WANDERERS will bring Eoin Toal back into the squad to face Fleetwood on Saturday – but Ian Evatt admits he does not know what form the opposition will take.
The Bolton boss has watched and taken notes from the last six games played by Scott Brown’s mid-table side and believes their comfortable position in the table could make them dangerous opponents.
But while Evatt is pleased to see Toal back in he fold after a month out with an ankle injury, he is wary of the unpredictability that the Cod Army carry coming to the UniBol.
“Nothing has changed, everyone who was available still is,” he said. “Eoin is further down the line on his return to playing, so we’re OK.
“We always look at the opposition and hatch a plan but there is always a caveat to that because opposition tend to change when they come here.
“I know Fleetwood have had some good results recently and I am sure they will be doing everything they can to spoil the party.
“We can’t worry about results elsewhere, we can only do what we can to prepare whoever is selected from the start properly and then try and affect the game from the bench if we can.
“We just need to start taking our chances, it is as simple as that.”
Defeat against Accrington Stanley in midweek was very much against the formbook and has sparked a wave of concern among Bolton fans.
It has, however, crystalised the situation for Evatt, who feels his side will need to win both their remaining games to keep their top six spot.
“Football is subjective and there are loads and loads of people who will be disappointed and upset with that result, and I was one of those, but I also have to analyse what we did in the game, and if you compare, say, Portsmouth’s performance against them, and they lost that game 1-0, we completely dominated,” he said.
“Sometimes you have those nights, and unfortunately for us it was that one. Fortunately, it didn’t really affect the league position, it just means the cushion has gone. We just need to win the two games now.
“I think it will probably go all the way to the last day - but if you had sat us all here in July and say you had two games to finish fifth in the table in League One, Fleetwood at home, Bristol Rovers away, oh, and you’d won the Papa Johns I think we would have all taken it. We shouldn’t all be too emotional and reactive after one disappointing result.”
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