Stevenage boss Steve Evans opens up on pressure of raising expectations at League Two promotion chasing Boro

By Layth Yousif

13th Mar 2023 | Local Sport

Stevenage boss Steve Evans opens up on pressure of raising expectations at League Two promotion chasing Boro

With three losses and a draw from the last five matches, including a miserable 2-0 defeat at previously rock-bottom Rochdale last weekend, Steve Evans Stevenage came into Saturday's game with Walsall under immense pressure.

With the side that had led the table for a spell prior to the festive period, Stevenage struggled through the month of February.

Perplexingly, this followed excellent form against league leaders Orient home and away during Christmas and New Year, with a sterling 0-0 draw at Brisbane Road on Boxing Day, and a resoundingly emphatic 3-0 rout of the table toppers three weeks later, to see Boro pulling to within two points of the East Londoners at the head of the division.

However, a poor run of form which culminated in a shocking afternoon at Spotland, saw Evans hold a clear the air chat with his squad, which also included double training sessions ahead of the clash with the Saddlers as the Lamex on Saturday.

The move paid dividends, for despite the all-too real issue of losing the majority of his back five recently to injury or moves, including the impressive Saxon Early's departure, Evans side showed their undoubted quality to ease past the visitors from the West Midlands 3-1 in a much-needed triumph.

No wonder the charismatic Evans was in bullish form once again, following Saturday's much-needed victory.

"The start was needed to invigorate the support," reflected Evans after the match.

"I've been very lucky in my life. I'm a Glasgow Celtic supporter and we turn up expecting to win and we normally do it.

"We've created that expectation here too but when you create an expectation, that's what you get measured against.

"So we get measured against an expectation and suddenly we're hanging off the cliff by our fingernails when we should be sitting there under sun parasols.

"We knew we had to have a good start and there's not one player where I've come away thinking 'they've not done their job'.

"We could be better but we were outstanding in spells and we got a brilliant reaction from the supporters from the way we started.

"The fans deserve enormous credit. They've probably came to the Lamex today hoping rather than expecting.

"There's lots more improvement to come, but we did really well."

The win was the first at home since that romp over Orient, followed by a troubling run of a single success in seven - prompting hard taskmaster Evans to drag his squad in for extra training following the debacle at Rochdale.

"We got them in [last] Sunday because of the first half at Rochdale and because of the first half at Stockport," explained the tough Scot.

"We wanted to remind them that people have to pay to follow us around the country. We get paid to do it, [the fans] pay to do it.

"But as a group they've been terrific. We worked them hard with a double session on Sunday, double sessions on Monday, double Tuesday and they didn't moan, they responded [and] in spells we were back to how we were.

"Walsall don't concede much and when I watched them in midweek, you could understand why. But we went about our business and there were some big performances from individuals for long spells.

"They were terrific goals and reminded me a lot of the first half against Leyton Orient. We've given a poor goal away but we go in 3-1 up and it could have been five or six."

Evans' Stevenage host Crewe on Tuesday evening at the Lamex - see Nub News for more on the match including our special feature with Saturday's goalscoring hero Josh March.