Steve Evans Tactics At Stevenage 2022/2023 – Direct Progressions And High Blocks

Since their relegation back in 2014, Stevenage have only qualified for a play-off spot once, the consecutive season after dropping down from League One to League Two. On that occasion, they finished sixth in the league table, with 72 points under Graham Westley, the manager who led them to promotion to League One. After the 2014/15 campaign, Stevenage weren’t able to pick a direct or play-off promotion place in England’s fourth tier.

Since Westley left the club, he returned twice, between 2013 and 2015, and 2019 and 2020. Seven managers have passed through the team in an effort to make a heroic attempt to get Stevenage to play good football and take some steps in the league.

However, this couldn’t happen, and the majority of head coaches could only avoid relegation and finish campaigns in mid-table. Even in Westley’s third period as Stevenage’s manager, he ended in the 23rd spot, which would mean relegation to the National League, if Bury weren’t expelled from League One.

With luck on their side, Stevenage started a new season with new objectives and a new manager as well; it was Alex Revell, who lived up to his expectations. Once again, they finished in mid-table, this time in 14th position.

The 2021/22 season kicked off with the sacking of Revell on the 15th of November, after the team had won only three games, drawn five, and lost eight in their first 16 matches.

Paul Tisdale was the next manager. He performed exceptionally well and even had an excellent spell during January, when the team went unbeaten in five games. After that, he went on without winning for two months, and this opened the door for former Leeds United manager Steve Evans, the actual man in charge of the team.

Evans saved Stevenage from relegation, after they recorded 16 points from 27 available, and escaped the bottom of the table with a nine-point difference between them and the 23rd-placed team, Oldham Athletic.

The new season started, and many players left the team. A revolution was starting within the team.

One of the biggest signings of the season arrived, as Jordan Roberts signed from Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, and Dan Sweeney also came in as a free transfer from Forest Green Rovers.

With new faces and a compact team, Evans kicked off the new campaign in a positive and competitive environment, having completely revitalized the entire squad upon his arrival in the final matches of the previous campaign.

Now, things have changed for good.

Steve Evans and his team are in second place in the table, fighting for promotion with direct football, as well as a range of interesting tactics and a high block that has made them the fourth team with the fewest goals conceded and the third with the most goals scored throughout the start of the season.

They have played 17 matches, winning 11, drawing three, and losing two, scoring 24 goals and conceding 15, registering 36 points, with a four-point lead over Northampton in third place.

Let’s take a look at the tactics deployed by Steve Evans.

This tactical analysis piece will be a team scout report of English League Two side Stevenage.

Functional roles and overloads over the flanks

One of the first Steve Evans changes inside the team was a shift in formation. Last season, as you can see, Stevenage used to play on a back-four, alternating between a 4-4-2 and a 4-3-3, which sums up to 63% of utilization in that 21/22 season. Even the 60-year-old head coach tends to use these two formations since he arrived in March.

Nonetheless, Evans has changed his team formations and has been rotating through a 3-4-1-2 and a 4-3-1-2, which normally depends on which opposition they’re facing. Stevenage appears to be chameleonic, trying different methods and positioning on the pitch to avoid being static and predictable to opponents in League Two.