Bolton Wanderers Boss In His Usual Way Has Spoken Clear About The “Poor” Performances Of…

Bolton Wanderers Boss In His Usual Way Has Spoken Clear About The “Poor” Performances Of…

Bolton Wanderers boss’s consistency plea at Bristol Rovers

BUOYED by their midweek revival against Mansfield Town and boosted by the return of captain George Thomason, Wanderers go to Bristol Rovers tomorrow with a word of warning from manager Ian Evatt.

Bolton have inched their way up the table since September and are now level on points with fifth-placed Stockport County and sixth-placed Reading, taking 26 points from their last dozen games.

But suggestion that the team had finally ‘cracked it’ was swatted away by the Whites boss, who feels his players are hungry to show much more than they have managed so far in League One.

“I can only control my own mindset, I can help with the staff and players, and we are not happy with where we are but that is primarily down to the first five games which gave us a poor and difficult start,” said Evatt, who will have George Thomason back after suspension.

“I am trying to move on from that, and the players are trying too, so when you go on these good runs you have to fight really hard to try and maintain them. We have had some low moments, a couple in particular, and I don’t need to discuss them again, but the players have always responded in the right way.

“If you take the following 12 games we have picked up a lot of points, we are a team in form, and not necessarily one which has been consistent. We haven’t hit top gear, nowhere near, in fact.

“We have done it in spells, we have done it in moments, but it’s our aim to do it more consistently. If we can then we are right in the mix.

“It is OK to fly under radar, be an underdog, certainly within the camp. I think the players respond to that mentality really well, so fingers crossed we can keep winning games.

“I speak about my own personal record but a lot of these players have been there for that journey. When you become used to winning it can become ‘why are you not winning by more’ but you shouldn’t take winning for granted and we have done it consistently.”

Evatt has passed on his support to Bristol Rovers manager Matt Taylor, who will return to the dugout for the first time this weekend after being given a leave of absence due to an “ongoing family emergency.”

The Bolton boss will take his side to the Memorial Stadium looking to break back into the top six for the first time since October.

Taylor was absent from the dugout in Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat at Leyton Orient and will also be missing this weekend, with assistant manager Wayne Carlisle and first-team coach David Horseman taking over all footballing duties.

“It is delicate, all we can really say is that we hope Matt and his family are OK,” Evatt said. “That is where his priority should be. Football is a game we love but it is only a game. Some things are more important, and family definitely comes first.”

On the pitch, Evatt expects Saturday’s opponents to produce a response after a difficult result in East London in midweek.

“They have a good squad of players, no doubt about it, and wounded animals are usually dangerous ones so they will look for a reaction at home,” he said. “Their record at home is not bad.

“For us, it’s just a case of concentrating on producing our best. There are some big games ahead but this is the one we need to focus on for now.”