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Wanderers boss Ian Evatt knew he could Ferg-et all about three points as his team went into he final stages of their game against Grimsby Town.
After pushing hard for an opening goal before half time, the Whites laboured badly in the second half and failed to register a single shot on target.
Grimsby had not played since September 19 and had seen their entire team put into self-isolation after a positive coronavirus test, only returning to the training ground on Thursday morning.
But when Bolton should have been going for the throat, Evatt felt his side let their opponents off very lightly indeed.
“I don’t think we’re anything like strong enough, mentally,” he said. “I didn’t see that desire to win at all costs today.
“I use an analogy about Alex Ferguson and Manchester United – you knew they would score in the 88th, 89th, 90th minute. But I didn’t see that from us today.
“Whether that is because we haven’t got the fans sucking the ball into the net, I think it plays a part, and to be honest I don’t think there’s a reason why we can’t have fans in here, socially-distanced, but we have to figure it out quickly.
“Tee to green we were good but the final delivery wasn’t good enough today.”
Despite obvious frustration at having failed to push harder for the win, Evatt feels that there were signs of progress, particularly in defence.
A first clean sheet of the season and a second game unbeaten are positive steps, albeit the team is still struggling to achieve the levels he wants from them.
“It’s very much a work in progress,” he said. “We’re nowhere near where we want to be or where we’ll end up.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction and look better defensively but we are consistently inconsistent still. I see flashes of brilliance but I don’t see it often enough.
“We have to get back to moving the ball with tempo and positivity and working on implementing those things from the training ground to the pitch.
“Honestly, if I showed you what they did in training you’d be amazed. But then for whatever reason, whatever excuse they want to give, they are not doing it here on a Saturday.
“We have to make sure we change that.”
Asked if he enjoyed the reunion with his mentor, Ian Holloway, who managed him as a player at Blackpool and QPR, Evatt added: “No, because I got earache.
“He’s a wonderful man and I think the world of him. What he gave me in my career and in life in general, what he taught me, I have nothing but respect and admiration for him.”
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After pushing hard for an opening goal before half time, the Whites laboured badly in the second half and failed to register a single shot on target.
Grimsby had not played since September 19 and had seen their entire team put into self-isolation after a positive coronavirus test, only returning to the training ground on Thursday morning.
But when Bolton should have been going for the throat, Evatt felt his side let their opponents off very lightly indeed.
“I don’t think we’re anything like strong enough, mentally,” he said. “I didn’t see that desire to win at all costs today.
“I use an analogy about Alex Ferguson and Manchester United – you knew they would score in the 88th, 89th, 90th minute. But I didn’t see that from us today.
“Whether that is because we haven’t got the fans sucking the ball into the net, I think it plays a part, and to be honest I don’t think there’s a reason why we can’t have fans in here, socially-distanced, but we have to figure it out quickly.
“Tee to green we were good but the final delivery wasn’t good enough today.”
Despite obvious frustration at having failed to push harder for the win, Evatt feels that there were signs of progress, particularly in defence.
A first clean sheet of the season and a second game unbeaten are positive steps, albeit the team is still struggling to achieve the levels he wants from them.
“It’s very much a work in progress,” he said. “We’re nowhere near where we want to be or where we’ll end up.
“I think we’re heading in the right direction and look better defensively but we are consistently inconsistent still. I see flashes of brilliance but I don’t see it often enough.
“We have to get back to moving the ball with tempo and positivity and working on implementing those things from the training ground to the pitch.
“Honestly, if I showed you what they did in training you’d be amazed. But then for whatever reason, whatever excuse they want to give, they are not doing it here on a Saturday.
“We have to make sure we change that.”
Asked if he enjoyed the reunion with his mentor, Ian Holloway, who managed him as a player at Blackpool and QPR, Evatt added: “No, because I got earache.
“He’s a wonderful man and I think the world of him. What he gave me in my career and in life in general, what he taught me, I have nothing but respect and admiration for him.”
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