Former Peterborough United boss urges fans to keep the faith with the club's hierarchy

Evans will start plotting a Carabao Cup exit for his old club when his current team Bristol Rovers return from a tour of Scotland on Monday.

But, whatever happens in a first round tie at the Memorial Stadium next Saturday (August 8, 3pm), Evans believes Posh will enjoy a decent season. He predicts the current mood among the supporters will ease as soon as three-to-four new players arrive in the coming days.

"It’s been a tough couple of seasons for Posh as they have lost a lot of good players,” Evans said. “And now they are without Kyrell Lisbie and Archie Collins from last season as well, but trust me Darragh and Barry will be working 24/7 to get players in and I fully expect to see three or four new ones in the squad to play us next weekend.

"And when Luke has the squad he wants he will get the best out of them. I have no doubts about that at all. They already have some good players at the club. I had Tom O’Connor as a young player when I was at Gillingham and he was an outstanding footballer. He played well for us as a left-back, a left centre-back and as a number six.

"It’s not easy finding the players Posh want to be able to continue what they have done successfully for years. Ones they can develop quickly to form a side good enough to compete well in League One, but they have had a good record of finishing in the top 10 and then pushing for the play-offs and I expect that to happen again. I suspect Darragh expects that as well.

"I know the standards expected at Posh as I was sacked when we were sixth in League One! I still maintain I would have got that side up that season, but he who pays the piper calls the tune and Darragh was entitled to make the decision he did.”

Rovers have done well in pre-season. They went down by one goal to Leicester City and drew with Portsmouth, but a 3-0 win over a full strength Dundee team, a Scottish Premiership side, was the best result of the summer.

Rovers are second favourites to win League Two with Sky Bet after finishing last season in supreme form under Evans, winning 10 of their last 12 matches.

"I’m confident, but not getting carried away,” Evans said. “We beat a lot of teams by the odd goal towards the end of the season and beat teams with nothing to play for. It was a great run though and it gives us a great feeling going into a new season. We were getting gates of 10,000 at home even after we’d made sure of staying up, something we wouldn’t have done if we hadn’t strengthened the squad in January.

"I’m expecting a decent game next weekend. Like most managers I wouldn’t be heartbroken if we lost, but we will certainly be going all out for the win as it’s a chance to get a big game against a big club and earn the club a big payday.”