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15:23:00

Steve Evans - 100 matches in quotes

Steve Evans celebrates his 100th game in charge of Rotherham in the League One trip to Peterborough on Saturday.

His two years in South Yorkshire have been eventful to say the least and luckily his sound bites can be a journalist's dream.

Here are the key moments of Evans' time at the Millers so far through his own words.



“Rotherham United are a Championship club but playing in League Two. They have a fantastic new stadium coming, with a great new training ground and overall the Ferrari was started and the key was in it ready to be driven.”
Evans reveals his drive for joining the Millers.

“This is a new squad that has been put together from old and new players, but I can tell already that it will prove to be a successful team - we are looking good.”
He was optimistic ahead of the 2012/13 season and rightly so.

“Full credit to the players because it was a big game for us. But they've gone away conceding four and they have probably got off lightly.”
Evans never fails to enjoy a win over Bradford, especially 4-0 at home.

“There are no excuses. The players have let themselves down, the club down and certainly the fans down. They paid hard-earned money to come here and deserved much, much better than that.”
The 6-2 defeat at Port Vale was a low point of the 12/13 campaign.

“It is going to be tough, but that's why they did it. I don't agree with the decision but I respect it. I found myself talking to Paul Raynor before I'd even picked the phone up and shouting at the television!”
Evans was handed a six-match stadium ban by the FA for misdemeanours while at Crawley and he didn’t enjoy it!

“He is a young man that I think highly of, on and off the pitch. I let him go because we had the opportunity to work with other players. I still say now if it is Ryan Cresswell or Craig Morgan, then for me it is Morgan.”
His decision to release Ryan Cresswell was highly-criticised at the time, but he was defending it here and it proved to be the right one.

“They must think I'm Donald Duck. After the way he played, I don't think they'd want him anyway would they?”
Evans thought that Southend were quackers when they enquired about Jason Taylor two days before they visited New York and won 3-0.

“Since we have come in we've been favourites to win everything, if there was a raffle we'd be expected to win it. Is being underdogs something we should relish? I don't know, I quite like being favourites.”
Coping with pressure was something Evans had to put up with, but the Millers definitely had the winning ticket last season.

“The referee was totally, obnoxious rude and embarrassing to me and my staff throughout the match and at half-time.”
Tell us what you really think of Eddie Ilderton - referee of the 2-0 defeat at Burton last season - Steve!

“There are very few managers who can claim they have taken the club to promotion, but when you can put yourself in the same bracket as the likes of Ian Porterfield, Ronnie Moore and Billy McEwan then you have to say that would be a wonderful achievement.”
Evans was dreaming of dining at the same table as some esteemed company ahead of the Aldershot promotion-winning game.

“It's a fantastic achievement by everyone from the chairman to everyone inside the football club and the supporters as well. A lot of people doubted the squad but we kept believing and we always believed over the 46 games. We have missed out on champions, but we proudly sit in second.”
Promotion meant a lot to Evans, anyone who saw his dancing in the main stand after the Aldershot game could see that.

“Martin Allen said last week that he usually gets an SOS call to go and save clubs from relegation, well maybe I'll start getting them to win sides promotion.”
Evans was in no doubt about his promotion record. He should have taken an advert out in the Yellow Pages.

“Alan Lee's representatives haven't expressed anything about him wanting to come here. He is a legend at this football club but as the manager I have to be honest and admit that it is not something I am looking to pursue.”
Evans broke thousands of Millers’ hearts when he said he wouldn’t be signing legendary striker Alan Lee, who bossed Paul Warne’s testimonial match.

“Johnny is a top professional and an excellent player but with the form from the likes of Kari Arnason, Craig Morgan and Claude Davis we could not guarantee him a place on a regular basis.”
Despite their infamous clear-the-air talks on a hotel bed and Johnny Mullins captaining the side to promotion, the defender was released by Evans in July.

“Realistically if we are in the middle of the pack and not looking over our shoulder at the end of the season then we will say that has been a great achievement.”
Evans kept expectations low for the 2013/14 season.

“I'm a proud man, it has been 37 years since Rotherham beat Sheffield Wednesday at home. We love to break records. There has been fantastic managers at this football club and for 37 years none of them have beaten Sheffield Wednesday at home. That makes me very proud.”
The Millers boss was delighted to rewrite history after beating the Owls.

“If I could lose a few stones I'd put myself on the teamsheet, because it's that big a game for us. It will be a great occasion but it will only be truly remembered if we deliver a performance to be proud of.”
Evans knew what a great opportunity the Millers had playing at Aston Villa, but wasn't prepared to hit the gym.

“At 3-1 Sheffield United probably got off lightly because if we had taken advantage of the opportunities we created on the break we could have beaten them by more, but it was a comfortable win. This football club should not have waited as long as it has to beat the two Sheffield clubs, they are not Premier League clubs anymore.”
A Sheffield double was no skin off Evans’ nose.

“We might try to do business with them. Their players are sought after, but David Moyes is well aware of our stadium and what the chairman has done here and he was impressed with us.”
There had to be one quote in about a Manchester United manager, right?

“It can't be an agenda against me because I keep winning promotion don't I? But we seem to be on the wrong end of a lot of decisions.”
Evans, unhappy at some refereeing decisions, decided to boast about his promotion record. Why not?

“I'm paid to make tough decisions, we are looking at the future and Daniel has not been in the team and that allowed us to accept the request from the manager of Bury.”
Evans’ sanity was questioned when he allowed Daniel Nardiello to leave. 

“James Poole of Hartlepool was a handful against my defenders, who thought they were in the north east for a stag do rather than a football match.”
Evans obviously knows how good Whitley Bay is for a night out, a much better place than Hartlepool for a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash.

"I reiterated my commitment to Rotherham United FC and the project I started some 18 months ago. As a manager you must remain focused on the job in hand and there is certainly much work to be done not only immediately but also in the medium and long term.”
Wednesday fancied a bit of Evans pie after sacking Dave Jones, but the Millers told them where to go and the boss was on board.

“I wouldn't know who we have bid for or who we haven't. I have put a list of players together and it is up to the chairman to decide whether to bid or not.”
So, who signed Jordan Slew then, Steve? Evans was playing dumb to the high-profile chase of Nouha Dicko.

"I am very humbled and fortunate to manage a club like Rotherham United, not only to get to 100 games but to get there with a win ratio of over 50 per cent is very satisfying. I am grateful to the chairman, the staff and the players, and of course the supporters who have accepted me from day one.”
Evans raises his bat to a century of games in charge of Rotherham. Here’s to the next 100!

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