1) League One Play-Off Final 2013/14
Not the Play-Off Final itself – that was one of the greatest days in the clubs’ history. However, before declining a new contract at the club and making the switch to Craven Cottage, Ben Pringle disclosed that he was given the carrot and stick treatment, along with other players. Steve Evans supposedly promised several members of his squad new contracts that never came to fruition and that may be why the promotion winning squad fell apart come 2014/15.
2) Pre-season 2014/15
Six of Rotherham’s cornerstones in their League One promotion campaign were shipped out; whether for a fee or out on loan. Two more – Alex Revell and Joe Skarz – parted company with the Millers in January. The likes of Burton Albion and as much as we hate to admit it, Barnsley, have proved that going up together and not tearing apart the heart of the team that got you promoted is the way to go about the Championship. Now, thanks to the dismantling, Lee Frecklington is the only survivor from Wembley and Richie Smallwood – albeit out on loan at Scunthorpe United.
3) January window 2015
Rotherham United could have been mistaken for a promotion-pushing Championship outfit when a plethora of loan players – namely, Emmanuel Ledesma, Reece James, Tom Lawrence and Scott Wootton – arrived mid-way through the season. Their pass-and-play style of football was eye-catching and attractive to watch. Results were on the up but as much as they were the clubs’ saviour, the quartet of loanees were their downfall. Agreements were believed to be in place to extend the temporary deals but instead, all returned or were recalled to their parent clubs. It left Rotherham in the lurch, who had relied upon their signing until the end of the season to keep them up and there was a mass incoming of more loanees. Although the Millers did stay up in dramatic fashion, they were unable to tempt any apart from Ledesma back to the New York Stadium.
4) Neil Redfearn’s appointment 2015
Neil Redfearn seemed like a sensible appointment after Steve Evans’ sacking and he went about his football the right way but alas, it isn’t the Rotherham way. One of the standout games under Redfearn’s reign was a 3-0 defeat to QPR on home soil. Particularly in the first half, the Millers played Rangers off the park. However, they couldn’t make it count and results were what the team needed at the time, not performances.
5) Alan Stubbs’ appointment 2016
Whether Rotherham United could have done more to keep hold of Neil Warnock is uncertain. He was all set to stay as the Millers’ manager for another season but had a change of heart in the eleventh hour. Alan Stubbs is now a figure of hate amongst the Millers camp, epitomising all that is wrong with the side, and all because he didn’t learn from Redfearn’s mistake. It was almost as if he wanted the supporters to dislike him by not clapping their support and enough was enough when he told the press that a 4-2 loss at Birmingham City was an improvement for the side. Despite all his promises, he didn’t repair the hole he had torn in Rotherham’s striking department – withdrawing offers of new contracts to the likes of Matt Derbyshire and Leon Best – and left them with a squad simply isn’t good enough for the second tier.