Over the last few seasons, the Millers have bought player after player, with some fans realising the player turnover was unsustainable, and with so many signings, money was being wasted.
Speaking to the local media, Tony Stewart admits that the club have made mistakes in player recruitment.
“We’ve not spent wisely. Some of the players we have brought in - and we’ve had many a player - have not been fit for purpose. The way we go to business now is totally different. Playing wise, we’re now putting pieces in place that fit the jigsaw of Rotherham United. The pieces we got before didn’t fit the jigsaw. We’ve all seen that."
“Mistakes have been made. The club has always relied, under my direction, on the manager being able to pick and choose his own squad. It needs more than just a manager.”
And with that comment, Tony went on to speak about the role of Jamie Johnson, the clubs new recruitment bloke; "The fans and the board wanted change. We have brought in change, We’ve brought in a recruitment guy who works directly for the club. Players now are scrutinised."
“Players we sign now will have the want, desire and athleticism that this club requires to move forward. I can’t speak highly enough of the recruitment guy. His knowledge and experience is directing not just the board but the manager. The manager has a say in this. But what the director of recruitment has brought to the party is options. Not just one player for a position, but many players. I’m very impressed how he goes about his business before suggesting certain players. That’s been in place for around two months now."
“People might say it’s a bit ‘too little, too late’, but I think it’s a lot for now and it’s a lot moving forward. It’s not just one guy. There’s a team of them, and they report back to the club.”
“Bringing in players is akin to employing salespeople in my company, ASD Lighting, They look the part, they audition for the part but, when you put them in place, it doesn’t always happen. In business, a bad salesman is replaced by a good salesman. You can move the failing salesman on. But in football, sometimes, you have someone with a three-year contract that presents an obstacle to doing the right thing. "
“It’s easy to get players in, it’s very difficult to move them on. That’s hampered our moving forward after the bad start to this season we had.” he added.