Rotherham United v Fulham: No panic but Evans is planning to recruit

The rock-bottom Millers have just one point after four matches, five less than the tally they had accrued at the same stage last season, with alarm bells likely to be ringing among sections of fans if they fail to beat Fulham today.

But with the season not yet a month old, Evans is rightly retaining a sense of perspective and steering away from knee-jerk reactions ahead of the Cottagers’ game, which sees Ben Pringle make his first return to the Millers since his summer switch.

The Scot, pleased by and large by his side’s performances this month, barring the opening-day capitulation to MK Dons, said: “If we beat Fulham, people will be writing them off and if they beat us people will be writing us off.

“But, as every manager knows, it is a long, long season and what I do know is that the top six at the minute won’t be the top six at the end.

“And the bottom six won’t be the bottom six.

“You get nothing for performances. You get points for scoring more goals than the opposition, but we have to believe.

“I did in League Two when people were questioning us and I did in League One and if we continue to work and the performances are there, then you have got hope.”

Alongside this weekend’s game, Evans is likely to be busy attempting to do some business ahead of Tuesday’s looming summer window deadline.

It was a busy time for the Millers last term with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Luciano Becchio arriving on deadline day and Evans is plotting more incoming recruits.

Evans said: “It will only affect two things; a permanent signing and long-term loan signing and we are trying to do both.”