'Lay off the lads,' Steve Evans tells Rotherham United fans
STEVE Evans is urging supporters to spare the players and direct any abuse towards him as they make their feelings known about the club's disappointing start to the League One campaign.
His message comes in the wake of the November 8 derby defeat at Barnsley which saw a group of away followers vent their anger on the manager and team after the final whistle.
The Millers are in 17th spot and Evans knows that there must be an immediate upturn in form if any hope of a top-six finish is to be carried into the new year.
“If it's a bad day and the supporters ‘give’ me it, I've got broad shoulders,” the boss said. “I've got feelings, but I'll take the criticism to save our players from it.
“They're young men who are fighting for a living. Give me the criticism and let the players absorb what we, as a management team, are saying to them.”
Meanwhile, the Scot is prepared to risk the wrath of referees as he bids to get his side climbing the third-tier rankings.
He was a noticeably less combustible touchline figure In the early stages of the season than he was in his first spell in charge a decade ago, spending much of his time remaining seated in the dugout.
That is changing, though, in his mission to galvanise the Millers.
“I was more vocal at Barnsley and I'm going to continue with that,” he said. “I've got to lead the troops through it.”
He had been trying to contain himself and stay out of disciplinary trouble, saying: “The (referees group) PGMOL instructions to match officials nowadays are that if a manager is expressive they've got to deal with it.”
Even with a more restrained approach, he still accumulated three bookings and had to sit in stand against Wrexham last month as he served a one-match ban.