3 Bristol Rovers issues Steve Evans needs to fix ASAP | OneFootball

New Bristol Rovers Head Coach Steve Evans will need to make an instant impact in these areas

Bristol Rovers have wasted no time in confirming former Leeds United and Rotherham United boss Steve Evans as their new head coach – replacing Darrell Clarke at the helm.

Despite glimmers of hope, there will be no repeat of the double-promotion winning heroics which originally cemented Clarke’s name in Bristol Rovers folklore. Lest we forget, it was, of course, Darrell Clarke who led the Gas as they dropped out of the Football League for the first and so far, only time, in their long history — before instantly securing back-to-back promotions and reclaiming their league status. But history will not repeat itself on this occasion – in that sense at least — as Evans now takes over with the Gas staring down the barrel of another relegation battle to save their Football League status.

It will be no mean feat for the new head coach, with the Gas currently on their worst run of form in the club's more than 140-year history and sitting 23rd in the table from 20 matches, leaving fans desperate for a change in fortunes. Evans’ contract is only until the end of the season, so he doesn't have long to effect change at the club.

Here Football League World breaks down three key areas the new gaffer might want to focus on.

The right formation to take Bristol Rovers forwards

There had been plenty of criticism of the previous manager, predominantly around his constant tinkering with formation. Clarke has tried multiple different formations at various points so far this season, including 3-5-2, 4-3-3, 3-4-2-1 and a 3-4-3.

It led to the forming of the opinion that Rovers showed no real identity in their play, with no consistency in style, and players forced to play outside their natural positions.

Rovers have conceded 38 goals so far this season – the worst of anyone in League Two. And their recent run includes a three-game run in October where the Gas shipped 12 goals and scored just one.

Rovers’ dreadful run of form is in stark contrast to the eight-match unbeaten run they went on earlier in the season. During that spell, Clarke mostly started with four at the back, but for reasons including availability, along with his preference for three at the back, and having an abundance of centre-backs in the ranks, the now twice former Bristol Rovers boss would frequently opt to start with three centre-backs and still switch to back to a four at half-time.

Fans had become increasingly baffled by Clarke's tinkering under a cloak of adaptability, though DC and his staff would argue that their hand was often forced by the personnel available to them. And it might have felt at times for Darrell Clarke that no matter what he tried, things just wouldn’t go his way.

So one of Evans' first tasks will be to understand the players he has at his disposal – their strengths, weaknesses, and technical attributes, to best see which formation will finally get this Gas team cooking.

Bristol Rovers' injury troubles

Bristol Rovers’ injury problems just seem to go on and on with the seemingly constant absence of key players, often for extended periods of time. And despite past affirmations from the club that they will seek more resilient and durable signings, the problem just seems to persist.

Of course, it is normal for a squad to suffer injuries during a long and grueling season, but Rovers seem to be a glutton for punishment as they continue to lose key players. Last season, the notable absences of Promise Omochere and Chris Martin were ultimately felt hard by the team and Omochere in particular continues to struggle for a sustained period of fitness.

This season, the injury list has continued to grow with the likes of Shaq Forde and Omochere having faced lengthy periods on the sidelines. Meanwhile, we’ve seen many of Clarke’s signings, including Macauley Southam-Hales, Ellis Harrison, Josh McEachran and Stephen Negru all dealing with some kind of injury already this campaign - All key players in one form or another.

If this all came under one manager or regime, then the change at the helm would surely instigate a change in this trend. However, with multiple coaches all enduring the same issue, there seems to be no obvious link between training methods and injury occurrences.

Can it then just be rotten luck or are training and recruitment/player profile also at fault? Either way, it causes extreme selection migraines for whoever is selecting the match-day squad. Of course, some of these headaches may also have been contributed to by the active desire for a smaller squad this season – as Clarke himself called for at the start of the season.

Evans' contract currently expires at the end of the season, so as it stands, he will only have one transfer window to explore opportunities to bring in players who are up to the physical and technical demands of League Two football. And with his role being so temporary, Evans may not even have too much of a say in who does come in.

Make a decision on Isaac Hutchinson

It's fair to say Isaac Hutchinson had a torrid time during his spell at the Gas with the 25-year-old not reaching the promise his previous season with Walsall might have suggested. The youngster struggled for consistent form, likely down to problems settling into life at Bristol Rovers amid concerns about the treatment of his family by Gas supporters.

That said, Rovers have been struggling to dominate midfield and create clear opportunities to score, while at the same time, Hutchinson has been racking up impressive stats on loan at Cheltenham Town.

The young midfielder has made 12 appearances for the Robins in League Two since joining from Rovers on loan – scoring four goals and providing one assist. Hutchinson has been widely praised for this current form, with some Gasheads even suggesting he be recalled in January.

Some might say that with Hutchinson in such form and Rovers lacking creativity, it’s a no-brainer to recall him from his loan. However, creativity was still lacking with Hutchinson in the side as the Gas struggled for goals in League One and there is no guarantee that the midfielder will be able to finally carry over his good form while in a Rovers shirt. And it would naturally be a tough one for the player to swallow should he be recalled by Evans, considering his previous experience in BS7 and his current upturn in form away from the club.

Getting the players to perform in a Rovers shirt may be the toughest task of all for the Scotsman. The Bristol Rovers players continue to feel the wrath of the Gas fanbase, who regularly vent at the players' perceived lack of effort for much of their time in a Rovers shirt. DC was thought to be the man who could change that, but now that task passes on to Evans, and he’ll need to make an instant impact.