Millers lay foundations for improvement

Far from being disheartened by the poor start, Mr Stewart stresses that the club is “hell bent” on competing in the Championship.

After the high turnover of players that was such a feature of recent years, he and other key figures are determined to tread more carefully on the recruitment front.

However, the obvious weakness of the current group of players has caused the swift return to market that saw Leon Best  arrive this week.

More are sure to follow and with the January transfer window offering fresh opportunities, it's a crucial period for manager Neil Redfearn to get the characters who can forge a stronger second half of the season.

Mr Stewart told the Advertiser: “Remember, it's not that long ago that we did well against Cardiff, Birmingham and Reading. We've not suddenly become a poor side but we have to show we can compete at this level.

“We've had meetings and discussed the people we need to fill the gaps in and give us an edge and hopefully after Christmas we will have a club that can go further and climb the ladder.”