IAN Evatt says he can completely understand the restlessness in the Wanderers fanbase after a slow start to the League One season.

The Bolton boss has come under early pressure to improve results after his side took one win from their first four games, recently slipping to back-to-back defeats against Charlton Athletic and Exeter City.

This comes less than four months after a high-profile disappointment in the play-off final, which had intensified the need to start the current campaign well.

Evatt has been in charge for four years and has faced spells of disquiet among the supporters before, eventually finding a way to turn around results.

The loud jeers which met the final whistle in Saturday’s game came as no surprise as the club slumped to 18th in the table, its lowest position since the end of 2021.

Asked about the reaction and whether his players must be prepared to weather more after the international break, Evatt told The Bolton News: “We have to be. I don’t think it is helpful but I completely understand it.

“We are expected to win – and it is us that has provided that expectancy. We have given this clubs some good days, good times, good results, a lot of wins and people expect to win. There is an expectation to win football matches at this club, and so there should be.

“We have to be better to make sure that happens.

“We are where we are, the only way we get better is by sticking together. Pointing fingers or booing isn’t going to be helpful.

“We understand that people are disappointed, we are disappointed, but as a club we always need to stick together, especially in tough times. And this is a tough time.”

Wanderers did not hold a pre-match press conference for the Barrow game but Evatt said after the home defeat on on Saturday that he had “expected” performances to suffer after a summer in which very few of his first team squad avoided injury issues, both carried from last season and picked up in the pre-season campaign.

Eight new signings were also added – but the Bolton boss has argued that they will also take time to get up to the required fitness standard and match sharpness.

But Evatt insists he is not trying to justify poor results, nor has he lost any faith that his players can challenge for promotion this season.

He said: “I am not making excuses, we are where we are, and we should be good enough to win football matches. We haven’t been so far because we have won one out of four games, which isn’t anything like us.

“I thought the performance against Wrexham was good, in particular the first half, and then Charlton and Exeter were not. We need to get back to our level as quick as we can.

“I haven’t lost belief or faith in the players and they haven’t lost belief or faith in me, we just need it to come together and come together quickly.”

Wanderers go to Barrow tonight in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy without several first team players, including those selected on international duty such as Josh Sheehan, Eoin Toal, Dion Charles and Luke Southwood.

Evatt must select a side which falls within the competition rules, or face fines of up to £5,000.