Are Birmingham City the best League One side ever to come to AESSEAL New York Stadium? Rotherham United boss Steve Evans thinks so
ROTHERHAM United will face a team of League One David Beckhams when Birmingham City come calling at AESSEAL New York Stadium on Saturday, reckons Steve Evans.
The Millers manager was in the crowd along with one of football's most famous figures when the Blues swept to a 3-1 home win over leaders Wrexham on Monday night to move into second spot.
Evans maintains that there has been no better third-tier side than the Rotherham one he led to the Championship in his first spell in the Millers hot-seat a decade ago.
But the Scot concedes that the City side assembled at a cost of more than £20 million by new American ownership may be superior.
“I went to the Wrexham game and Birmingham were outstanding,” he said.
“I've always had a thought that the best League One team I have seen was the Rotherham side that got promoted when I was in charge. I could name that team off the top of my head.
“I drove out of St Andrew's on Monday night and I said to myself: ‘That Birmingham team is as good as I've seen.’
“They work incredibly hard, they've got a huge desire. It's like a huge oil tanker with that fanbase behind them.”
£15-million new signing Jay Stansfield scored twice as Beckham sat alongside his friend, American football legend Tom Brady, who has a minority stake in the Blues.
“The only disappointing thing that I found on the evening was that they didn't put me next to Becks!” Evans said. “I'm thinking: ‘Why am I sitting 14 rows away?’”
Rotherham, described by their boss as “a work in progress” following a busy summer of recruitment, are in 17th spot but have created more scoring chances than any other side in the division and should be higher in the table.
After an opening-day draw, Birmingham have triumphed in every league match since and Evans can't wait to take on opponents of such calibre.
“The bigger the game, the more you should embrace it,” he said. “I love it.
“Everything about Birmingham City is good. We want to make it not so good on Saturday. This is a really tough test coming on the back of games we should have won. Let's go out and give it our best.”