Fresh claim made on Matt Hamshaw's Rotherham United situation as sack talk intensifies | OneFootball

FLW's Rotherham fan pundit debates whether Matt Hamshaw should be relieved of his managerial duties

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Rotherham United lost for an eighth consecutive game in all competitions on Saturday against Stockport County, which increased the pressure on manager Matt Hamshaw.

The Millers haven't won in the league for over two months now, a run which has seen them move from mid-table candidates to second-bottom and in real danger of falling away from those ahead of them.

Rotherham has had a rough ride over the past couple of seasons and has thus burned through three permanent managers in the past three years, with Matt Taylor's dismissal in November 2023 leading to dud runs from Leam Richardson and Steve Evans before Matt Hamshaw's appointment in April 2025.

Before that run, the South Yorkshire side looked to potentially be establishing itself in the Championship after years of immediate promotions and relegations between the second and third tiers, but now they're staring down the barrel of a gun marked for League Two.

Many inside the AESSEAL New York Stadium are calling for Hamshaw's head, and in light of this, FLW's Millers fan pundit, Tom Eyre, has debated whether the Rotherham-born boss should be sacked.

Rotherham United fan pundit discusses "tough" Matt Hamshaw sack question

Ultimately, above everything, Matt Hamshaw is a Rotherham fan, and some may argue that, right now, there's no better person to try and steer the Millers toward safety.

Eyre feels that this sentiment may be why he's still in a job, despite being in the midst of a 10-game winless run in League One. But he also believes that the current state of the club and the number of managers they've gone through recently may play a part too.

"It's such a tough question," answered the fan pundit when asked if he feels Hamshaw should be sacked. "Everything needs to be considered from the last three to five years at the football club.

"Anyone else would be sacked now, and that's why I think that if a sacking does happen, it would be justified and reasonable. The only thing that makes me feel that it won't occur is that we're really stretched on our budget.

"There aren't many managers who would want to come to a struggling League One side and who can really lift our form. We've seen Hamshaw this season and Steve Evans last, Matt Taylor and Leam Richardson before — four managers in two years isn't a good look, so I'm not sure if many managers would want to come into that."

There's also been no secret to the squad availability crisis that Matt Hamshaw has had to endure so far this season, most notably in attacking areas.

Sam Nombe, in particular, has seven goals in just 614 minutes of action in all competitions this season. After netting five in eight under the current Rotherham boss towards the end of last season, it's evident that, if the 27-year-old can stay fit, he could single-handedly drag the Millers out of this mess and perhaps even save Hamshaw's job.

"Once players become fit again, Matt Hamshaw could get in there and make things happen in the short and long term — he might prove to be the right guy in the end," Eyre debated.

"For me, relegation is a certainty if the next two games aren't wins, and a sacking wouldn't surprise me.

"But having said that, I don't know who else you'd turn to if we did sack him."

Next week is vital in saving Matt Hamshaw's job at Rotherham United

As Eyre indicated there, the next two games present a huge opportunity for Rotherham to finally get back in the win column, as they take on AFC Wimbledon and Northampton Town at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.

Not only do the Millers need to pick up wins to claw their way out of the bottom four, but they need to ensure that sides down there with them don't pick up points.

With the Cobblers currently in the relegation zone with them, and Johnnie Jackson's side two points clear, wins against them both would go a long way to overtaking them in a bid to climb further up the table.

If they lose both of them, they risk being cut even further adrift ahead of a difficult couple of games, first at Exeter City and then back at home against the seemingly unstoppable league leaders, Cardiff City.

So, these next couple of games are vital for Rotherham and for Matt Hamshaw. They could be the difference between playing in League One or League Two next season, and could also be the difference between Hamshaw saving his job or being sacked.