"It's up to the powers-that-be" ... Rotherham United boss Matt Taylor addresses the threat of the sack following Watford mauling

The boss defiantly claimed that no-one could get more out of his squad, who sit in 22nd spot in the Championship without an away win for more than 12 months, than he is doing.

However, he accepted that the size of the scoreline at Vicarage Road, coming only 13 days after an abject derby display and 2-0 loss at bottom club Sheffield Wednesday, has left him at risk.

In between those results, were home draws with Queens Park Rangers and Ipswich Town.

“That's up to the powers-that-be, isn't it,” Taylor said when asked by the Advertiser if he was confident he would be given time to turn around the fortunes of the Millers whom he kept in the second tier last term. “They were so pleased with the last couple of performances

“Let's be honest, Sheffield Wednesday was a real big blow. We can't hide away from the fact that our performance on that day was nowhere near where it needed to be.

“This group of players are training their hardest. But we're short in some capacity, like the game has shown today.

“I've brought in some of those players. It's not just on them, it's on me as well. But I'll be damned if anyone can do a better job with that group at this moment.

“They're a motivated group. We do so much work with them on a daily basis. We're getting sucker-punched by ... I call it ‘moments’, it's just individual quality.”

Rotherham owner Tony Stewart will be the man who decides, after taking advice from his trusted aides, whether or not to pull the trigger and bring Taylor's 13-month reign to an end.

“The communication you have with your chairman is private,” Taylor said. “He wants us to be better. I understand that. I fully expect to improve the group if given time.

“A manager's job ... if you get beaten in the manner that materialised in that second half then it's difficult to stand here and say you feel safe.”

A section of away fans booed at half-time and full-time and chanted ‘We want Taylor out’ during the clash against the Hornets.

“I could hear it,” he said. “You can't not hear it as a manager. Do I like it? No. Do I understand it? Yes.”