Steve Evans has delivered a brutally honest assessment of his time at Rotherham United, admitting “I didn’t get it right” as the club battles to avoid relegation.
The Millers find themselves deep in trouble in League One, sitting 22nd with just nine matches remaining, and the situation has already prompted change in the dugout. Matt Hamshaw has departed following a heavy defeat, with Lee Clark stepping in on a short-term basis in an attempt to spark a late-season turnaround.
For Evans, watching events unfold from afar has not been easy, particularly given his own connection to the club across two separate spells.
Evans reflects on Rotherham struggles
The former Millers boss was candid when asked about the club’s current predicament, acknowledging his own role in where things now stand.
“Well, you know, it didn’t help [that] I didn’t get it right there either, so I’m not in a position to really talk about it well, but Matt Hamshaw is a good man.”
Evans enjoyed significant success during his first stint at Rotherham, guiding them from League Two into the Championship with back-to-back promotions, but his second spell did not carry the same momentum. His departure in 2025 came with the club drifting in mid-table, and the decline since has been stark.
Rotherham now face a genuine battle to preserve their League One status, and Evans made it clear that results alone do not tell the full story behind their struggles.
“And from a distance it’s been difficult to watch because you just see the results. But I’m also aware of the injury situation that young Matty’s had to have up there, 13, 14 players injured. Absolutely terrible situation to be in as a head coach or as a manager.”
Injuries have clearly played a major role, stripping the squad of consistency and leaving Hamshaw with limited options during a critical stretch of the season. Even so, the scale of recent defeats, including the loss that ultimately cost Hamshaw his job, underlines just how steep the challenge has become.
Lee Clark handed survival mission
Into that environment steps Lee Clark, tasked with delivering what Evans himself described as nothing short of a miracle.
Clark inherits a side cut adrift in the bottom four and running out of time. The gap to safety remains significant, and momentum is firmly against them. However, the backing of the ownership and the size of the club mean there is still belief that a late surge is possible.
For Evans, the situation carries a mix of frustration and perspective. His admission that he “didn’t get it right” removes any sense of distance from the crisis and instead places him as part of the broader story of how Rotherham arrived here.
Ultimately, this is now about whether Clark can change the narrative quickly enough. With nine games remaining, the margin for error has gone, and the challenge is no longer about long-term planning but immediate survival.
From Evans’ words, one thing is clear, everyone connected to Rotherham understands exactly what is at stake.
