ROTHERHAM United directors will today meet in Ipswich to discuss the permanent appointment of a new manager.Defeat tonight by Ipswich Town will confirm the Millers' relegation and could mark Alan Knill's last game in charge.

By Derek Davis

ROTHERHAM United directors will today meet in Ipswich to discuss the permanent appointment of a new manager.

Defeat tonight by Ipswich Town will confirm the Millers' relegation and could mark Alan Knill's last game in charge.

It would be ironic if Ipswich was at the centre of a major decision by the south Yorkshire club after inadvertently shaping its future.

Many observers from South Yorkshire feel the club has never been the same since Ronnie Moore was hoaxed into thinking he was on the shortlist to replace George Burley at Ipswich in October 2002.

Moore went on television straight after a Rotherham game and said he was delighted to have been offered an interview and would love to take over at Portman Road.

Unfortunately the offer was not genuine and the unwavering support Moore had enjoyed at Rotherham up until that point waned. Moore's side went bottom of the Championship table following the 2-0 home defeat by Ipswich, on August 28, and has stayed there since.

Moore left shortly after the club was taken over by a supporter-based consortium on January 1 this year, and youth-team coach Knill took over as caretaker manager.

Knill has made it clear he wants the job but knows a fourth consecutive defeat by Ipswich tonight will see the club relegated to League One.

After meeting a number of possible candidates the Rotherham board are arriving in Ipswich early for tonight's game so they can discuss appointing a manager before the end of the season.

If negotiations and agreements are made quickly the new man will be presented to the Rotherham crowd on Saturday, when the Millers play Preston.

Should Knill not get the job, he will probably carry on at Millmoor as youth coach. So getting a third win in four games will be vitally important for him after wins over Reading and Stoke sandwiched a 1-0 home loss to QPR.

With Phil Gilchrist still out with a shoulder injury, Rotherham are likely to be unchanged from the side that won 2-1 at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday.

Martin McIntosh partners former Town defender Chris Swailes and with Rob Scott and Paul Hurst as full-backs, the Rotherham back four has reverted to the one which first played together four years ago.