift of safety with just 17 games remaining. Oddschecker, which compares odds and free bets from all the top bookmakers, has made them an almost certainty for the drop, pricing them at 1/100.
So, what exactly has gone wrong this season?
Sacking the Manager Without a Contingency Plan
Matt Taylor was the man who was responsible for keeping the club in the Championship last season. The former Exeter City boss replaced long-term former manager Paul Warne, who departed for the bright lights of Pride Park at the start of last season. With the club flying high in eighth at the time Taylor took over, this was The Millers’ best chance in four attempts to cling on to second-tier status. And despite a few hiccups, the young manager managed to steer the club to safety, a 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough in their penultimate game of the season securing survival.
Throughout the summer, Rotherham invested heavily in a number of proven campaigners. They twice broke their transfer record, first to bring in former Wigan Athletic loanee Christ Tiehi and then Exeter striker Sam Nombe. As well as that, the club secured the signatures of two Premier League players, the permanent signing of Cafu from Nottingham Forest and the loan signing of Fred Onyedinma from Luton Town. Add to that the experience of former Middlesbrough defender Daniel Ayala and seasoned Championship man Sam Clucas, and it looked as though the club had its strongest-ever squad.
However, all excitement evaporated almost immediately as Rotherham were thumped 4-1 by Stoke on the opening day of the season before throwing away leads in their next three games, picking up just one point in the process. Further disappointments would follow. A 2-0 defeat to local rivals Sheffield Wednesday back in October and a 5-0 drubbing at Watford cost Taylor his job. But what followed his departure was even more of a disaster.
Owner Tony Stewart took an eternity to find a replacement for their outgoing manager, proving that sacking the 42-year-old was a knee-jerk decision with no contingency plan. In fact, Stewart even went on live TV following a 1-1 draw at home to Leeds on Sky Sports visibly intoxicated, embarrassing both himself and the club during its hunt for a new manager. Things have gone downhill ever since.
Going Down Without a Fight
With names such as Gary Rowett, Steve Evans, and Nathan Jones all being touted as potential successors for the New York Stadium hot seat, the club were unable to secure any of their top targets. In fact, the Jones went to watch the Millers as they secured a goalless draw away at Birmingham at the start of December and duly rejected the offer on the table. In the end, the club turned to an uninspiring option, former Wigan boss Leam Richardson, a choice that wasn’t popular with the home faithful.
But to make matters worse, owner Stewart refused to back his new boss in the January transfer window. The club didn’t make a single signing until transfer deadline day, when they brought in Andy Rinomhota, Charlie Wyke, and Femi Seriki on loan.
But that hardly appeased the increasingly resentful Millers fans, and more defeats have followed. Now, the club looks set to be going down with a whimper. The only positive light is the brilliance of keeper Viktor Johansson, yet he will surely leave the club during the summer and looks destined for the Premier League. The best the Millers can hope for is a club-record transfer fee that will help them assemble a squad capable of winning League One next term.
