by Liam Hatton
After Coventry City made the very questionable decision to sack Mark Robins, Ian Evatt is now the fifth longest-serving manager in the top four English leagues.
It is quite an achievement for Evatt, but also a testament to Bolton Wanderers as a club to ensure a level of stability for the managerial position, even when there has been a huge facelift to the playing squad. Only three players remain with the club since Evatt joined back in 2020 - George Thomason (who was singed by Keith Hill prior to Evatt), Ricardo Santos and Gethin Jones.
There are some parallels with Robins and Evatt - both have taken over clubs from the fourth tier who have had notorious issues with ownership in the past, both have stabilised and ensured that if they were to leave then each club would be in a better place than when they first joined.
Obviously, Robins has been more successful as Coventry have been competing in the Championship for five years, were on the cusp of promotion to the Premier League and reached an FA Cup semi final last year. However, it goes to show that stability is so important in football, which is one of the most unstable professions in terms of job security.
Maybe it is a realisation that ambition becomes expectancy and when clubs punch above their weight, that expectation grows and it is a struggle to live up to those heights. Evatt has brought silverware to the club, ensured an immediate bounce back from relegation to League Two and every year has witnessed an improvement in league position.
But, and there is always a but, you are measured by that expectation. Bolton missed out on promotion last year in embarrassing fashion via the playoff final, coupled with a mixed start to this season and some discontent with Evatt - whether it is his playing style or the fans belief that he refuses to adapt - has resulted in a minority of the fanbase calling for his head.
If Evatt were to go, would it be met with such outrage like Coventry’s fanbase have shown? I do not believe so. Would Bolton be able to find a manager who could have this squad competing without missing much of a beat? Yes, both points can be true.
I have backed Evatt since the start, and although I have not been as steadfast in my belief in him this year, I do still believe he is good for Bolton on the whole. Maybe it is that hangover from Wembley which I still cannot seem to fully shake, I don’t know.
For context, the man started at Bolton when Donald Trump was first in office, and he is still here as Trump begins his second term, so it is fair to see Evatt still has credit in the bank - which is a rarity in today’s game.
I still think Bolton are too inconsistent and I worry about automatic promotion, last week’s defeat to Walsall in the FA Cup was poor, but if they can bounce back against Stockport and it does not affect their league run then it is a small sacrifice to take for the greater good.
I spoke about ambition becoming expectancy and the expectation for Evatt is promotion. For a game which is renowned for its instability, Bolton are about as stable as they have ever been.
By Lee Sidebotham.
Getting knocked out in the FA Cup should be seen as a failure by the club.
Despite the positives of avoiding fixture congestion and fatigue, we’ll now miss out on both the magic and money of the cup.
As an away season ticket holder, I’ll regret not getting the chance to visit the likes of Gainsborough Trinity or Kettering Town. Okay, maybe I’m on my own there.
The fact Liam Gordon got on the scoresheet too was a real kicker too. However, I am pleased for Liam and impressed with the career he’s having with the Saddlers. He looks set to be in League One next year with them. I remember being disappointed when we let him go. He made 13 league appearances in our first season back in the third division at the age of just 22 and I feel we could have grown him into something even better.
It’s not the first time in recent I think we’ve made the wrong decision in letting some players go. Too many times do I hear someone in the stands talk about getting rid of someone just because of injury luck or a bad run of form.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson instantly comes to mind after joining Wrexham in recent weeks. There surely must be an inquest into how we didn’t see the need to re-sign Bod, yet our promotion rivals did. I felt he was incredibly unlucky with injuries and got rid of him because of that. But offered us something different up front. He made no secret about wanting to stay with us and the decision to let him go is one I believe we will regret.
Ronan Darcy seems to be the only one performing at Crawley at the minute. Imagine what he could do in a stronger line-up. He’s growing into that player we believed he could be and flipping him for some quick funds back in 2022 I think was the wrong decision.
Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but whenever Amadou Bakayoko seemed to come on, he would score. He scored six and assisted five last season in the Scottish Premiership and to get rid of him just because he didn’t fit into our style of play has proven in the long run to be a mistake. We could have used him in past weeks against beefy Birmingham and Huddersfield defences.
Then there’s Aaron Morley who sits at the top of League One with Wycombe Wanderers. Morley has so far made three assists and scored this past Tuesday. This beats all our current midfield options. He couldn’t find a way into our lineup and yet his corner and free kicks, passing and creativity have sorely been missed so far this season. Bringing him back in January is simply a must.
As the January window gets closer, we’ll be looking to make some improvements to the squad. But let’s remember that keeping assets could prove as important as bringing them in, even if some aren’t in form right now.
by James Scott.
At around this point in November 2021, Bolton were lining up to play Stockport County in an FA Cup replay with a side that included Lloyd Isgrove starting at right back, Amadou Bakayoko and Elias Kachunga leading the line, and Joel Dixon in goal.
Three years on, Wanderers will return to Edgeley Park all too aware of their 5-3 defeat last time out, and with more jeopardy on the line. Now in the same division as Stockport County, Ian Evatt’s side must put the failures of their previous visit behind them.
This game presents another good opportunity for Bolton to not only climb up the table but also eliminate some doubts that they don’t perform in tricky local games.
After conceding nine in four games against Lancashire rivals Blackpool and Wigan last season which made for some pretty ugly viewing, Bolton need to turn up to Stockport with a fast and aggressive approach to make early inroads.
Stockport are vulnerable at home, having won just one game in the division on their home turf since August.
League leaders Wycombe put five past Corey Addai on Tuesday night, with on loan Aaron Morley adding the fifth in a dominant display. Bolton must crush any hope of a resurgence Stockport might have immediately, for letting them into the game and not going ahead early has been Bolton’s Achilles heel this season.
We have seen dress rehearsals of how Bolton can look to make a statement in away games such as these.
Having dropped points away at Northampton last season, Wanderers went 2-0 up inside the first quarter of the game, and emerged victorious having eventually put four past the Midlands outfit.
Even more impressive was the performance against Crawley, which once again saw Bolton take the lead early on, and not give their hosts any chance of coming back into the game.
We have also seen where an overly pragmatic approach has cost Bolton. Ian Evatt’s ultra-defensive line-up against Birmingham was a mistake which was exposed inside three minutes when Bolton went 1-0 down, having barely had a kick before Tomoki Iwata rocketed home a strike from 25 yards.
For Wanderers, they must play the game in front of them and not the occasion of a local clash against a side whom they were humiliated by in recent times. Ian Evatt must trust his team’s strengths – notably the imperious return to top form of Ricardo Santos, the attacking flair of his strikers and the quality that Szabi Schon possesses on the wings. Should this all fall into place, there is no reason why Bolton cannot emerge victorious from Edgeley Park.
If Bolton are to keep on track with their renewed promotion push, then avoiding a potential banana skin on the road is imperative. The senior players must lead the way, and for Santos, Sheehan and Johnston, they have to use the humiliation of three years ago to power Bolton to victory.
By Chris McKeown.
I have to admit, I am a little disappointed to be out of the FA Cup, but it seems the overall opinion is divided on whether it’s good or bad to be out.
Yes, to reach the Championship is the main objective, but I would like to have had progressed in the competition, if only a little further.
The team selected was good enough to win, and we had chances, but the levels needed to match Walsall on the day didn’t get reached.
That said, apart from the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, we are firmly placing all of our eggs in the promotion basket, and I think to get a result at Stockport must take all of the focus now.
Our league form is much improved, and to see us in the top six gives everyone a boost-however, we have to keep pushing on.
Stockport will be a stern examination, not least because of the midweek thrashing they received at the hands of Wycombe they will want to bounce back from that that result rapidly, but also because there is that local rival extra heat added to the mix.
With how this season is panning out, it seems anybody who puts a run together at this stage can quickly get themselves back into contention, but soon enough the little gaps will start to appear and for us to remain in that play-off zone with a very close eye on the top two, is imperative.
Saturday’s game is very much the type where we need to pick up points. It adds extra fuel to the charge and sends a message that we mean business.
Once again we have the international break disruption ahead, and for me it’s crucial that the fans go into that on the back of a positive performance, can be upbeat and enjoy the short intermission ( whilst having some bragging rights over a local team! )
Ian Evatt seemingly looks to have made this campaign all about promotion, and Saturday won’t define that, but if we manage to secure a victory the whispers of hope will start to amplify that little bit more.
Maybe, just maybe, we can go one step further this time.
It’s small steps with big impacts that may make the difference.
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