Wayne Carlisle for Rotherham United boss? Viktor Johansson gives the players' view

The assistant boss stepped into the breach when Matt Taylor vacated the hot-seat a fortnight ago and led his team to a 1-1 Championship home draw with promotion-chasing Leeds United on Friday night in his first match in charge.

The club have drawn up a shortlist of candidates and the 44-year-old, who has coaches Scott Brown and Dan Green helping him, has expressed his keenness to be one of the names considered for the role.

When asked after the Leeds clash if he and his teammates would like Carlisle to take the hot-seat permanently, Johansson told the Advertiser: “I am 100 per cent sure of that. He's had a really good impact.

“He is a great guy and knows what he is doing. All three of them do, Scotty and Greeno as well. It's a very good group. They have put on good sessions and given us a game-plan.”

Interviews are due to take place in the next few days and the likelihood is that Carlisle will still be in temporary control when bottom-three Rotherham head to play-off-chasing Hull City on Tuesday night.

He would do his prospects no harm at all if he can engineer a first win on the road for the club in more than a year.

Johansson says the first-team squad are concentrating solely on their football while the hunt for a new man takes place and are in no rush for things to change.

“You don't care about the off-the-field stuff,” he said. “We focus on the pitch because that is what we're paid to do. We are a good group; we're like a big family. Everyone is dedicated to doing what is right.

“We're happy as it is. We're an easy group. We listen and when anyone says something we just do it. It's not a stress for us.

“I don't even look at the names being mentioned. Not in a million years! It's up to the chairman.”

Gary Rowett, Leam Richardson, Nathan Jones and Steve Evans are among the potential candidates to have been discussed by the Millers top brass while head of recruitment Rob Scott has narrowed down the list.

Meanwhile, Johansson admitted it had been a difficult time when Taylor was relieved of his duties following a 5-0 loss at Watford on November 11.

The former boss, who was popular in the dressing room, couldn't say a personal farewell because he was sacked at the start of the international break when the players were away from their Roundwood base.

“The gaffer was good for us, he really was,” the shot-stopper said. “It was tough to come back and he wasn't there. There weren't any goodbyes. We couldn't see him.

“As a group, we've managed really well. It is not very easy, so big credit to all the boys.”