Evans

Leeds United presser: Evans in “resign” promise

One thing about Steve Evans that has quickly win some Leeds over is his abrasive nature and the fact that his press conferences are often ‘Quote City’. Today’s one, as reported by Phil Hay, is no different.

During his press conference this morning, United’s ebullient boss said that he is “100% confident” that the Whites will be mounting a promotion bid next season. However, it is his seppuku-esque promise that has caught the ear.

Should he not be in the position of having Leeds United in a place where they are a viable promotion candidate, then Steve Evans has vowed to fall in his  sword and leave the club.

Evans was talking after a quiet drizzle of a Deadline Day which saw Leeds do no business and shut up shop early. This caused uproar amongst large swathes of Leeds fans, angry at what they saw as a lack of ambition from the club’s management hierarchy.

Evans admitted to a sense of frustration after he failed to bring a new striker to Elland Road but insisted his squad had improved on the back of deals for Liam Bridcutt, Mustapha Carayol and Toumani Diagouraga, and despite the loss of Sam Byram to West Ham United.

As Phil Hay indicates, this lack of action by the club signified one thing, that promotion was not in the agenda for this season – consolidation and improvement being the bywords that Leeds fans would have to make do with. Hay himself wrote that there was “an acceptance at Elland Road that a play-off position is beyond the club this season,” and it is this that the fans will have to grow accustomed to.

Evans therefore is turning his eyes towards a rebuilding process that starts in the summer and is geared towards the 2016/17 Championship campaign where he feels that he will be more fully backed. So optimistic is the Leeds head coach that he has said he will step away from the job should he fail to meet his own expectations. Evans said in his presser, “I want a proper promotion challenge next season,” before going on to add, “I’m certain that I’ll get the support I want in the summer so if I can’t get a proper promotion challenge going I won’t be here. Mr Cellino won’t have to sack me because I’ll walk away with no money. I’ll have failed.

Such a bold declaration in public no doubt shows the honesty of Evans and also the belief that he has that he will be fully supported in his bid to rebuild a Leeds United team capable of mounting a serious promotion charge. On this matter Evans stated, “I’ll have had more than half of this season so I can’t go into next season saying ‘we’re going for mid-table or top 10’. That won’t cut it.”

Leeds currently sit in 16th place in the Championship table after the recent Tuesday night games and are 12 points adrift of the Play-Off places.

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