A new man, players' applause and a summer revolution ... Matt Hamshaw and Rotherham United

Matt Hamshaw chose his penultimate pre-match press conference of the 2024/25 campaign to outline what is in store for Rotherham United now that he is the club's manager.

In a small room at the Millers' Roundwood base, two days before last Sunday's trip to Stevenage, he outlined the big picture.

He's used the first few weeks of his reign to look, learn and note the shortcomings, and things will be better in 2025/26.

“I well and truly believe I know what needs to happen,” he said.

Hamshaw is the man bringing a new face, new eyes, new ways, new morality to a new era.

The close season will see some players stay, some players go and some players arrive. The boss has already worked out who he wants, who he doesn't and who he wants to sign.

It wouldn't be a surprise if there was a big-name departure among the exits after a League One season that has fallen woefully short of expectations.

The boss summed up his way of operating: “It's about knowing what you've got in the building and making that as effective as you can.

“There will be different ways and means of moving forward. I don't want to say that we're going to play total football or that we're going to play direct.

“We need to have a mixture and, most importantly, we need to make sure that the players know their roles in and out of possession.

"I call it a ‘controllable freedom’. It's my job to put them in shape, it's their job then to have that freedom to express themselves within those roles.”

Hamshaw and Tony Stewart have forged a close bond and the manager will be backed by the chairman. It won't be at the level enjoyed by previous boss Steve Evans, when the playing budget was the biggest the club has ever had in League One, but will still be significant by third-tier standards.

Improvement has been afoot pretty much since ‘Hammy’ walked through the door on March 31 and turned a suck-it-and-see period until the end of the season into a three-year contract by winning his opening three matches.

Maybe the biggest difference has been felt at Roundwood where training sessions are longer and more structured, where voluntary end-of-session 'extras' have become routine and where the mood has lifted beyond measure.

Players didn't didn't know until the official announcement on April 15 that the manager would be staying and made their feelings known at training the following morning.

“It was brilliant, Mate,” he said. “I walked in and they gave me a round of applause, which was lovely. It meant a lot.”

Hamshaw is a good man, a real football man, a coach with four promotions and UEFA's highest ‘Pro Licence’ qualification.

He's genial but has a straight-talking toughness borne from a lifetime in the sport. He'll retain his decency but won't be scared to make tough calls and certainly won't suffer fools.

The boss won't get his own way with Stewart all the time but will be allowed to manage how he sees fit.

Controllable freedom from the chairman then.

In return, Stewart will get unswerving focus and effort from a man who grew up supporting the Millers, previously served them well as a coach and still lives in the area.

“I'll never make a decision that isn't in the best interests of this club,” Hamshaw said. “That's who I am. I'll always be honest, I'll always be on the front foot with things. I want the best for Rotherham United.”

Supporters have endured two terrible years: the sad, spineless drop from the Championship and the malaise of a messed-up League One season in which a promotion push was promised but never appeared.

The new appointment has restored optimism among supporters and players. “He's given us hope again,” said midfielder Joe Powell.

“I love that,” Hamshaw responded. “What is life without hope? If you don't have hope, you're almost dead. We're in the best industry and best jobs in the world.

“Enjoy it, because one day you won't have it. One day, somebody won't want your autograph anymore. You are someone, you're someone who somebody looks up to and admires.

“It's important that players want to do the best for themselves and their families and the club. I remind them before every game: ‘Who are you doing it for?’”

He'll tighten up procedures at Roundwood, he'll weld a team of present and new players. Already here are some very good ones who were shackled by the flaws of the previous regime.

Expect a Hamshaw side to be strong on set-pieces in both boxes, expect Hamshaw men to play for each other, expect Hamshaw players to be running as hard in the last minute as they were in the first, not burning out on the hour mark.

“I want to entertain the fans, I want the fans to get off their seats,” he said. “I don't like watching dull, dour football, I want to see goals and excitement, and I know that the chairman definitely does.

“I want the players to feel that they have ownership on the pitch, but within my structure. It's important that I'm not making robots. I want people to really impose their character and personality and strengths.

“You hear a lot of coaches tell players what they can't do. I want to tell them what they can do and make sure that they're doing it. If a player is good at running with the ball, I need him to run with the ball.”

It's his first foray into management after a long coaching apprenticeship: a local boy in charge of his local club. It just feels right.

“Yeah, it does,” he agreed. “It feels exciting. I want to get down to hard work. The chairman and I are aligned in our thinking. To me, that's really important.”

The curtain on the present campaign comes down this Saturday, then the implementation of Hamshaw's vision will begin in earnest.

By the end of the summer Rotherham will look very different from how they do heading into it.

“There's going to be change. There has to be change. There will be change.”