L2

[great_fire]

then look at the teams we'll be playing, not many stand out games.
Depending on teams promoted from L2 and National League, only time the away end will be near full would be
Notts County, Chesterfield, Grimsby, York and possibly Oldham.
Which are also probably the only decent away games

Shame Harrogate are going down.

[Derbymiller]

Hamshaws signings or Rob Scott?s recommendation? Doubt Hammy knew non of the European players brought in and took them having a couple of videos played to him.

I'll say again that I don't think the signings were Hamshaw's, I suspect Rob Scott was the driving force behind all of them.
I would really like Paul Davis from the Advertiser to dig into what goes on with the recruitment process at the club but it's probably a bit too controversial an area for him to get involved in.

So by that logic SE and MT weren't responsible for the signings or is it just MH that is allowed to play the "not me gov" card?
I suspect that RS is a major issue and as I have said he should be removed. However I do not think that we can white wash the managers from this disaster. At no point has any of them stated whilst employed or after that they were not backed to bring in the players they wanted.

[mellowmiller]

So by that logic SE and MT weren't responsible for the signings or is it just MH that is allowed to play the "not me gov" card?
I suspect that RS is a major issue and as I have said he should be removed. However I do not think that we can white wash the managers from this disaster. At no point has any of them stated whilst employed or after that they were not backed to bring in the players they wanted.

I don't think that MH should be allowed to play the "not me guv" card at all but things clearly changed on recruitment policy when he was appointed.
For a start the salary budget was halved and a significant proportion of it was already being used on high earners like Hugill.
TS also made a few statements about needing value for money and RS was tasked with achieving this (that is a basic part of his job after all).
Matt Taylor didn't have the same constraints and was allowed to spend over ?1 million on a striker from his previous club and Steve Evans was seemingly given free rein to bring in who he wanted resulting in a criminal waste of money on a bunch of duds.
So maybe we shouldn't be surprised that TS tightened the finances and put the responsibility for recruitment squarely at the door of the guy with "recruitment" in his job title.
I'd still like Paul Davis to dig more into the subject but I'm pretty sure he won't!

[Derbymiller]

Hamshaws signings or Rob Scott?s recommendation? Doubt Hammy knew non of the European players brought in and took them having a couple of videos played to him.

I'll say again that I don't think the signings were Hamshaw's, I suspect Rob Scott was the driving force behind all of them.
I would really like Paul Davis from the Advertiser to dig into what goes on with the recruitment process at the club but it's probably a bit too controversial an area for him to get involved in.

I don't think that MH should be allowed to play the "not me guv" card at all but things clearly changed on recruitment policy when he was appointed.
For a start the salary budget was halved and a significant proportion of it was already being used on high earners like Hugill.
TS also made a few statements about needing value for money and RS was tasked with achieving this (that is a basic part of his job after all).
Matt Taylor didn't have the same constraints and was allowed to spend over ?1 million on a striker from his previous club and Steve Evans was seemingly given free rein to bring in who he wanted resulting in a criminal waste of money on a bunch of duds.
So maybe we shouldn't be surprised that TS tightened the finances and put the responsibility for recruitment squarely at the door of the guy with "recruitment" in his job title.
I'd still like Paul Davis to dig more into the subject but I'm pretty sure he won't!

Good explanation. My gut feeling is that over the last few years TS has been less involved and left the day to day to his son and they have been conned by a load of poor quality people that are just not good enough, and that runs from top into the playing staff. TS took his eye of the ball and the end result is a disaster and a mess that cannot be easily fixed. The real question is does he see this and is he willing to act appropriately and undertake a night of the long knives. Will he step up and reconnect with the fans or is he working hard on an exit strategy, and if it is the latter how much damage will be happening whilst that deal trickles through.

[mellowmiller]

Good explanation. My gut feeling is that over the last few years TS has been less involved and left the day to day to his son and they have been conned by a load of poor quality people that are just not good enough, and that runs from top into the playing staff. TS took his eye of the ball and the end result is a disaster and a mess that cannot be easily fixed. The real question is does he see this and is he willing to act appropriately and undertake a night of the long knives. Will he step up and reconnect with the fans or is he working hard on an exit strategy, and if it is the latter how much damage will be happening whilst that deal trickles through.

I think you're probably right about TS and the subsequent mess that's been created.
I'm a bit puzzled about why he wants to remain as chairman after transferring all the shares to his son. That doesn't bode well for things improving any time soon!
I guess the ideal outcome would be that he sells the club to someone with deep pockets who sweeps out all the dead wood at senior management level and puts forward a coherent strategy to create progress.
Unfortunately that's probably just a pipedream and the fear is we'll just muddle along pretty much as we have been doing.
I really hope that's not going to be the case.

[ragingpup]

I think you're probably right about TS and the subsequent mess that's been created.
I'm a bit puzzled about why he wants to remain as chairman after transferring all the shares to his son. That doesn't bode well for things improving any time soon!
I guess the ideal outcome would be that he sells the club to someone with deep pockets who sweeps out all the dead wood at senior management level and puts forward a coherent strategy to create progress.
Unfortunately that's probably just a pipedream and the fear is we'll just muddle along pretty much as we have been doing.
I really hope that's not going to be the case.

You're probably right. After all the vast majority are having to muddle along, living within the means of their income from attendances so not sure why anyone would expect us to be any different

[avondalemiller]

A little bird told me that MH had a budget of ?5M but MH didnt realise that over ?4M was already spoken for by
SE and is previous signings. Most of them were signing early in the summer when wages/signing on fees are the highest.

If that was true then MH never had a chance playing the young uns against agaist most of the giant teams. No wonder they were knackered......................UTM L2

[Derbymiller]

A little bird told me that MH had a budget of ?5M but MH didnt realise that over ?4M was already spoken for by
SE and is previous signings. Most of them were signing early in the summer when wages/signing on fees are the highest.

If that was true then MH never had a chance playing the young uns against agaist most of the giant teams. No wonder they were knackered......................UTM L2

Another example of why MH was never a manager, he didn't realise lol. Surely anyone with average intelligence would have got clarity on what was available to them in terms of budget, decision making, authority etc. Remember he was the one that kicked out JCH with a payoff? If he didn't do his due diligence he deserves even less sympthay.

[Townerslovechild]

League 2...or the 4th division.
Been watching the Millers since 1979,and since then we`ve spent 12 seasons in the 2nd division,21 in the 3rd,and 11 in the 4th.
So our "Natural" level is the 3rd division,but we`ve had almost equal amounts in the division above and below,so it`s really no great shock to once again find ourselves in the 4th level.
For me the Tony Stewart era is the greatest in my time watching my team,I remember many,many games at scruffy Millmoor along with another 3000 fans with no hope of ever getting a new stadium,and never getting from under the Booths clutches.
I shouldn`t have to point this out,but imagine where we would be if he hadn`t come along,just ask Boston,Bury or Hereford fans if they`d swop places with us.

[RU66]

Just looked at the 19 players out of contract incl' loanies who'll all be gone. Ayres only one I'd keep. James possibly. Rest surplus or are who were or are starting to be sicknotes. Then there's Martha & Kaleta at least who I'd move on.