Leam Richardson on the situation that was waiting for him at Rotherham United

The head coach was careful in his choice of words but spoke about different people within the Millers camp having different agendas.

“If possible, you've got to park that,” he said in the build-up to tomorrow night's televised home clash with Plymouth Argyle. “It's secondary to what is most important, which is the team.”

Rotherham won 2-1 on Easter Monday against Millwall - their first victory of 2024 - but are facing certain relegation and will be a League One side next season.

Richardson says he was aware of what he was walking into when he took the job with the Millers already in the Championship drop zone and has said a “culture shift” is required at AESSEAL New York Stadium.

“I wouldn't necessarily call it ‘problems’, it's ‘situations’,” he said. “I've come into a club where I've probably managed a situation more than I have managed the club in general. That's where we're at at the minute.

“I've talked about cultures, I've talked about transition. There are very few things I can speak openly about. A lot of them need to remain private.”

The head coach, who has enjoyed previous success at Accrington Stanley, Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic, believes that, with the support of owner Tony Stewart, he is capable of leading a revival and described himself as “very excited” by the challenge.

“The chairman is very buoyant, he's very proactive in what he wants from the club,” Richardson said. “It's my job to make sure we make positive decisions.

“You're at your strongest when you can build from strength and you can be proactive. You're at your weakest when you make reactive decisions.

“I have my own opinions of what this club has had to deal with over the last couple of years. Now I'm at the forefront of it and I have to give my opinions strongly going forward.”

He is hoping his side can build on the win three days ago and pick up another three-point haul against Argyle that would stave off the drop for a little longer.

“We're going into every game very mindful of what the badge means, what the club means, how we want to move forward,” he said. “It's a game in front of our own fans under the lights on Sky. It doesn't get much better than that.”