The Wanderers boss speaks on the final away day of the season
Bolton Wanderers play their final away game of the season this Saturday, travelling to Gloucestershire to face Cheltenham Town.
Wanderers travel to face Michael Duff’s Robins at 3 p.m., looking to extend their unbeaten streak as the season draws to a close.
Both teams were promoted from League Two last season and are on track for a midtable finish, with Wanderers potentially finishing in the top ten.
Wanderers have won their last two games and will be seeking to make it three in a row against the Robins this weekend.
Ahead of the game, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt spoke to the press and here’s what he had to say on the clash to broadcasters
“Kyle Dempsey trained again today, so he will be available on Saturday. Everyone else is OK and ready to go except for the obvious.”
“We established a points target for the players many weeks ago, and believe it or not, it’s still within reach. This is not going to get us into the playoffs; I believe it is a freak year.
“But 67 points with two games remaining is not to be taken lightly, and I believe that if we reach the points total that we desire, nine out of the last ten years, that would have been enough to qualify for the playoffs, demonstrating that we’ve had a good season.
“Obviously we need to improve and we want to improve because we want to be the best, but we’ve built a solid foundation and structure this season and I think most people are relatively pleased with how we’ve done.”
Do you at this stage attempt to identify which areas that determines what needs to be done in the summer and in which order?
“Absolutely. My role extends beyond simply coaching and managing the squad. It’s to think about the future and how we get there, and myself and other people behind the scenes, Sharon (Brittan) and the board, Chris (Markham), Neil (Hart), are constantly discussing Project Championship, so to speak, and where the team fundamentally needs to improve, as well as what that recruitment looks like.
“But also off the pitch, where we need to go as a football club so that when we go to the Championship, we can be competitive, stay there, and challenge for a place in the Premier League.
“All of this is happening behind the scenes. We’re all quite ambitious. We all want success and have no doubts that we will achieve it, but for the time being, it is important to ensure that when we do, everything is in place and running smoothly.
Cheltenham are next up – what do you expect?
“They’ve had a pretty excellent season, and I believe three or four of the Morecambe clubs that were promoted last season did well. I believe we’ve managed to get ahead of the group, considering that we finished third last season, not first.
“I believe we succeeded in distinguishing ourselves from the competition, which was one of our goals. We’re not where we want to be yet, but we’re well on our way. Cheltenham must make the most of what they have available to them in terms of budget and attendance, and that is a compliment to Michael and his staff.
“I believe they have had a terrific season. They have some really good players, and I see the same things that I did last season. Good and particular passing patterns, the way they use their system to attack you, and extremely good set plays.
“The long throws are no longer available, which is helpful! Michael will probably appreciate me not discussing it! They’ve found other methods, and they’re a good squad that understands how to win.”
It’s been a productive week on the field over the Easter weekend and exactly what you were hoping for?
“Absolutely. We wanted six points. That has resulted in decent performances. I don’t think we were brilliant in either game, but we’ve managed to win when we weren’t at our best and find answers, and I believe that’s part of how we’re maturing as a team to learn to win ugly, so to speak.
Hopefully you can find ways next season of sometimes not playing well and still getting maximum points?
“When I say win ugly, I don’t believe we will ever be an ugly team. I don’t think that’s how we do things. I believe we have flashes and moments in games where we are fantastic, and we haven’t had enough of those moments, while we’ve had too many of the other side where we’ve been inconsistent.
“We’ve been a little soft and flaky away from home, but I think that’s changed all season, and I think our attitude and mentality, especially when teams score against us, has evolved and gotten better, and we finish games hard. We’ve done it for two years, and long may it continue.
“When we score first, I believe our record is excellent How can we score first more often and continue to improve? They’re the discussions that happen almost every day.
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