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Ian Evatt refused to be downbeat about Bolton's 2-0 defeat at Colchester United insisting: “We were mugged!”
Tom Eastman and Jevani Brown pounced on defensive errors to extend the Bolton head coach’s wait for a win to four competitive games.
Although Bolton created good chances – Liam Gordon, Nathan Delfouneso and Eoin Doyle going close – they will once again feel both goals they conceded were avoidable.
Eastman headed home unchallenged from a corner a minute before half time and Brown lobbed keeper Billy Crellin after Wanderers had failed to defend a straight ball out down the right channel.
Evatt maintained, however, that he was pleased with the performance.
“I must say, I think that is the best we have played,” he said. “We completely dominated the pace and the speed of the game for 90 minutes, not just 20.
“I feel like we have been mugged a bit, to be honest. We switched off just before half time with a set piece and that sapped a bit of energy out of us but I thought in the second half we came out and dominated the ball again – switching off for the second.
“It’s the best we have played since I have been at the club. It’s a massive improvement on last week, I think everyone can see that, you guys can see that. If we play like that and be more ruthless over the next 44 games then we’ll win a lot more than we lose.
Evatt changed to a back four and played Jak Hickman in an advanced position on the right, ahead of Gethin Jones, effectively going 4-3-1-2.
He was pleased enough with the display to predict that Wanderers will soon end their winless run.
“It’s coming,” he said. “That’s the first time I have really thought ‘this looks like my team’.
“We will keep improving week on week. It’s early in the season. You don’t win championships and promotions in September.
“Give us time and that’s the first time it has looked properly like a team of mine. And it will change – everyone in the stadium that witnessed it would agree. I don’t think you can disagree.
“I’d like to see the possession stats because Colchester at this level are a very good team. They got into he play-offs last year, they have good players and they are a possession-based team themselves but I don’t remember them controlling much possession.
“We have done all of that, it’s just getting the fine details.
“There was a change in shape, a little tweak in the formation, and it seems to suit us a lot more.
“Now we will drill into the finer details. It’s coming.”
Wanderers fans, watching at home, may well argue that the start made by the club is at odds with their pre-season billing as promotion favourites.
Evatt and his players did not hide their ambition to bounce straight back into League One but now find themselves as one of only four clubs who have yet to pick up a point.
“I understand it’s frustrating and I’m as frustrated as anybody,” Evatt said.
“I get that – and I get that I’m the first manager in history who has lost their first four games in charge and that doesn’t bother me because I know what is coming.
“I am more than confident in myself and my own abilities. And today is the day that I thought they were starting to take on that information – they looked like a really good team, bar the goals and not taking our chances.
“Ask any reporter that watched it – you guys must agree with me – and I encourage the fans to watch it as well, I thought we were fantastic today.”
Source
Tom Eastman and Jevani Brown pounced on defensive errors to extend the Bolton head coach’s wait for a win to four competitive games.
Although Bolton created good chances – Liam Gordon, Nathan Delfouneso and Eoin Doyle going close – they will once again feel both goals they conceded were avoidable.
Eastman headed home unchallenged from a corner a minute before half time and Brown lobbed keeper Billy Crellin after Wanderers had failed to defend a straight ball out down the right channel.
Evatt maintained, however, that he was pleased with the performance.
“I must say, I think that is the best we have played,” he said. “We completely dominated the pace and the speed of the game for 90 minutes, not just 20.
“I feel like we have been mugged a bit, to be honest. We switched off just before half time with a set piece and that sapped a bit of energy out of us but I thought in the second half we came out and dominated the ball again – switching off for the second.
“It’s the best we have played since I have been at the club. It’s a massive improvement on last week, I think everyone can see that, you guys can see that. If we play like that and be more ruthless over the next 44 games then we’ll win a lot more than we lose.
Evatt changed to a back four and played Jak Hickman in an advanced position on the right, ahead of Gethin Jones, effectively going 4-3-1-2.
He was pleased enough with the display to predict that Wanderers will soon end their winless run.
“It’s coming,” he said. “That’s the first time I have really thought ‘this looks like my team’.
“We will keep improving week on week. It’s early in the season. You don’t win championships and promotions in September.
“Give us time and that’s the first time it has looked properly like a team of mine. And it will change – everyone in the stadium that witnessed it would agree. I don’t think you can disagree.
“I’d like to see the possession stats because Colchester at this level are a very good team. They got into he play-offs last year, they have good players and they are a possession-based team themselves but I don’t remember them controlling much possession.
“We have done all of that, it’s just getting the fine details.
“There was a change in shape, a little tweak in the formation, and it seems to suit us a lot more.
“Now we will drill into the finer details. It’s coming.”
Wanderers fans, watching at home, may well argue that the start made by the club is at odds with their pre-season billing as promotion favourites.
Evatt and his players did not hide their ambition to bounce straight back into League One but now find themselves as one of only four clubs who have yet to pick up a point.
“I understand it’s frustrating and I’m as frustrated as anybody,” Evatt said.
“I get that – and I get that I’m the first manager in history who has lost their first four games in charge and that doesn’t bother me because I know what is coming.
“I am more than confident in myself and my own abilities. And today is the day that I thought they were starting to take on that information – they looked like a really good team, bar the goals and not taking our chances.
“Ask any reporter that watched it – you guys must agree with me – and I encourage the fans to watch it as well, I thought we were fantastic today.”
Source
