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Ian Evatt feels he might have to pump up the volume in his technical area to get more decisions go his way in League Two.
The Wanderers boss recently voiced his frustration at the conduct of the opposite dugout in defeat at Walsall – and came up against more touchline trickery on Boxing Day at Carlisle United.
Now Evatt feels he may need to change his own ways and be more upfront with officials, as he feels his team are losing out as a result.
“I am now thinking more along those lines because what I have witnessed with no fans in the stadium is that everyone else seems to get in the fourth official, the linesman and the referee’s ear,” he said. “They end up getting decisions from that.
“If you can’t beat them, join them. If we are affected because we’re trying to act properly or with integrity then maybe I need to stop that and get in the referee’s ear to get some decisions?”
Evatt found himself booked by referee Ross Joyce at Brunton Park when he protested that Wanderers should have been awarded a penalty for a trip on George Thomason.
The incident still rankled a few days later, with Evatt feeling his side were denied a route back into the game at 2-0 down that could have had a big effect on the eventual outcome.
“I can’t apologise for it because it’s a rank bad decision and all I expect is consistency and fairness,” he said.
“Everyone in the whole stadium can see it was a penalty, even in their technical area – which is probably the most vocal I have ever come up against – they were in agreement it was a stonewall penalty.
“When you don’t get it of course I am going to be frustrated and angry. Should I use foul language? No. But appealing and showing emotion? That’s me. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I won’t change that.
“I expect referees to make mistakes but just not to that level.”
Evatt managed in the National League last season, leading Barrow to the title, but has been less than impressed by the standard of officiating since stepping up a level.
“I don’t want to say too much to get myself into trouble but I do think the standard of refereeing is not good enough. I don’t necessarily think it is their fault but this is a professional game,” he said.
“The National League is more or less a professional division, certainly League Two is a professional division, so why are the referees not professional?
“Referees should be practising what they do day-in, day-out. At the minute, they have jobs to go to, their mood can be changed by what happens in their own jobs.
“They can turn up on a Saturday in a strange mood, and we’re all human, and it can affect their performance. But if they can concentrate 24-seven on being a referee, you’ll get mistakes, it’s human error, but you should get fewer.
“There are mistakes, the Premier League has VAR and it is still contentious.
“Refs should get more money to become professional and then it gives you the best possible opportunity to eradicate some of the mistakes happening at the moment.”
Evatt hopes his frank approach will eventually encourage a relationship of trust from the Wanderers fans – even though he is yet to welcome them into the stadium.
“I think one thing that you guys will understand by now, the one thing that everybody that works with me will understand, and I hope the fans will understand, is that I’m always honest and I always say it exactly how I see it.
“That way you can relate and understand why I do what I do, and why I say what I say.
“People aren’t silly, people aren’t stupid. You guys, the press, the players, the rest of the staff, I’m talking about the non-football staff at this club as well.
“I want to be approachable. I want to answer people with integrity and honesty and then I expect the same in return.
“If we’ve all got that, we’re all singing off the same hymn sheet and we might not always agree, but you’ll always respect one another because we know it’s coming from the heart and we know it’s honest.”
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The Wanderers boss recently voiced his frustration at the conduct of the opposite dugout in defeat at Walsall – and came up against more touchline trickery on Boxing Day at Carlisle United.
Now Evatt feels he may need to change his own ways and be more upfront with officials, as he feels his team are losing out as a result.
“I am now thinking more along those lines because what I have witnessed with no fans in the stadium is that everyone else seems to get in the fourth official, the linesman and the referee’s ear,” he said. “They end up getting decisions from that.
“If you can’t beat them, join them. If we are affected because we’re trying to act properly or with integrity then maybe I need to stop that and get in the referee’s ear to get some decisions?”
Evatt found himself booked by referee Ross Joyce at Brunton Park when he protested that Wanderers should have been awarded a penalty for a trip on George Thomason.
The incident still rankled a few days later, with Evatt feeling his side were denied a route back into the game at 2-0 down that could have had a big effect on the eventual outcome.
“I can’t apologise for it because it’s a rank bad decision and all I expect is consistency and fairness,” he said.
“Everyone in the whole stadium can see it was a penalty, even in their technical area – which is probably the most vocal I have ever come up against – they were in agreement it was a stonewall penalty.
“When you don’t get it of course I am going to be frustrated and angry. Should I use foul language? No. But appealing and showing emotion? That’s me. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I won’t change that.
“I expect referees to make mistakes but just not to that level.”
Evatt managed in the National League last season, leading Barrow to the title, but has been less than impressed by the standard of officiating since stepping up a level.
“I don’t want to say too much to get myself into trouble but I do think the standard of refereeing is not good enough. I don’t necessarily think it is their fault but this is a professional game,” he said.
“The National League is more or less a professional division, certainly League Two is a professional division, so why are the referees not professional?
“Referees should be practising what they do day-in, day-out. At the minute, they have jobs to go to, their mood can be changed by what happens in their own jobs.
“They can turn up on a Saturday in a strange mood, and we’re all human, and it can affect their performance. But if they can concentrate 24-seven on being a referee, you’ll get mistakes, it’s human error, but you should get fewer.
“There are mistakes, the Premier League has VAR and it is still contentious.
“Refs should get more money to become professional and then it gives you the best possible opportunity to eradicate some of the mistakes happening at the moment.”
Evatt hopes his frank approach will eventually encourage a relationship of trust from the Wanderers fans – even though he is yet to welcome them into the stadium.
“I think one thing that you guys will understand by now, the one thing that everybody that works with me will understand, and I hope the fans will understand, is that I’m always honest and I always say it exactly how I see it.
“That way you can relate and understand why I do what I do, and why I say what I say.
“People aren’t silly, people aren’t stupid. You guys, the press, the players, the rest of the staff, I’m talking about the non-football staff at this club as well.
“I want to be approachable. I want to answer people with integrity and honesty and then I expect the same in return.
“If we’ve all got that, we’re all singing off the same hymn sheet and we might not always agree, but you’ll always respect one another because we know it’s coming from the heart and we know it’s honest.”
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