Steve Evans may have just unearthed the spark to ignite Rotherham United play-off charge | OneFootball

Rotherham United boss Steve Evans will hope Louie Sibley can rediscover his promise in the Millers' top six push

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans started the season with high standards of automatic promotion but has failed to reach those, with his side sitting mid-table but still in with a chance of the play-off spots.

After a lacklustre start to the season, Rotherham have found their feet since the start of 2025. The Millers have suffered one defeat in six, firing them to within eight points of the play-offs with a game in hand – with the addition of Louie Sibley into the Millers side, can this team go all the way to the play-off final and potentially back to the Championship?

Sibley fired Rotherham in front after only two minutes in his first start since the move against Burton Albion, but the jubilation wasn't to last as the Millers went on to lose at bottom of the league, momentarily stalling any kind of momentum they had previously fought hard to gain since the turn of the year.

The Millers find themselves in 14th place, an improvement since the turn of the year as they finished 2024 in 18th place. At one point, even the most optimistic Rotherham fan was skeptical of the play-offs - but the last six games have breathed new life into Rotherham's season.

Louie Sibley can help fire Rotherham into the play-offs

Evans looks set to give him attacking freedom

Steve Evans described Sibley as "covering every blade of grass" coining his goal a "fantastic run, fantastic timing, fantastic finish". In summary, Evans has perfectly set out what Sibley can offer any side in the league - all of which was evident as he fired the Millers in front against Burton.

Sibley began his career with Derby County on fire with a "stylish hat-trick" against Millwall, and at the young age of 18, he seemed destined for the top as a goalscorer in midfield.

In his last stint with Derby in League One, Sibley managed six goals and assists in 23 starts whilst also maintaining a tackle success rate of 60.5%, showing his prowess as an all-action midfielder. He has an eye for goal, tenacity in the challenge and a deft touch.

Since his bright start to his career, Sibley has yet to replicate the promise he once showed, but at the age of 23, there is still time for him to turn it around. The step back down into League One under a proven manager in Evans could be just the move to turn Sibley's favours around. With a goal in his first start, it certainly bodes well for both club and player. He's going to be given the freedom to get forward by Evans and score goals, as the Rotherham boss looks to, at the very least, give his side the chance of scoring enough goals to push into play-off contention.

Another key aspect of this Rotherham revival is the tactical change of moving natural centre-half Cam Humphreys into central midfield and moving natural midfielder Hakeem Odoffin into centre-half – a bold decision made by Evans but one that has paid dividends in full, with Humphreys putting in a Man of the Match display against Lincoln City on New Year's Day and Odoffin forming a formidable partnership alongside Zack Jules - this pair sit in the spine of the side directly behind the more advanced Sibley, offering that steely protection that should hopefully allow the former Derby prospect the freedom to rediscover his goalscoring touch more often.

This lift of energy on the pitch has lifted the energy of the fans in the stand; fans once contemplating potential relegation, can now dream of Wembley.

Rotherham's top six hopes hang by a thread

Sibley's spark may need to truly ignite to give them a chance

With Sibley potentially rediscovering his goalscoring form and the Derby promise he once showed, along with the tactical changes Evans has introduced - it is now realistic to say that Rotherham have an outside chance of making a late play-off surge.

With the possibility of similar quality signings still to come through the door of the New York Stadium, this could push the Millers into the illusive places – but, at the same time, the poor start to the season could cost Rotherham a shot at the play-offs if they've given themselves too much to do. This is a competitive league with teams dropping and gaining points almost at random, and with that, so will Rotherham. Even as an optimist, it is tough to see the Millers push themselves into those top six places come the shake-up.