THE game practically nobody wanted has suddenly developed a storyline.

Prior to Saturday’s disaster at Edgeley Park, the majority of Bolton Wanderers supporters wouldn’t have paid much attention to the visit of Fleetwood Town in the final Bristol Street Motors Trophy group game, or indeed the outcome.

But thanks to maelstrom of frustration generated by the 5-0 defeat at Stockport County, Ian Evatt’s next move, his next utterance, his next appearance on the touchline, now takes on much more significance than we could ever have expected. Indeed, the very fact that he took his seat for the pre-match press conference on Monday afternoon was news in itself.

Win, and Bolton book safe passage into the knockout rounds. They have little appetite to invest heavily in the competition they won just two years ago at Wembley and Evatt will surely make the maximum number of changes to a line-up already shorn of international players that the rulebook will allow him.

Whereas this looked like being a free hit before the weekend, the Bolton boss and his players may now feel they could do without piling any more negativity on themselves, and any positive result would at least avoid making a tough situation worse.

Lose against League Two Fleetwood, and just like the FA Cup result at Walsall a couple of weekends ago, it adds another few logs to an angry fire.

Back in April 2023, the Trophy gave Evatt his most satisfying day at the helm. That whitewashing of Plymouth Argyle in the North London sun must have felt a million years ago as he absorbed the fans’ chants on a bitterly cold evening at Stockport, watching most of the remedial work his team had done since mid-September unravel in front of his eyes.

The drama didn’t end with the final whistle, though, and the interviews given by both the manager and his current captain, George Johnston, gave some insight into what has become a deeply unsatisfactory picture at the Toughsheet Stadium.

Johnston had fronted up on behalf of the dressing room to deliver an apology, and to argue that the players – not Evatt and his coaching staff – should carry the can for a desperate result.

The defender’s words were genuine and reflected his growing role in the group, particularly in the absence of George Thomason, who had been officially awarded the captain’s armband earlier in the season before picking up a hamstring injury.

A few minutes earlier the manager had concluded his own interview, which ended with an admission that some of his squad were falling short of his expectations.

Evatt’s words have provoked a mixed reaction from the fanbase, some of whom feel he is passing the blame, others who correctly point out that maintaining standards on the training ground is very much his wheelhouse.

Many of those in attendance at Stockport made their feelings clear, the post-match reaction so vitriolic it actually appeared to physically affect some of the players who had wandered apologetically towards the side of the pitch to applaud the supporters’ commitment in staying to the end.

Evatt had wisely kept some distance. He made a brief reference to chants from the away end about his style of football but otherwise stayed out of that argument too.

If, however, there are players who are not pulling their weight, preparing for games correctly, or carrying themselves professionally away from the pitch, then how does the manager address that in his team selection?

With several players still out injured and four away playing for their country this week, he has precious few options to make sweeping changes and still stay within the competition guidelines.

Tuesday night will be the first chance some of those players get to make amends, a soft launch, if you will, played in front of die-hards only.

The true litmus test will be Blackpool a week on Saturday, a reunion for Evatt with a club who hold him in high regard for his role in helping them into the Premier League in his playing days.

Football loves to throw up coincidences, so with Evatt’s ex-Bloomfield Road pal Charlie Adam in charge of Fleetwood, will the outcome of a hitherto meaningless cup game now impact the main event?

Evatt and Wanderers could use every bit of help they can get.