Hard work won us that - Evans

Last updated : 20 October 2012 By Bigrich.....

“We were bold making the changes that we made but they were the easiest choices I could have made, People will know how much the Chairman, myself and Paul Raynor hurt after last weekend, I saw the fans were hurting because they saw a Rotherham United team, which is my responsibility, that lacked effort and I swore to myself all week that the changes would be emphatic and I swore to myself that I'd be brave. I asked the boys to play and train all week with the intensity that we expect."

"You turn up and try and give a shift, I've always believed that true supporters will stand and support you, they'll stand and cheer you if they see effort and we let them down last week. I said to the players that I'll stand in front of them whatever the result is and I'll explain it to the chairman if we have effort. We had more effort and ability and it could have been many more if we had taken our chances, but we don’t kid ourselves we would have settled for a workmanlike 1-0 win."

"We're not going to tolerate performances like last week and if anybody's unhappy they can leave, doesnt matter who they are. Theres a work ethic about the performance and I've told the chairman that for the last 5 weeks he's not had the manager that he recruited. He told me theres a long term plan here and he wanted that manager. He wanted somebody vocal and in peoples face and thats not going to change but I'm the first to respect that I'll have to curb that and do it in a professional manner, but thats what I'll do."

“From a management point of view you are disappointed that it was only 1-0 half-time scoreline, we could have put the game to bed much earlier than we did, but we said to the players that this is the type of team that have a good manager who is having a rough spell, and we all have rough spells as managers but we said if we got that second goal some of their players may dip their head and we could go on and get more, but like I said, we'd have taken a 1-0 scrappy win."

"It's no secret what its like when the boss is away, It's a bit like the cat and the mouse, they run riot don't they, the players let us down a bit but we'll stand in front of them because they're good players. It's made me realise just whats expected here."

Asked how important todays win was; "Well the first away win is important because it stops people like you asking the question!" Evans joked, "We just need to concentrate on working as hard as we can, we've got good players, but they're no good if they don't work hard."

Evans singled out new loanee Lee Freckington for praise; “He is a Championship player and he played like a Championship player, His forward runs are why we signed him, he should have probably put us in front before he got the goal, it was a good chance for Lee and with his standards he would have been disappointed. He got the goal, then in the second half he has produced a piece of magic, side-stepped everyone, fooled everyone bar the goalie who has made a top top class save. I was delighted with him.”

"He was running out of legs as was Arnie, we tried to get Arnie through as much of the game as we can but the lads been away on international duty and its hard to get them back and focused, he's come from a full house against Switzerland getting man of the match to playing at Aldershot, but one thing we'll never lack in Arnason is effort and passion."

Despite the 3-0 win, Evans says there still could be changes for Tuesday nights game; "We won't be frightened to change it if we feel we need to, we took Frecklington off as he was on a yellow and it only takes a silly challenge to give the referee a decision to make and we didn't want to put him in that position, Arnie was just fatigue."

"I get fantastic backing when i get 6 games out, and I get it today when I'm back. It's about the long term plan, people think it's all about promotion or not, I won't change my words, I want promotion more than anything in the world, but we live in the real world and it's a difficult league to get out of."

Speaking about what it's been like for him to miss the last 6 games, Evans said: "It's been like being the army general sending the army out to war, giving them the big rallying speech and then telling them that he'll be watching them on the television and he'll give them a ring later. It's not right is it? What was done to me was not right, and no-one in football thinks its right. I don't like the decision, I don't think it was ever right but I respect their right to make that decision as they are set up as a regulative body that make decisions but thats the only reason I respect it."

Asked if todays performance was due to him returning; "No I don't think so, it was down to working hard and the only thing that atribes to it is if the leaders away, if the cats out of the house, what happens?"