Steve Evans facing stiffest challenge in his time at Rotherham United - with Barnsley rival Darrell Clarke showing him the way

A COUNCIL estate kid from Glasgow, Steve Evans has experienced tough times where rolling up your sleeves and fighting is second nature.

He now finds himself in such a period in his working life at his beloved Rotherham United.

Barnsley’s Oakwell home is an unforgiving place for an away manager when you suffer a derby defeat, particularly when your side plumbs the depths and are in poor form.

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That’s what transpired on Friday night. Aside from the opening 15 minutes, playing in front of a big 3,077 travelling contingent, his Millers side were dreadful, were devoid of cohesion and threat and resembled a team of individuals in a 2-0 defeat which could have been a lot worse.

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline at Barnsley. Picture: Jim Brailsford.Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline at Barnsley. Picture: Jim Brailsford.
Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline at Barnsley. Picture: Jim Brailsford.

In that respect, a break from the league with their scheduled match with Bolton Wanderers called off next Saturday due to international call-ups, is well timed.

It will afford precious training-ground time to try to sort things out and come up with a plan of attack.

Evans was barracked by his own supporters towards the end of Friday’s lame loss to Barnsley and at the final whistle as he and his players trudged past away followers to the dressing room, which feels particularly long after a tough result.

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It’s an undeniably tough time, with chairman Tony Stewart’s agitation clear to see from his vantage point in the directors' box at Oakwell. Evans managerial history has shown that he is not one to be written off. But he faces one of his stiffest challenges in management to haul the Millers into the promotion frame.

They looked a million miles off on Friday, but in fairness, the club have been in similar situations at this stage in proceedings in previous promotion seasons, under Evans in 2012-13 and Paul Warne five years later.

Evans said: "I'm the manager. I've been sat at Celtic Park and been critical of Celtic managers. You take the acclaim - which Rotherham fans are unbelievable at - when things are good and you're going to get a bit when they're not happy with what they're watching.

"We need to get the opportunity to freshen up: to get back on the training ground on Monday.

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"We need some big signings to be available to us. If we're here with a (Malik) Wilks or a (Jonson) Clarke-Harris, I would suggest there's a different fear in the heads of the Barnsley players.

"They're two experienced lads who perhaps wouldn't have allowed one or two of our lads to do the wrong thing."

Should Evans require inspiration, it perhaps arrives from opposite number Darrell Clarke, who used the last international break very wisely to address a few issues on the training ground and instigate a response after a rough spell, exacerbated by back-to-back derby losses at Huddersfield Town early last month. A midfield which was struggling to function ahead of the October international break looks much improved in particular with Jon Russell, who scored for the second successive league game on Friday, at the heart of it as the Reds picked up three points for just the second time on home soil this term.

Clarke, whose side visit Cambridge next weekend and will be without the suspended Luca Connell, said: "Performances are key and they normally turn results the right way around.

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"The fans deserved it (on Friday), they have been excellent since I came to the club and we have an excellent away following and have got plenty of wins but it’s to nice to do it in a derby game in front of our own supporters and play well.”

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