Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw has admitted he fears for his position after Tuesday night’s 1-0 defeat to Burton Albion deepened the Millers’ relegation concerns in League One.
A goal from Tyrese Shade at the Pirelli Stadium proved decisive, leaving Rotherham languishing in 23rd place and intensifying scrutiny on a manager who only signed a three-year deal last April.
The Millers are three points from safety with 16 games to play, but recent performances have been woeful. They have won two in the last 15 matches, taking just ten points from 45 during that period.
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield after the match, Hamshaw did not shy away from the speculation surrounding his future.
“I’ve said all along, it worries me every day of every week. I understand it. If that’s on me and the chairman deems that on me, that’s up to the chairman. There’s not a lot I can do.
“All I can do is keep coming in and working as hard as I can, getting the best out of the group. I don’t think there was a lack of effort tonight or a lack of desire to run around for the badge, it was just a bit of a lack of quality.
“I understand the frustration where we are and if that’s aimed at me, that’s aimed at me. I have to take that on board and try come out fighting.”
The travelling support made their feelings clear during and after the final whistle, with chants directed at the manager reflecting growing unrest. Hamshaw admitted that reaction has taken a personal toll.
“It kills me. It kills me, obviously singing songs about me, and all the rest of it. It was a difficult position to come in with, I’ve said that all along. I don’t think I’ve hidden away from that. I think we’re trying to be positive with the group.”
Appointed permanently in April 2025 after a spell as interim boss, Hamshaw had previously built his coaching reputation at Rotherham before assisting Paul Warne at both the Millers and Derby County. His return to South Yorkshire was intended to provide stability following the departure of Steve Evans, yet results have left the club staring nervously at the drop.
On the performance itself, Hamshaw criticised his side’s decision-making in key moments, suggesting nerves and inexperience played their part.
“I thought some of our decision-making towards the end of the game was really poor. I’m screaming ‘put it in the box’ and we’re trying to make an extra pass and then vice-versa first-half. I’m screaming to play an extra pass and they’re going long aimlessly.
“They’re the bits that frustrate me because we do the work, we do it in training, and then it comes to matchdays, and I don’t mind admitting this, some of them at times tonight froze. In other instances, you saw what we are capable of without that cutting edge at the end.”
Will Matt Hamshaw Survive?
With the League One table tightening at the bottom, Rotherham face a defining run of fixtures. Whether Hamshaw will be the man tasked with steering them clear of relegation now rests with chairman Tony Stewart, but the manager’s own words underline the precarious nature of his position.
From the outside, it feels like a pivotal moment for both club and coach, and unless results turn quickly, the pressure that currently worries Hamshaw may soon become impossible to withstand.