Evans above! Millers ain’t finished yet
STEVE EVANS has urged his Rotherham team to reach for the stars rather than worry about the gutter as they head into the Championship.
The Yorkshire club have reached English football’s second tier following back-to-back promotions under their 51-year-old Scottish boss.
But having secured the eighth elevation of his managerial career, Evans reckons they should be looking up, not down.
Evans said: “Why not target promotion? I don’t understand some managers who get promoted from the Championship and then say, ‘It’s going to be hard next season’.
“Everyone knows that, it doesn’t need broadcasting.
“Yes, it will be tougher but you have to accept that because you’re going up a level.
“Steve Bruce took Hull up last year and said: ‘We’re going to embrace the Premier League. It’s going to be fantastic, we’re going to Old Trafford, Anfield, Stamford Bridge, the Emirates but we’re going there to try and win games’.
“Hull stayed up on a handstand and went to the FA Cup Final.”
Evans reckons he has enough quality to make the Millers surprise contenders for the top six.
Aston Villa forward Jordan Bowery has joined for a club-record £500,000 while experienced Championship players such as goalkeeper Scott Loach, defender Kirk Broadfoot, ex-Derby and Leeds midfielder Paul Green and much-travelled striker Matt Derbyshire are also on board.
“When it comes to transfers, you try and pick players with heart and desire,” Evans added.
“I shared a house with Mo Johnston in Glasgow. Graham Taylor signed him for Watford and he said he’d watched Mo three times, once at home and twice away from home.
“He wanted to see him away when they were expected to get beat because he wanted to see what spirit he had when they went 1-0 down.”
Rotherham’s never-say-die attitude was epitomized in last season’s play-off final at Wembley when they came from two goals down to beat Leyton Orient on penalties.
Alex Revell, the Millers’ two-goal hero that afternoon, said: “Being where I am now is what dreams are made of.”