Rotherham United Handed Fresh Blow In Managerial Chase

Rotherham United‘s hunt for a new permanent manager has taken yet another blow after Mat Sadler turned down the chance to join the Millers.

The 41-year-old has been out of work since March of this year in the wake of his sacking from Walsall, with a lengthy slide costing the Bescot Stadium side the chance to challenge for promotion to League One.

Sadler Joins Lengthy List

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Rotherham had held talks with Sadler to take over at the New York Stadium as they head into their first season in League Two since 2013, but have now been rejected by their former player.

He becomes the latest name to turn down the chance to take charge of the Millers as they hunt for a permanent solution to replace Matt Hamshaw, who was sacked just a week after Sadler.

All signs had pointed to interim manager Lee Clark to take the club forward despite being unable to keep United in League One, but Millers chairman Tony Stewart’s ill-timed holiday allowed National League outfit Hartlepool United to swoop for the former Huddersfield Town man.

David Artell was also tipped with a switch to his former club following on from his success in revitalising Grimsby Town, but revealed he would not be interested in a move in order to continue his work at Blundell Park.

More recently, signs pointed to Lee Burchnall coming in over the past few weeks, given his prior relationship with new club director Steve McClaren, but it was reported at the start of June that a deal collapsed due to a difference in financial terms.

Where Should Rotherham Look Next?

Yet another rejection in the hunt for a new manager has left Rotherham United in a very tough place to try and fulfil their immediate promotion hopes this season.

The failure to appoint a permanent boss will be sure to disrupt preparation for the upcoming season, with a squad clearout and recruitment drive needed over the coming months to put them in the best shape possible.

Luckily for Rotherham, though, there are still some good candidates available on the market, and one in particular stands out given his recent track record in League Two.

Salford City perhaps made a blunder in sacking Karl Robinson, who was best placed to finally put the Ammies into League One for the first time ever, and that decision could prove beneficial for Rotherham.

The 45-year-old may not have the best track record when it comes to promotion, but knows exactly what it takes to get a club to challenge, and will be prepared to reshuffle a squad which Lee Clark criticised during his tenure in charge.

Alternatively, they could pick a manager who has been succeeding at another club local to Rotherham, with Scunthorpe United‘s Andy Butler rightfully earning plaudits for his role in the Iron’s rise back up the leagues.

With Rotherham arguably at a point where they need to begin a rebuild after years of rot, Butler could be well-placed to help with that journey if they can convince him to make the jump to Yorkshire.

However, regardless of whoever comes in, some damage has already been done and will not reflect kindly on an ownership that is already at odds with the Millers fanbase.