Barnsley FC v Rotherham United: Steve Evans makes Millers admission and sets a Christmas challenge
It would reinvigorate the Millers’ onerous season thus far, which has been pretty joyless in truth.
Manager Steve Evans is the first to admit that the challenge of turning around the club’s fortunes, second time around, has been harder than he envisaged after returning to the club whom he led to back-to-back promotions from the EFL’s lower tiers between 2012-14 in April.
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Hide AdDespite having ongoing issues regarding player availability, the Scot, hoping that Jonson Clarke-Harris could feature after four matches out with a hamstring issue, appreciates the growing angst of supporters.


The Millers, rated among the promotion favourites before a ball was kicked in August, were booed off after last weekend’s mediocre FA Cup exit to Cheltenham and have failed to hit their straps at league level. Tension is rising.
Evans, who is set to be without fellow forward and ex-Reds player Mallik Wilks (thigh), said: "I understand why supporters – some supporters – are frustrated, but on the other hand, it’s amazing what three points at Barnsley could do.
"This has been a harder task than we’ve ever known as a management team. We always knew that we’d have inconsistencies, but I don’t think we could have accounted for the injuries that we’ve had to key players.
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Hide Ad"I’ve not at one stage this season been able to put out what I feel like is my best team on the pitch."
You have to go back to March 1969 for the Millers’ last league triumph at Oakwell and they are winless on 13 visits at league level since.
They did win a League Cup game across the Dearne Valley in the 1970-71 campaign, but it’s largely been a house of pain for over five decades. Meanwhile, they have failed to win any of their last 11 games, home or away, against the Reds, who have also beaten them in their past four meetings.
Their last success came at their former Millmoor home in October 1982.
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Hide AdEvans continued: "It is a really tough away game. We haven’t won there in over 50 years. Not that we’ve been there many times, but it does speak to how tough the challenge is.
"Our thoughts in terms of league form remain that we’ve made an indifferent start, but I see clubs just a couple of points above us saying they’ve had a great start, with arguably bigger resources and most of their players available.
"What I will say is that we’ll need to put on a good run of results to make sure that we’re up towards the top group around Christmas time.”