Football League World
·13 November 2024
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·13 November 2024
Steve Evans' Rotherham United are enduring an incredibly tough campaign, but FLW's Millers fan pundit suggests they should stick with Evans.
This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Rotherham United's 2024/25 campaign is not going to plan in the slightest.
Towards the end of last season, The Millers appointed former favourite, Steve Evans, as manager following their relegation from the Championship and the sacking of Leam Richardson.
A huge amount of optimism was in the air at the New York Stadium, as Rotherham fans were very familiar with the success that Evans had brought to clubs in the past.
However, that optimism has since faded as the Millers find themselves in the bottom half of the table by mid-November. Their hopes of promotion are seemingly no longer existent, as after their first 15 games, they sit 15th in the table on 17 points.
Evans' Rotherham side have won just four of their opening 15 games, while drawing five and losing six. Their inconsistency has been a real issue this season, and has ultimately come as a surprise given the work that Evans has done in the past.
Unfortunately, as with any other manager in any other job, questions have been raised around Evans' role as manager this season, and a lot of fans want to see change, unless results start to come.
The Millers have won just one of their last five league games, so something needs to change rather soon if the club remains hopeful of a play-off finish.
Results are certainly not going as planned for Rotherham as of late, and fans are demanding change. However, FLW's Millers' fan pundit, Tom Eyre, has suggested that sacking Evans may not be the solution to their problems at this current stage.
"It's a debate that we have a lot as fans of Rotherham United. Steve Evans has done such a good service at Rotherham, Leeds, Peterborough, Stevenage, and many other clubs, and he has done wonders with them, showing he is a capable League One manager.
"Currently, the way that our squad is, and the way that we're playing football, is appalling and can only be blamed towards the manager. Having said that, we can't really sack him and gain anyone who is going to want to come to a sinking ship of any real high value.
"I'd keep him on reluctantly, due to the fact that there is not really anyone else we can get, and I have a little bit of trust that he will turn it around."
There is no denying that this season has been underwhelming from a Rotherham United perspective, but that is largely due to the expectations that the Millers faithful have of Steve Evans.
They are very aware that he can bring huge success to a club, as he previously spent an illustrious three years at the New York Stadium between 2012 and 2015.
Rotherham were a League Two club at the time of his first arrival, but his first full season with the club saw him guide them to automatic promotion into League One.
Not many clubs can say they have achieved back-to-back promotions from the fourth tier to the second tier, but Rotherham can, all thanks to Evans and his coaching staff.
In the 2013/14 campaign, the Millers reached the League One play-offs under Evans, and eventually earned promotion to the Championship, via an Alex Revell wondergoal at Wembley.
Evans will forever be a legend at Rotherham for his first spell with the club, but his current spell is not going to plan. Fans want change, but perhaps switching things up at this stage, rather than having faith in their successful manager, is not the solution.