Rotherham United boss Steve Evans has insisted his side’s benchmark is not Birmingham City, due to the cash Blues are spending at League One level.
Evans, who dubbed Birmingham ‘Real Birmingham’ before the League One clash between the two sides at the New York Stadium on Saturday, saw his men slip to a 2-0 loss to Blues.
Birmingham were the better side for the majority of the game and eased to a comfortable victory against the Millers.
Evans though is not concerned as he insists that Birmingham are by no means the benchmark for Rotherham this term.
He stressed just how much Birmingham are spending, claiming their wage bill is bigger than half the teams in the Championship, and tipped his hat to those backing their ambitious project.
“The benchmark is never going to be Birmingham this season. £25m spent, wages exceeding half the Championship. That’s their project, I applaud that”, Evans told his club’s media.
“I am not going to sit here and knock it. I applaud the guys who own Birmingham, Garry Cook, Craig Gardner, really good people that are controlling that. They are doing a brilliant job, so I only applaud that.
“But our benchmark, we should have beaten Bristol Rovers, Burton last week, we’d have been one win from being secured in the playoffs.
“There is certainly no panic.”
The defeat leaves Rotherham sitting inside the relegation zone in the League One table with just one win to their name so far this season.
Birmingham by contrast sit second, level on points with league leaders Wrexham, but having played a game fewer.
