Steve Evans had a good relationship with Leeds United fans.
One of the last things that Steve Evans saw as Leeds United manager was the sight of thousands upon thousands of travelling fans singing his name at Deepdale as the emotional Evans bid farewell to supporters on the final day of the 2015-16 season.
The Scottish manager did not know for certain that then-owner Massimo Cellino would not be retaining his services beyond the summer, but the signs were certainly there and that 1-1 draw was his last game in charge of the Yorkshire club.
The former Rotherham United boss was given the mandate of keeping Leeds in the Championship by Cellino after replacing Uwe Rosler early in the season, which he comfortably achieved and as a result Evans is probably more well thought-of within the fanbase than your average managerial casualty of the Italian’s era – and there’s been a few of them.
After that game at Preston, Evans said to Radio Yorkshire: “After the game my assistant manager [Paul Raynor], as we walked down to the Leeds United supporters, said to me, ‘Look at that sight. Let’s never forget this.’
“Nothing to play for at Preston on the last day of the season and there’s people who couldn’t get tickets in that away end. Thank you to every single one of them – men, women and children – and if I don’t go forward then those supporters will be in my heart forever.”
The 54-year-old manager certainly appreciated the United supporters – and if he didn’t then he definitely does now after a recent Mansfield Town game.
Evans’s side went down 2-0 at Colchester United in a League Two clash on Saturday – a second defeat in three games, leaving Mansfield eighth.
And when his players went to applaud the travelling fans, they were booed in an incident which prompted an angry response from Evans.
He told Chad.co.uk: “I’ve watched my players at the end of the game go to the supporters and get told they’re a load of rubbish.
“I’ve never experienced that, we’ve all had criticisms as managers and teams, that’s quite harsh on them. They’ve given us everything today.
“There’s deeper worries when you see some of the reaction at full-time. “That gives me deeper worries about whether people are really in it for a promotion challenge or if they’re in it for glory days. There’s a big, big difference.”
Leeds fans are generally considered among the best in the Championship and you could forgive Evans if he genuinely missed their support – particularly on away days.
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