Steve Evans has been appointed as the new Bristol Rovers manager and will need to fix these five things if the Gas are to avoid a second successive relegation.
Steve Evans is the new Bristol Rovers manager(Image: Getty Images)
Following the sacking of Darrell Clarke on Saturday, Bristol Rovers have appointed Steve Evans as the new manager on a deal until the end of the season.
The 63-year-old will need to try and find a way to end Rovers’ ten-match losing streak in League Two, which has them drift into the League Two relegation zone. A relegation to the National League would be catastrophic for the Gas, and Evans seems like a sensible appointment in testing circumstances.
Having that said, here are five things that will be on the new manager’s in-tray…
READ MORE: How many points are required for Bristol Rovers to stay up in League Two?Developing a clear system
As has been mentioned many times, the feature of Clarke’s second spell at Rovers was a lack of consistency in team selections and formations, which wasn’t helped by a growing injury list.
The 47-year-old often tinkered between a back four and a back five, with the lack of a clear formation and an identifiable style of play, meaning Rovers never managed to gain any momentum, apart from the eight-match unbeaten run in August and September.
During that run, the Gas played a back four in six out of the eight matches, but Clarke has been spoilt for choice in terms of centre-back options, and as a result, a back five has typically been his preferred system.
The system returned in the home defeat against MK Dons in early October before Clarke switched to a back four in the following game, with the result the same – a home defeat and four goals conceded. A back five then returned in November and performances were largely improved, even if results didn’t reflect it – I’m thinking about the 1-0 home losses against Gillingham and Notts County.
Ultimately, the system came unstuck against Barnet on 9th December, though, with a 4-0 defeat at The Hive. This prompted another shift to a back four in the most recent fixture against Swindon Town, which ended in a 3-0 defeat.
The flip-flopping between systems has been an issue this season, with a lack of consistency in terms of the teams’ style reflected in the poor run of results. One of the first things Evans will have to identify is what formation suits this group of players and stick with it.
Sign up for our Rovers newsletter
Bristol Rovers are preparing for a new season in League Two with Darrell Clarke back at the helm and you won’t miss a beat with our free newsletter.
All the latest news, views, interviews, gossip and analysis concerning the Gas, delivered straight to your inbox.
It’s completely free and you can sign up HERE
Finding ways to be effective without Harrison and Omochere
Ellis Harrison and Promise Omochere were present for large parts in the early stages of the season, helping Rovers climb into the play-off positions at the end of September. While Omochere picked up an injury at Colchester United, Harrison was taken off in the first-half against Tranmere Rovers on 18th October, leaving the Gas with Fabrizio Cavegn as the only out and out striker.
Harrison missed the defeats against Crawley and Gillingham before briefly returning against Accrington Stanley, Cheltenham Town and Notts County. He gave Rovers a different attacking dimension in these games, with his hold-up play creating significantly more chances for the Gas, despite losing all three matches.
When he was ruled of the Barnet game with a hamstring injury, it spelled trouble for Rovers as similar tactics were employed in terms of playing long balls directed towards the forwards, with Cavegn struggling to provide a focal point.
Evans, who was known for his direct and front-footed style of play, might have to deal with the absence of the two physical forwards, Harrison and Omochere, before the January window opens in a few weeks, where a similar mould of striker will surely be on the radar.
Promise Omochere opened his account for the season at former side Fleetwood Town(Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)Fixing a lack of confidence
Rovers’ squad has a lot of talented players within it, even if they have lost 28 league games out of 44 in 2025. The likes of Shaq Forde and Freddie Issaka have shown their trickery out wide in glimpses, even in this losing run, while the aforementioned Cavegn looked to be one of the biggest bargains in League Two when he scored in four consecutive games in late September and early October.
In fact, a lot of this team have played in League One and higher levels, so there is clearly quality within the side, and 23rd in League Two is clearly not reflective of their ability. Fixing the fragile confidence that has led to the club’s losing run is something that Evans will have to fix quickly, and I’d imagine if the three games before January will be telling in terms of the number of changes he wants to make in the window.
Bristol Rovers Live on Whatsapp
Join Bristol Rovers Live’s Whatsapp community for all the biggest Bristol Rovers stories sent straight to your phone
Bristol Rovers Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the Bristol Rovers news, live match coverage, team news, transfers, fixtures, analysis and more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Bristol Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community.
Two key signings to make in January
Given the recent form, some fans will be pleading for numerous additions in January and a complete revamp of the squad. In my opinion, the squad needs some specific tweaks, with two key areas that need to be addressed in the first month of 2026.
The first one of those is a striker (I know every fanbase wants one in January). A striker who is a similar mould to Harrison and Omochere, who doesn’t have to be a prolific goalscorer, but someone who can drag Rovers up the pitch when they’re coming under pressure and match the physicality of the opposition centre-backs when receiving long balls, is an absolute must.
Staying fit is obviously a key requirement as well given Harrison and Omochere’s injury issues. I’m sure Evans will have names in mind, but this area needs to be addressed in order for the Gas to sustain attacks and improve on their dismal record, which has seen them score the fewest goals in League Two.
Stevenage manager Steve Evans celebrates his side’s promotion to League One(Image: George Tewkesbury/PA Wire)
The other key requirement is an experienced midfielder, who doesn’t necessarily have to bring creative qualities in possession, but provides leadership qualities and an ability to break up play and make Rovers harder to beat. Currently, the Gas have a lot of young midfielders, who are talented, including Joel Cotterill, Alfie Chang and Kamil Chang, but an experienced head next to them might help them level up and accelerate their development.
With Josh McEachran struggling with injuries in recent weeks and the fact that he is more of a ball-playing midfielder, someone who is extremely effective at performing the ‘dirty work’ in the centre of the park, is a gap in Rovers’ current crop of players.
Giving the fans something to believe in
Speaking as Rotherham’s manager following their 3-2 away win at The Mem in March 2025, Evans gave the following assessment of Rovers, “This is a wonderful football club. And anytime you come to Bristol Rovers, you should just remind yourself this, that, how good this club is, you know. For me, there is, just going to be controversial and say they’re the biggest club in Bristol. There’s an argument, there’s an argument to say Bristol Rovers were playing in a new stadium and playing in the Championship where their crowds were big. So this is a really special football club that I’ve done battle with over the years, win some, lost some. But the one thing you know when you come here, you’re going to have to manage the expectation, that support base for Bristol Rovers.”
Stevenage manager Steve Evans(Image: Mark Fletcher/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Rovers fans will certainly like that statement from Evans and it’s a pretty good start when the mood at the club is at such a low ebb. If Evans can back up his kind words about Rovers with some results on the pitch, it’s amazing how quickly football can change, and given the desperate situation the Gas find themselves in, they’ll need the 63-year-old to deliver.
A Boxing Day game against Bromley looks set to be a lively atmosphere at The Mem as Evans introduces himself to the home fans for the first time. With another home game against Barnet three days later, what better way to make a quick start in your job.
OPINION
OPINION