Rotherham United: Ignoring this Leam Richardson factor is a major mistake - View | OneFootball

Rotherham Unitedwill play their final two Championship fixtures of the season with a familiar new manager in the dugout as they prepare for a return to League One next term.

The Millers announced on Wednesday morning that they had parted company with Leam Richardson and his assistant, Rob Kelly, with the club confirming that former boss Steve Evans had returned to South Yorkshire on a three-year deal, having paid compensation to Stevenage for the Scotsman and assistant Paul Raynor.

Their relegation to the third tier was confirmed earlier this month following defeat to Plymouth Argyle at the New York Stadium and has since been followed by back-to-back defeats against West Bromwich Albion and Swansea City, leaving them 22 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Leam Richardson's Rotherham United statistics

Richardson was announced as Rotherham's new head coach in December, signing a three-year contract with the club almost a month after they had sacked Matt Taylor.

He inherited a squad that was bottom of the Championship and had managed just one win upon their return to the second tier, managing eight points from their opening 15 games.

However, his arrival at the club failed to aid their hopes of survival. His first three games resulted in three consecutive defeats against West Brom, Plymouth and Leicester City, before earning his first victory over Middlesbrough on Boxing Day.

A run of nine straight defeats across February and March all but confirmed their impending relegation, with Richardson able to secure just one victory in 2024 over Millwall at the start of this month.

Last season's second-tier survival ended a run of six seasons where the club were either promoted to or relegated from the Championship, with the club hopeful of an immediate return to the second tier under the guidance of Evans.

Steve Evans and Leam Richardson's League One record compared

While Evans is much older and more experienced than Richardson when looking at his managerial career and achievements, there is no denying the appointment has been a popular one among the Millers fans.

Having achieved promotion with Crawley Town to League Two, Evans was announced as the new Rotherham coach in 2012, and his first full season at the helm resulted in the club achieving promotion to League One.

Evans would go one better the following season, earning back-to-back promotions and helping the club survive in the Championship the following campaign with one game of the season remaining, but parted company with the Millers at the start of the following season due to wanting to take the club in different directions.

He has since spent time in the third tier with Mansfield Town, Peteborough United and Gillingham, most recently enjoying a fine season with Stevenage in League One this term, but just falling short of a place in the play-offs this campaign.

When comparing both their records in the third tier, both have promotions on their CV, but Evans has the advantage of experience in this league, something which Rotherham may have looked at, along with his connection to the club, to get fans back on side while also hopeful he can guide them back to the Championship.

Yet, in Richardson's only full season managing in League One, he won the title in 2021-22 with Wigan Athletic, so Rotherham could potentially be making a massive mistake by sacking him and assistant Kelly ahead of the summer.

Leam Richardson has proved his credentials in League One before

While it will be a disappointment for Richardson, who had spent over a year out of action, he has proven his abilities in League One during his short managerial career.

Following the Latics' takeover by Hong Kong-based Next Leader Fund four years ago, Wigan collapsed into administration and were relegated after being punished with a 12 point deduction, with Richardson appointed to take charge of training duties until further notice.

After Wigan's takeover in March 2021 by Phoenix 2021 Limited was confirmed, the new owners stated that Richardson would continue in his caretaker manager role until the end of the season, but made his role permanent before the end of the campaign.

Despite all the noise off the field, Richardson did his talking on it, guiding Wigan to the League One title in the 2021/22 season after accumulating 92 points to finish as champions of the division, being promoted alongside Rotherham.

While the Latics had a mass overhaul during the summer window, including the arrivals of Jason Kerr, James McClean, Max Power, Tom Naylor and Charlie Wyke, the squad of new players gelled almost instantly under Richardson's guidance.

Richardson had managed to incorporate the right blend of experience and youth, with Thelo Aasgaard and Scott Smith enjoying breakthrough seasons with the club.

His achievements at the DW Stadium can not be understated, having been dealt several problems far out of his control, yet battling through adversity and helping the club regain their Championship status.