"It's good" - Rotherham United reaction given to David Artell, Grimsby Town blow | OneFootball

FLW's Rotherham United fan pundit has given his reaction to reports that Grimsby Town manager David Artell is not interested in the Millers job.

Rotherham United will soon be starting preparations for life in League Two following their relegation from League One.

Rotherham sat as high as 11th in the League One table after a decent start to the season, but a nightmare winter period saw them dragged into a relegation battle, resulting in the departure of manager Matt Hamshaw last month.

Despite not managing in the EFL for almost nine years since his exit from Bury in 2017, the Millers appointed Lee Clark as Hamshaw's replacement in an attempt to save their season, but he has been unable to turn around the club's fortunes, and their relegation was confirmed last week after a 3-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic.

After picking up just one point from his first five games, Clark secured his first victory as Rotherham manager with a 2-0 win at Leyton Orient on Saturday thanks to goals from Harry Gray and Sam Nombe, but it remains to be seen whether his short-term contract will be extended beyond the end of the season.

It seems the Millers are considering alternatives to Clark, and Grimsby Town manager David Artell was said to be one name on their radar, but journalist Alan Nixon claims that he is not interested in taking over at the New York Stadium.

Artell, who has been in charge of the Mariners since November 2023, began his playing career with Rotherham and went on to make 37 appearances for the club, but the 45-year-old is not believed to be keen on a return to South Yorkshire and is instead hoping for potential League One or even Championship opportunities.

Rotherham United relief outlined as David Artell stance on potential Millers switch revealed

When asked for his reaction to the latest developments involving Artell, FLW's Rotherham United fan pundit Tom Eyre admitted that, despite his impressive work at Grimsby, he is glad he is out of the running for the job, and he insisted that the Millers must appoint someone who does not have a previous connection to the club.

"It is a shame because he's obviously done great things at Grimsby," Tom told FLW.

"But, in the same breath, I think it's crucial that Rotherham stop looking at former players and former managers to stop the rot and instil success that was there 10–15 years ago.

"For me personally, I think it's good that he's ruled out the chance of coming back.

"Although Grimsby are a great side and top League Two for a lot of stats, we need to look elsewhere for people to come in with new, fresh ideas and the ability to rebuild the club from the ground up.

"I'm not sure if Artell would have been the man to do that."

Rotherham United facing huge managerial decision after David Artell rejection

While Rotherham fans would have had understandable concerns about another potentially sentimental appointment, Artell's strong record at League Two level suggests he would have been a solid appointment.

Artell led Crewe Alexandra to automatic promotion from the fourth tier in the 2019-20 season, and he has transformed Grimsby from relegation battlers to play-off contenders over the past two-and-a-half years, as well as masterminding a memorable EFL Cup victory over Manchester United earlier this season.

With Artell no longer in the frame, the Millers are back to square one in their managerial search, and given the lack of quality options on the market, a positive end to the season could be enough to earn Clark a chance at the full-time job.