Steve Evans has set out a bold vision for Bristol Rovers, declaring his ultimate ambition is to lift the club to an equal standing with their local rivals, Bristol City. The veteran manager made his return to the dugout this week, tasked with reviving a team stuck in a severe slump near the bottom of League Two.
A Point to Build On
The immediate pressure on Evans was immense. His first match in charge came against Crewe Alexandra, with Rovers desperate to end a morale-shattering sequence of ten consecutive league defeats that had plunged them into the relegation zone. The mission was simple: stop the rot. A 1-1 draw away from home, achieved despite falling behind early, provided a crucial first point since late September and lifted the club off the foot of the table.
While far from a perfect performance, the result at Gresty Road offered a glimmer of hope. Rovers showed resilience to equalise through Callum Morton just three minutes after conceding, and they played against ten men for over an hour following Adrien Thibaut's red card for Crewe. Despite their numerical advantage, they couldn't find a winner, with Kamil Conteh hitting the woodwork late on.
The Evans Blueprint: Health and Ambition
Evans, 63, arrives at the Memorial Stadium appearing reinvigorated, both professionally and personally. In a striking physical transformation, the Scot has lost eight stone since his last managerial role at Rotherham United, attributing part of his renewed energy to a strict health regime. He has even requested the club find him a Bristol hotel with a pool to maintain his daily 6am swim of 70-80 lengths.
His ambition, however, stretches far beyond fitness. Upon his appointment, Evans was forthright in his assessment, stating Rovers have been "operating at a level in the pyramid way below where they should be." He believes passionately in the club's potential, seeing no reason why they cannot eventually compete with Bristol City, who currently reside in the Championship. "The first thing we have to do to be on an equal platform [with City] is to win some games," he pragmatically noted.
A Track Record of Turnarounds
The Rovers hierarchy will be banking on Evans' proven ability to steer clubs away from danger. His CV suggests he is the ideal firefighter for this crisis. He took over a struggling Stevenage side in March 2022 and guided them to safety, and performed a similar rescue act at Mansfield Town in 2016. With over 700 games of EFL management experience, his know-how in a relegation scrap is not in doubt.
His arrival marks the end of Darrell Clarke's second spell, a tenure that started with great promise but ended with that disastrous ten-game losing run. Evans agreed to a short-term deal until the season's end after productive talks with Director of Football Ricky Martin, who also promised funds for the January transfer window to reshape the squad.
Characteristically, Evans was not content with just a point at Crewe, expressing frustration at dropping two. He acknowledged the fragile confidence within his squad after such a brutal run of results but praised their character to fight back. "We'll be better after two weeks and after two months," he promised, looking ahead to the opportunity to mould the team in January.
For now, the primary goal is clear: secure Bristol Rovers' Football League status. But Steve Evans has already planted the seed of a much grander, long-term aspiration for the Gas – to finally stand toe-to-toe with their neighbours across the city.
