Evans’s side make the short trip across the Dearne Valley to Oakwell on Friday night, a venue where the Millers have not won a league match since March 1969 and also have a pretty poor record against the Reds regardless of venue in recent times.
The Millers were booed off in last weekend’s poor FA Cup loss to League Two outfit Cheltenham Town and currently reside in an underwhelming 14th place in the table after being touted among the pre-season promotion favourites in the summer.
On whether he expects Rotherham to be in the promotion shake-up at the business end of the campaign, Clarke, whose side can move up fourth spot with victory, said: “Very much so. They did a lot of business early in the summer, and it is taking a little bit of time to gel, shall we say?
“But he’s a really experienced manager who knows how to get out of this division as well, and I am sure they will be fighting among the top six come the end of the season.
“I have always gotten along well with Steve. He’s very passionate and a winner with his record. He’s a bit’ marmite’ with people, but I take them as I find them.
“We go back quite a bit. He will be right up for it and wanting to respond after the poor result in the cup. But we have to concentrate on us and bring our ‘A’ game. If we do that, we are more than a match for anyone.
“There’s always an edge (in derbies), and the bigger the game, the more I enjoy it. The pressure comes with the territory, and I enjoy big games.
“Friday is a big game for us and a big game for them, and it should be a cracking atmosphere and one our fans will be right up for.”
