Rotherham United boss Steve Evans makes key admission ahead of Yorkshire derby at League One rivals Huddersfield Town
The new year is only a few days old but the Millers have already chalked up an away victory in 2025. For context, it took them until the 275th day of 2024 to get their first win on the road, on October 1. Joe Powell’s late winner at Lincoln City on Wednesday has put the Millers in good heart for the short trip over the border to West Yorkshire. Legs may be weary ahead of a fourth game in nine days; thankfully minds won’t be.
Evans said: "They (Huddersfield) have escaped a game (on Wednesday), through no fault of Wigan or Huddersfield, but the elements of the weather.
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Hide Ad"That allows Huddersfield to be refreshed, but our boys will be mentally fresh and that’s important to us.
"Sometimes, we’ve been mentally tired. Confidence comes from producing performances and winning like at Lincoln. That’s why the late goal meant so much.
"We can't get carried away. We’ve produced really good performances against the likes of Huddersfield at home and Reading and then we’ve gone sideways and backwards. We’ve go lots to prove going forward in the season.
"But it just takes us towards that top half of the table. Another win or two and we’re in it."
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Hide AdAfter Saturday’s derby at Huddersfield, Evans will start instigating some transfer plans, having already confirmed that loan winger Joe Hungbo has returned to his parent club in Germany ahead of returning to the UK for a separate loan spell elsewhere, while Esapa Osong has headed back to Nottingham Forest.


Fellow loanee Mallik Wilks will remain at the club.
Evans added: "I don't think anything will happen (transfer wise) before Huddersfield just because of logistics and time. Two or three clubs are saying they're keen to talk to us about what we're trying to do.
"We know what we're trying to do. Rob Scott (director of football recruitment) is working really hard and Paul Douglas (chief operating officer) has started to get involved after the chairman ticked a couple of boxes.
"Paul is the man who does the financial side - him and Karen (Thomas - finance director); Karen primarily. We don't hide it: this has to be a window where we balance things.
"The players who played at Lincoln, that's a top-tier performance by any stretch."