Bolton Wanderers head coach Ian Evatt admits that the first half of the season ‘hasn’t gone to plan’ ahead of two tough home games over the festive period.
The Trotters head into their Boxing Day clash with Barnsley this afternoon eighth in League One, but level on points with sixth-placed Lincoln City in the final play-off spot. The Imps are due to visit the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Sunday.
Bolton suffered defeat in the play-off final against Oxford United in May and suffered a hangover in the early stages of this season. They won just one of their opening five matches, losing three, but have largely recovered since to put themselves back in contention for a top six finish.
A disappointing 2-0 defeat against rivals Wigan Athletic earlier this month was followed by a decent point against then-league leaders Wycombe Wanderers in the last game before Christmas.
Evatt Assesses Pre-Christmas Form
Evatt knows that this is perhaps his most important season since taking over as head coach in 2020. Supporters expect promotion after last season’s disappointment and their slow start has led to some pressure.
Assessing the first half of the campaign, the 43-year-old admits that things haven’t gone to plan, although it hasn’t been a disaster either. Speaking to official club media, he said:
“The first half (of the season) hasn’t gone to plan, but it hasn’t been disastrous either.
“It probably sits somewhere in between. For us, and our standard and our level and what we’ve been held accountable for, it’s been under par, which is fine. We understand that there are a lot of games to go and there’s a lot of football to be played and we’re confident come the end of this season we can still get the job done, which we all know what that meant for us.
“Last season we had a really good Christmas period and it set us up and we need to have the same this year. I remember not so long ago (2020/21) we were sat 19th at the end of January/early February and we managed to win automatic promotion.
“Our start hasn’t been anything like as disastrous as that one. I know we’re capable of good runs, I know we’re capable of long runs, and it’s down to us now to try and make sure that happens.”
Writer’s View
This is an important few days for Bolton. They have two home games against teams that also harbour play-off ambitions and two victories could significantly alter the trajectory of their season. They need to cut out the silly dropped points, like the 1-1 draw with Cambridge United and the 5-0 defeat against Stockport County. If they do that, they should be strong enough to finish in the top six.
