When the Millers first played Burton Albion at the New York Stadium, as they will do again on Saturday, a dozen years ago it was a League Two fixture, their first at the brand new ground after four years exiled at the Don Valley Stadium.
That was Rotherham’s last season in League Two. It would be wrong to say they have established themselves in any division since, rather established their level as somewhere between the second and third tiers.
Evans was a big reason for the turnaround, winning back-to-back promotions in his first two seasons, and famously ending his third by slipping on a sombrero to celebrate a second consecutive Championship campaign before he parted ways.
The special moments he gave them ensure the Scot will always be guaranteed a place in the hearts of Rotherham supporters, but it does mean his return to the club in the spring raised expectations in some quarters, perhaps even assumptions in others that the good times would soon be back.
It is hard to imagine many other managers—any within Rotherham’s budget – inspiring that back then.
The Millers were on their knees when Evans returned in April, failing to reach 30 points for only the fifth season in their history. The inevitable squad overhaul was very necessary.
But even in a division including what Evans cheekily refers to as the “Real Madrid of League One” (big-spending Birmingham City) and its “Harlem Globetrotters” (Hollywood-owned Wrexham), not to mention six other former Premier League sides, his and his club’s track record at this level—plus an impressive recruitment drive—have them down as promotion contenders.
One win from their first five league matches hardly screams that, but people who jump to conclusions so early in a campaign often end it red-faced.
Even so, with the competition so tough, a failure to beat winless Burton on Saturday will set the jitters growing. When Evans is in the dugout, Rotherham expects. Even he needs time.
“We’ve not played the Real Madrid of League One—we play them next week on Saturday,” he takes his tongue out of his cheek long enough to say, “and we’ve not played the Harlem Globetrotters—that will come when Parky (Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson) turns up here with his stars.
“But in all seriousness we’ll get a measurement after 12, 14 games, that’s always the situation whether you’re League One, Championship or below. By then you’ve played a mix of teams.
“We’ve been really hurt by the loss of key players at different times – (Sean) Raggett and (Joe) Rafferty especially and players not being able to get through that pre-season programme to be 100 per cent sharp and ready.
“We feel as if we’re getting there as a team and the DNA’s quickly becoming every day now as opposed to sporadic.
“Sometimes that does take a lot of time with a new group. It is a new group and we’ll never get credit for that.”
Evans is not the only South Yorkshire manager whose history has raised expectations.
Sheffield United were similarly awful last season, but are being rebuilt by the manager who took them from League One to ninth in the Premier League in four years.
“If you look at Chris Wilder turning up at Sheffield United, he’s just meant to be successful, isn’t he?” argues Evans.
“I’m the same when I come back to the New York Stadium. I knew the expectation that was placed on the football club and on me immediately when I walked in through the door.
“We’re getting there very quickly but we need to keep that journey moving forward in a quick manner because the standards at the top of this league are going to be quite awesome over the course of the season.
“I discussed it with Chris Wilder in the summer. We spent some time together.
“We both said your highest expectation and your highest standards come from within. The minute you feel the burden of pressure more from outside it’s not right.
“You have to have a level where you understand where the standards of the team should be to get points, to get enough wins to compete at the level of the league.
“Self-standards are what is important. We say to the players have your own standards, have your own measurements. If you want to be in the team knock on my door if you feel at the top of your game. If we agree, there’s got to be a good reason why you’re not.”
Midfielders Liam Kelly (groin) and Christ Tiehi (ankle) are injury doubts.
