It's not hard to see why Bolton Wanderers are considering Rotherham United raid | OneFootball

Bolton have been linked with Rotherham boss Steve Evans, and it's clear to see why.

Bolton Wanderers have endured a season plagued by inconsistency so far in 2024/25.

Although they currently only sit outside the League One play-off positions by three points, it’s fair to say the Trotters have been fairly underwhelming so far, especially given the quality they have within their squad.

The decision to part company with manager Ian Evatt has felt inevitable for a while now, and ultimately came earlier this week, following a defeat at home to Charlton Athletic, which followed a draw to Cambridge United which prompted controversy, after footage emerged of the now ex-Wanderers boss swearing at fans before half-time.

According to Alan Nixon, Rotherham United boss Steve Evans is one of the early contenders to take the reins at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, with some of the hierarchy being 'supporters' of the divisive Scotsman.

Evans is a seasoned campaigner now, having taken charge of several EFL teams over the years. He’s certainly a controversial figure, but with five promotions in the EFL and National League to his name, it really isn’t hard to see why the powers-that-be at Bolton are considering him.

Steve Evans has a proven track record in the EFL which could excite Bolton Wanderers

Despite being a figure who several fans across the EFL love to hate, it’s hard to argue with what Evans has achieved over the years.

He first made a name for himself in non-league with Boston United, helping the club to promotion into League Two in 2002.

Evans’ two spells at Boston were marred by several incidents, most notably when he and Boston were found guilty of falsifying wage figures in players’ official contracts during their promotion season, an incident which saw Evans handed a suspended jail sentence.

After leaving Boston for the second time in 2007, Evans moved to Crawley, who he also achieved promotion to the EFL with in the 2010/11 season.

After a promising start to life in League Two with the Red Devils, he switched to Rotherham United ahead of the 2012/13 season.

Evans did a remarkable job with the Millers, leading them to back-to-back promotions, then keeping them up in the Championship in 2014/15, a feat that saw him don shorts, sandals and a sombrero in the dugout for their trip to Leeds United on the final day of the season.

Evans left Rotherham in September 2015, before taking charge of Leeds the following month.

After one season at Elland Road which didn't really work out, Evans moved back to League Two with Mansfield Town, before spells in charge of Peterborough United and Gillingham in the following years.

He showed that his promotion-winning credentials were still as strong as always in 2022/23, leading Stevenage up into League One, before stabilising them as a third-tier club.

Evans had to withstand a rocky start to the season in his Rotherham return this year, but has now steadied the ship and has the Millers eyeing a push for the play-offs in the second half of the season.

Given the 62-year-old's incredible record of achieving promotions in the lower leagues, it should really be no surprise at all that he and his long-time assistant Paul Raynor are attracting interest from Bolton.

It looked as though Evans' homecoming to the New York Stadium in 2024 was going to be a damp squib, with Rotherham sitting in 18th position in League One on Boxing Day, having won just six of their 21 league matches.

An upturn in form though has seen United take 11 points out of a possible 15 since, proving that given time, Evans can really get things going.

Bolton Wanderers still have a good opportunity to achieve something in 2024/25

Although a rocky start to the season has them behind where many would have expected them to be, Bolton’s season is far from over.

They are currently trailing Stockport County in the final play-off spot by just three points, despite their struggles this term.

The sale of Dion Charles to fellow League One side Huddersfield Town came as a shock to many, but there is still more than enough quality in Bolton’s squad to still achieve something come the end of the season.

The likes of Ricardo Santos, Josh Sheehan, Joel Randall and George Thomason are all genuine top-quality options in the third-tier, and the Trotters have very strong depth across all areas of their squad.

With that in mind, Evans could prove to be the perfect man to come in and galvanise that squad.

He’s certainly a controversial figure, and it almost goes without saying that there would be incidents and flashpoints along the way, but he could be the ideal candidate to re-ignite this Bolton team and have them competing in the upper reaches of League One again in the second-half of the season.