Bristol Rovers picked up an important 1-1 draw at Crewe Alexandra on Friday night – here’s our verdict from Steve Evans’ first game in charge(Image: Phil Oldham/Shutterstock)

It’s over. Bristol Rovers’ worst losing streak in the league in the club’s history has finally come to an end. Steve Evans announced in his first press conference of the week that he needs to fix the “here and now” at Rovers, and he has started well as the Gas look to steer clear of the League Two relegation zone.

It looked like it could be a long night for the visitors when Emre Tezgel opened the scoring for Lee Bell’s side after only nine minutes. Callum Morton responded three minutes later, though, and when Adrien Thibaut was given a straight red in the 30th minute for violent conduct, it seemed like a golden opportunity for Evans to enjoy the perfect start.

Rovers had chances to score a second, but ultimately had to settle for the point, which moved them ahead of Harrogate Town and out of the relegation zone ahead of the weekend’s games.

With that said, here are the main talking points from a positive building block for Evans in his first match as the new head coach…

The rot stopped

It says a lot that, even though Rovers were playing against ten-men, many Gasheads would have taken a point at half-time lead given the run of form the club has endured over the last couple of months. Despite the man disadvantage, Crewe kept pushing forward and had chances to take the lead, including when Luke Southwood made a crucial stop to deny Josh March.

Evans’ first task in his new role was to stop the rot, and picking up a point away at a play-off-chasing side, while ending a ten-match losing streak, can be seen as a big step in the right direction. A defeat for Rovers would have made them the first League Two team since the EFL rebrand in the 2004/05 season to lose 11 consecutive games in a row. They have avoided this unwanted stat, and now go into a pair of home games against Bromley and Barnet before the end of the year, with hope that they can pick up a first league win since late September.

READ MORE: Steve Evans ‘frustrated’ with point despite Bristol Rovers ending losing streak in League TwoREAD MORE: Bristol Rovers losing run ends with draw in Steve Evans’ first gameExplaining Evans’ tactics

In his last two jobs at Stevenage and Rotherham, a common system used by Evans has been the 4-3-1-2. He opted for this shape in his first game in charge of the Gas, explaining the reasons behind it when speaking to Bristol Live after the game. He said: “So I thought it [the system] worked for us largely, we got back into the game through it, we controlled the middle, we dominated the first-half, and I think the reason we lost our shape a little bit in the second half and Crewe had that little spell for 15 minutes is, I think we got a little bit tired at half-time, but it came at the wrong time and everyone knows what football is like, we stiffen up and they did a little bit and we didn’t have any control whatsoever.

“But again we had the opportunity – a player went down – and we changed it, we went back to a different system with the wide boys, and then we went to 4-4-2 at the end, and we’ve done everything to change it to try and affect it.

“The pleasing thing is, other changes we make clear-cut chances. The downside is we didn’t take them. That could have been a story all season, I’m not aware of it, but it could have been, but certainly the players are a bit more buoyant in there, because they believe that’s the most chances and probably most possession and most dominance they’ve had. Although it’s not the levels where we need it to be.”

(Image: Phil Oldham/Shutterstock)

A key feature of this system is “control” in the middle of the pitch, with the formation making a diamond, with Josh McEachran at the bottom of it and Luke Thomas at the top. It meant Rovers were the better team in the first half, but after the break, Crewe were dominant for 15 minutes, prompting a change in system. First, Evans switched to a 4-3-3 formation, with Shaq Forde on the right and Thomas on the left, before making an aforementioned change to a 4-4-2 in the last 13 minutes.

These changes certainly worked, and Rovers were unfortunate not to score the winner. Evans showed that he has a preferred system, while also highlighting his in-game flexibility, which could prove to be two big tactical strengths in the weeks to come.

Morton shines in first Rovers start

Morton came on against Swindon Town last weekend, and his tireless work rate was a small positive on a dismal afternoon for the Gas at The Mem. He was rewarded with his first start for Rovers at Crewe, and he repaid the faith put in him by Evans when he scored a brilliant equaliser in the 12th minute. He took down Alfie Kilgour’s lofted ball on a sixpence before taking it round Sam Waller and slotting home into an empty net.

His off-the-ball work is always impressive, but one of the standout aspects of Morton’s performance was his hold-up play. In the second half, a lofted ball found the 25-year-old, who plucked it effortlessly; however, he was unable to find Fabrizio Cavegn, who had found space in between the defenders. When he was taken off, the 406 Gasheads showed their appreciation for the striker, and we’re hoping that his withdrawal in the 77th minute was simply a precaution.

(Image: Tom Sandberg/PPAUK)

Speaking about the length of his contract during an interview on BBC Radio Bristol’s Having a Gas podcast in December, Morton revealed that his short-term contract currently takes him up until the end of January. If he can stay fit in the next couple of weeks and continue his bright start to his Rovers career, it seems like a no-brainer to extend until the end of the current campaign.

A crucial period awaits

This is clearly only just the start of Rovers’ transformation under Evans , and games against Bromley and Barnet to finish the year will test the new boss. Despite Bromley flying high at the top of League Two, they are one of the few teams that Rovers have enjoyed success against this season, with the Gas beating Andy Woodman’s side 2-1 in the first round of the FA Cup.

Bromley are renowned for their physicality, which has been used to great effect this season. Evans knows this league intricately, though, and with a week to prepare for that one, I’m hopeful that we’ll continue to see improvements. After these two home matches, Rovers have trips to Shrewsbury Town and Barrow, who are both just above the relegation zone.

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Following the conclusion of the Barrow match, the Gas will have a 13-day gap until their next league game, which is a home match against Colchester United. Given that Evans ensured that the club will be “busy in January,” it seems likely that by the time of that game, Rovers might have some new additions.

The next four games are crucial in shaping Evans’ transfer plans and giving us an idea of how much progress the new manager can make in a busy period. If Rovers can get a couple of wins out of these next four clashes, before making some shrewd signings in the window, there are reasons for optimism that Evans can steer this ship out of the current choppy waters.

OPINION

OPINION