Unrest grows at Rotherham United after Tuesday night developments

Rotherham weren't exactly banging on the door of Newcastle's Under-21s on Tuesday night, despite being behind for close to an hour. The Millers had just nine shots, despite their 65% possession, and the Magpies academy actually had more on target over the course of the game.

Rotherham fans have, understandably, voiced their displeasure at the performance and the result online, with the majority of the ire directed at the club's hierarchy.

One supporter posted a photo with the caption, "Stewart and Douglas, killing our club," while another tweeted, "Against a team of kids and we looked softer than them. The clubs rotten. Stewart out #rufc"

"Can Tony Stewart please exit the club now. Ruined his legacy, purely for his own ego. Stewart out," was also amongst the comments, as was "Only the trophy but wow, that might be a new low... That's saying something with the last few years."

Alex Bruce hasn't been without criticism, either, though. "Is this Bruce’s final game?" someone questioned. "Stewart out Bruce out McLaren out Douglas out anyone at board level out," was also commented.

Arguably more damaging, though, was the tweet stating that the South Yorkshire side were "dead and buried," and "the worst side in England."

Rotherham United have been in freefall for some time now

It's not uncommon for sides to fall from League One to League Two and struggle in the division below. More often than not, those clubs are in for another relegation battle than they are a promotion one, and in Carlisle United and Forest Green Rovers' case, they fall through the trapdoor once again and into non-league.

Rotherham look dangerously close to being one of the next sides to do that, but you get the feeling that the writing has been on the wall for quite some time now.

The Millers have been one of the more unstable clubs in the EFL for a while, bouncing up and down from League Two to the Championship and then yo-yoing from the second and third tiers over the last decade.

Since their double promotion to the second tier in 2014, Rotherham haven't spent more than three years in one division. Many felt that a lengthy period in League One could provide some stability, but it would only be two years before they fell back into the fourth tier.

Now, the scary possibility of falling out of the Football League is on the horizon, and a lot of Millers fans are numb to the rapid regression of the club in recent seasons.

Alex Bruce may become the fall guy at Rotherham United — but the issues lie further

It's been a real mess at Rotherham over the past 12 months, but it's been highlighted more so in the last six.

From Lee Clark calling out the players' commitment in the latter stages of the League One campaign last season, to the intriguing implementation of a Head of Football and then hiring Steve McClaren to take that role, to the long, drawn-out process of hiring a new head coach which landed at Alex Bruce's feet, it's not been smooth sailing.

Bruce came into the club just days before pre-season started, with just 14 senior players confirmed to be staying on. He's had to navigate wholesale changes in the squad and nurse a relegation hangover in what is his first EFL managerial gig.

And ultimately, the underlying numbers, especially going forward, haven't read awfully. But the new boss can't account for the effort his players put in on the pitch and some of the mindless decisions that his players have made, too.

Bruce may pay for the loss against Newcastle's kids with his job, but, ultimately, it would take a real miracle-maker to turn Rotherham's fortunes around and get the fanbase back onside.