Growing job pressure and January recruitment ... Rotherham United boss Matt Hamshaw has his say
MANAGER Matt Hamshaw accepts that his job will come under further scrutiny after another defeat as he prepares to begin the business in the January transfer window that he hopes will turn around the club's season.
A 3-0 exit in the Vertu Trophy at Huddersfield Town last night was a seventh successive loss and has put more pressure on the boss who has had to wait for players to leave AESSEAL New York Stadium this month before starting his recruitment.
“It's another defeat, and I understand that questions will be asked of myself and my staff,” he said following events at the Accu Stadium where a weakened side was well beaten. “I'm sure people will understand the difficulty of the task.”
Loanees Martin Sherif and Thomas Holmes have left South Yorkshire and Kion Etete - an anonymous figure against the Terriers before being substituted at the break - may be sent back to parent club Cardiff City.
Hamshaw is also ready to sanction the departure of some of the players he inherited from the previous managerial regime and is hoping to make 17-year-old Leeds United striker Harry Gray Rotherham' first January arrival, in a loan deal.
Speaking about the window, he said: “We had to take people out to get people in, so that's been quite frustrating. But, at the same time, we knew that was going to be the case.
“I'm going to have to wheel and deal and manoeuvre. When you look at where we are, what we've got and what we are missing, it's quite clear to see the area that needs strengthening.”
The manager wants new frontmen and a centre-half to be among four potential signings.
He added: “The players we've played tonight are on show to myself, to everybody involved, to other clubs. I knew that January was going to be important. Tonight kind of reaffirms what I think is going to happen.”
Rotherham are in the League One drop zone and head to Stockport County on Saturday where they could be strengthened by the return from injury of several key men.
Hamshaw is optimistic that at least one new face will also be in his matchday 18.
“I've been sitting with my fingers crossed since the first of January,” he said. “I would have liked players in a lot quicker than we've got them. I'm hopeful that in the next few days there's going to be some positive news.
“There have been a lot of phone calls, a lot of enquiries, a lot of knockbacks and a few positives. We'll keep fighting, we'll keep striving, we'll keep believing in what we're doing.
“Look, we're missing our best team at this moment, which is tough. but I think that in one to two weeks we'll be a lot more positive in the numbers we've got and hopefully we'll have added a bit of quality to the group.”