Rotherham United manager Steve Evans makes admission regarding chairman Tony Stewart

The feel-good factor in the summer, backed up by some head-turning recruitment, has dissipated completely and the mood music among many Millers followers is mutinous with growing numbers calling for the Scot to be sacked after a very under-whelming first third of the campaign.

Rotherham have lost five of their last seven matches in all competitions and defeats in the last two league games at Crawley and Barnsley have been particularly dismal, provoking strong censure from the club's understandably exasperated fanbase.

It has promoted some frank discussions between Evans and chairman Tony Stewart, but the Millers chief insists that he retains the faith of his boss.

Evans, whose 19th-placed side - who are just two points above the relegation zone and ten adrift of the top six - return to action with a key home game with Lincoln City next Tuesday, said: "The chairman has assured me that that backing will continue for a long time to come.

"The one thing I know about Tony Stewart – whether people agree with his and the board's ratification to give me that time – is that he's a very honest man with the highest integrity.

"If he was having shadows of doubts, he would be telling me that I've got X number of games. He's never, ever mentioned that.

"I was with the chairman for a couple of hours on Monday and we had a brilliant chat. He's as disappointed as I am.

"He reiterated that performances will get results. Our performances have been lacking, but I believe they will come. We've got good players.

"His words were: ‘I don't need to see us win three or four games out of the next five or six, I need to see the performances in the next four or five games improving.’ "As managers, we all understand that runs like this can't continue and we need to start winning matches.”

One piece of good news has seen Evans report a busy training ground with the illness in the camp, which affected preparations for last weekend’s trip to Crawley, having now thankfully cleared up.

"There's nobody missing from the training ground,” Evans commented.