Steve Evans talks to www.themillers.co.uk...
Steve Evans reflected on yesterday's thrilling 3-3 draw with League One title favourites Wolverhampton Wanderers in his latest Gaffer on a Sunday…
With the added benefit of watching the match DVD from yesterday what is your overall view of the match?
The first thing I must talk about is the quality of our performance. At times during the match the quality of our football was top class and even a team that has the quality of Wolves couldn’t get near us. Our players can take a lot of credit and like me they where all disappointed that it was ultimately two poor decisions that cost us.
The match referee has graduated to officiate in the Premier League and rightly so for me but yesterday he had a bad day. After two minutes Nouha Dicko is brought down in the penalty area with a clumsy challenge, which we felt warranted a penalty. In the second half we certainly felt hard done by after the penalty was given to Wolves. I have watched the alleged hand ball from several positions; I didn’t see Craig Morgan touch the ball with his hand.
Afterwards Kenny Jacket had a lot of sympathy for us and it is always nice when an opposition manager recognises what he had just watched.
Yesterday we saw Michael O'Connor return to first team competitive action as a second half substitute, how is the injury situation as we head to Bradford on Boxing Day?
The situation is looking as positive as it has been all season. Obviously Michael is now fit as is Joe Skarz and Rob Milsom. All the lads who need some match time will take part in a closed door match tomorrow, hopefully they all come through that and can they be available for Boxing Day because I will be making a few changes to the starting XI from yesterday.
What are your plans for the week ahead?
The lads will be on the training ground every day as we approach Boxing Day plus every day thereafter until our visit to Port Vale. Preparation is vital and we will be thorough in everything we do. This was always going to be a vital period for us and I maintain if we are in or around the play-offs after our match with Coventry City then we give ourselves every chance of fighting to be in there come April.
Have you got a message for the Millers support ahead of Christmas Day?
Yes. May I on behalf of all the players and my staff wish all of our supporters, far and near, a very happy and healthy Christmas.
The Millers support has been fantastic, incredible, passionate and loud, I cannot use enough superlatives about them.
We have some great matches ahead of us and it really is something to look forward to. No-one back in August gave us a chance of competing for a play-off place, maybe some don't even now but together we can achieve our objectives. Christmas Day in 2013 and we are in the League One play-off zone, the progress in 18 months since I arrived has been superb but there is a long way to go, this journey promises to be a great one. Merry Christmas Millers.