‘POSH JOB IS A DREAM COME TRUE AND I’M EAGER TO WIN’
Mature Evans happy for Barry and Darragh to hog the limelight...
NEW Peterborough boss Steve Evans has promised to leave the fireworks to Barry Fry and Darragh MacAnthony after landing his “dream” job at London Road.
Evans, 55, was unveiled by Posh on Thursday afternoon, less than 48 hours after resigning from Mansfield Town.
The fiery Scot has a combustible reputation and his touchline eruptions have previously garnered stadium bans totalling more than 20 matches.
But with chairman MacAnthony and director Fry both fond of the limelight - and a new, calmer, outlook on life - Evans says the authorities can rest easy.
“I’ll always be passionate on the sidelines,” said Evans. “In the past, that maybe went too far. But when you speak to the people I’ve worked with recently - at Rotherham, at Leeds and Mansfield, it’s more controlled now.
“We all get older. Things do affect us more. You see how the way you behave reflects on the people you love and the club you work for.
“Make no mistake, I’m still passionate, I still care. I still appeal for most decisions. But normally - and we all step over the line at times - that’s in a much more considered way than before.
“So let Barry and Darragh be the big personalities. Let me stay in the background and get on with making a difference to the people in this wonderful city.”
For Evans, that city is home, and this job the one he’s craved above all others since he set out in management at nearby Stamford nearly 24 years ago.
“I’ve lived in Peterborough for 30 years of my life,” explains the Glaswegian. “My wife and all her family are from the area. My kids are born and bred
here. It’s my adopted home and I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m a Peterborough supporter.
“When I’ve played against them, I’ve always wanted to win - that’s the nature of football. But I’ve sat in a seat at London Road and watched them play many, many times as a supporter.
“I was in the Posh end at Selhurst Park the day they got relegated at Crystal Palace and left the ground in tears. So that tells you my affinity with Peterborough United.
Timing
“It’s a club I’ve wanted to manage for a long time. I’ve been offered it on three occasions and the timing wasn’t right for me. Then, when I was available, they were flying and had no need for me.
“This time, the stars aligned. It’s a dream come true and my focus now is getting this group into the play-offs.”
Which is exactly where he left Mansfield. The Stags, currently on a run of one defeat in 13, are just two points off an automatic spot in League Two and were stunned when Evans quit on Tuesday. Does he sympathise with the frustration of supporters?
“Anyone who loses a girlfriend that they deeply love will be upset,” says Evans, who has been replaced at Field Mill by erstwhile Swindon manager David Flitcroft.
“I understand that. But when you look at the situation objectively, I took over a team that was goal difference away from being in the League Two relegation zone.
“The chairman’s remit was to build a squad good enough for promotion, within the first season if possible. That’s exactly what we’ve done.
“I understand the anger and disappointment, but they also have to understand what goes on in my life and what I need to do for my family.
“At Mansfield, I’d be away for 7.45am, back at 8pm and that’s not including watching games. At Leeds, I lived away and was only back one day a fortnight. Rotherham the same, Crawley the same.
“My wife and family have been fantastically supportive, but I did want to finally come home every night.”
Evans left Crawley in similar circumstances, joining Rotherham in April 2012 with the Red Devils on the cusp - “a penalty kick with no goalkeeper,” in Evans’ words away from promotion to League One. They ultimately saw the job through and Evans has backed Mansfield to follow suit.
“When I left Crawley, I said to them ‘You’ll get promoted because the squad is easily good enough’,” said Evans, who subsequently won back-to-back promotions with the Millers before managing Leeds in 2015.
“John Radford (The Mansfield chairman) called me on Friday and I said the same thing. There’s a bit more work to be done than at Crawley, but David Flitcroft is a great choice. “He actually rang this week and spoke in glowing terms about how great the squad is. He’s an experienced manager who’s been great at the level before and he himself has left a great squad behind at Swindon.
Great
“Flicker will get them promoted, for sure. And when he does, the plan is for me and John to sit down and share a nice bottle of red wine. Whatever happens, we’ll always be personal friends.” As for Posh, the task is a little tougher. Top of the table in September, a run of one win in nine dropped Peterborough out of the League One play-off spots and cost gaffer Grant McCann his job. “I think the board felt that inconsistency would lead to failure so my job is to get them on an even keel,” explains Evans.
“It’ll be hard, but it’s a great challenge. The only sad thing is that a very good guy in Grant McCann has lost his job. He’s the one who’s built this squad. He left great foundations.
“He’s a young man who I’ve got a lot of time for and he’ll be back. If we get in the play-offs - and I believe we will - then I’ll be the first acknowledge Grant’s part in it.”
Evans’ arrival at London Road has coincided with that of Jason Neale and Stewart Thompson, Canadian investors who have bought a 50 per cent stake from MacAnthony.
Described as “great business minds” by the Posh chairman, the hope is that this financially-limited club can innovate its way to Championship success.
“What’s happening upstairs is not my business,” says Evans, who kept Rotherham in the second tier on a shoestring in 2015.
“My business is on the park. But I have been assured that these new guys are a million per cent behind me.
“The money in the Championship and the EFL funding at that level mean it’s a different ball game these days.
“Peterborough United is never going to compete with the Leeds Uniteds, the Cardiffs, the QPRs, the Sheffield Wednesdays of this world. They blow us away.
“But there are some fantastic models up there. Look at Brentford, who have a fantastic chairman in Matthew Benham. He’s not thrown endless sums at it. He’s done it in a very structured, methodical way.
“It’s actually very similar to Peterborough. Identify young, hungry players with great potential and buy them whilst they’re affordable.
“This club can be a success up there - and nobody will work harder to make that happen than me.”