Steve Evans could easily have been plotting Rotherham's downfall in the South Yorkshire derby with Sheffield Wednesday this weekend.
The Millers boss was a target for Owls chairman Milan Mandaric in the wake of Dave Jones' sacking last December and was subject of an official approach.
At the time Evans was building something special at New York and his credentials were enhanced when he masterminded a Capital One Cup first-round success over their rivals - famous for Ben Pringle's pig-killing expedition.
In years gone by the Millers may have succumbed to Wednesday's whims and allowed Evans permission to discuss a move to Hillsborough, but not under Tony Stewart.
The approach was promptly rebuked, Mandaric told to go back over the motorway and everything carried on as normal.
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| Evans deserves to be taking a bow for the job he has done at Rotherham |
Of course, what happened in the remainder of last season goes down in history among the greatest few months in the club's history as a sensational promotion was sealed with a dramatic play-off final win at Wembley.
That sealed a return to the Championship and the chance to renew a league rivalry with the Owls for the first time since 2002/03.
Although Evans never ruled out the option of joining Wednesday at the time - he never got the chance to speak about it - the Scot knows which side his bread his buttered and is glad to be in the visiting dugout this weekend.
"I could have been in the other dugout. But I've never been a manager who reminisces," Evans said.
"There are other managers sitting at Championship clubs recently where I could have been sat in their dugout.
"It's not about reminiscing about where you could have been. I have got a fantastic job here working for a fantastic man.
"And I work for a wonderful football club. That has been a common theme in all my time here at the New York. It's something I really feel passionately about.
"As a manager you should never forget there are a lot of good managers not working and when another club makes an approach for you to be their manager I think you should always be proud.
"The fact it was a big club like Sheffield Wednesday makes you enormously proud, they are a big club with a history and tradition and fanbase and everything else that comes with it but it wasn't right for me.
"I have got the most loyal whole-hearted chairman that I could wish to work for. In the future that partnership will break because he'll either sack me or I'll leave to manage Celtic!
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| Evans took pleasure in telling everyone the score in the Owls game last season |
"I won't be going to prove a point. Sheffield Wednesday have a talented manager in Stuart Gray and he has done a great job."
Evans is well on the way to earning a seat at an esteemed table of notable former managers with his exploits in the Millers hotseat.
He already achieved what many couldn't, including Ronnie Moore, by beating the Owls on home soil and now he wants to dine along side those who brought the points back from S6 over the years.
"There has been some great derbies between both teams, and it has been both ways," he added.
"If I can emulate what Ronnie, who is an absolute icon in the town, did in bringing the three points back across the motorway, it would be fantastic.
"More importantly for me, it would take us level with them on points. We'd be sitting in the middle of the pack before a two-week break.
"The things you remember in football aren't the mundane, every-day wins, it's the big key moments.
"It's days like that that live with you forever. The opposite end of that isn't worth thinking about.
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| We wonder where he nicked that celebration from? Ronnie Moore of course |
"Derby matches you win are always special. I can never forget we beat Leeds recently, I can never forget we beat Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United within a couple of weeks of each other last season."
Evans takes his side to face a team who are winless in eight matches and in a real slump.
But despite insisting the pressure will be on Stuart Gray's men, he believes the Owls are favourites.
"The pressure is on Wednesday," he said. "The pressure is that they're the home side, and if you're the home side you have a certain degree of responsibility to go and try to win a football match.
"As an away team, you have a responsibility to take something from the game. That's how football works.
"It will be hum-dinging, Sheffield Wednesday start as big favourites.
"We are the underdogs, no one gives us a chance around the country. We have to go there in adversity and win a football match, but are we capable? Yes, absolutely."
