It’s been well documented this week that although Steve Evans has yet to be relieved of his duties as Leeds United head coach, he is likely to be replaced by Bristol Rovers manager Darrell Clarke in the near future. Here I will explain five reasons why I think Evans is a better fit than Clarke.

1. Championship Experience

Although Clarke has won two successive promotions with Bristol Rovers, he has never managed at a higher level than the fourth tier. Evans now has two years of Championship management under his belt with both Leeds and Rotherham and will know the ins and outs of the league whereas Clarke will need time to settle and adapt to the league, we all know how that worked out for Dave Hockaday!

2. Evans wants to be at Leeds United

The passion shown by Steve Evans on the last day of the season at Preston showed how much he has fallen in love with Leeds since his appointment last October. The tears in his eyes showed that the Scot had already accepted that that would be his last chance to show his gratitude towards the Leeds United faithful despite speaking of his desire to stay on at Leeds on multiple occasions. If Darrell Clarke is appointed he may just see this as another stepping stone as he moves his way up the Football League.

3. The fans want Evans to stay

Who would have thought after Evans’ appointment in October that “One Steve Evans” would be ringing from the away end as we limp to a 1-1 draw at Preston on the last day of the season to finish in a measly 13th position? That alone speaks volumes about how much Steve Evans has won over the fans in such a short space of time. While there are still some fans who are not yet a part of “Team Evans”, it’s safe to say that 90% of fans would like to see him in the Elland Road dugout in August.

4. Evans can attract better players

The days when simply a mention of the Leeds United name was enough to get some players to sign on the dotted line are sadly gone and these days we struggle to tempt top Championship players to sign. While the main reason for these players not signing is more often than not a certain Italian dictator, I believe we have a better chance of signing promotion quality players with Evans in charge. Evans’ two main signings last season, Liam Bridcutt on loan from Sunderland and Toumani Diagouraga from Brentford, were vital members of the Leeds midfield for the second half of the season. While he may be able to attract top quality lower league players, it’s unlikely that Clarke would be able to attract players of the quality of a Bridcutt or a Diagouraga.

5. Evans is better equipped to deal with Mr. Cellino

If the last few years have shown us anything it’s that it’s almost impossible to work under Massimo Cellino at Leeds United. If Darrell Clarke is appointed as head coach, he will more than likely just become another one of Cellino’s yes men, get the blame for everything that goes wrong and be shown the door after a few months (just ask Hockaday, Milanic and Rosler!). Steve Evans has worked under Cellino for almost a year now, that’s a very long time in Cellinoland, and will know by know how the Italian works.