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Ian Evatt insists Marcus Maddison has nothing to apologise for after seeing red on his debut against Morecambe.
Tuesday’s night’s game turned on its head after the winger was handed a straight red card by referee Oliver Langford for a challenge on John O’Sullivan.
Maddison later tweeted an apology to the Bolton supporters – but maintained that the challenge was a fair one, a stance backed up by his manager.
“He is disappointed because he feels like he has let the team down,” Evatt said. “But he hasn’t because, for me, it’s a challenge he has to make. He has gone left foot first, not two-footed, and the referee has allowed their players to surround him and pressure him into a decision.
“Hopefully we get it rescinded but that doesn’t get the two points back we lost.”
Evatt was unhappy at the number of free kicks Morecambe were given around the penalty box by referee Langford on the night, claiming his defenders had been duped.
Although Matt Gilks remained relatively untested on the night, Bolton’s grip on the game was tested in the last half-hour by a stream of set pieces – and Evatt feels his players were suckered in Morecambe’s tactics.
“Rico and Baps were untroubled throughout the game, really,” he said. “We defended well, it was just those set pieces and dead balls. We have to become wiser. We are naïve at times.
“These teams play for set pieces, they are falling over in corners, feeling contact and going to ground. Officials need to be wiser to it as well because they want the free kicks to put people in the box and try to create opportunities that way.
“I don’t want to coach my players to fall over, it’s not what I want us to be or who we are at Bolton Wanderers. We are honest, we work hard and we want to play the game in the right spirit. But I don’t think that’s doing is any favours at the minute.”
The Bolton boss also explained why new signing Lukas Jensen did not make the bench.
Wanderers once again went with just one goalkeeper on the team-sheet, despite having loanees Billy Crellin and Jensen, plus academy keeper Matt Alexander available.
“If I put a keeper on the bench it stops one of my attacking options,” Evatt said. “It’s risk and reward and we’ll take the risk.”
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Tuesday’s night’s game turned on its head after the winger was handed a straight red card by referee Oliver Langford for a challenge on John O’Sullivan.
Maddison later tweeted an apology to the Bolton supporters – but maintained that the challenge was a fair one, a stance backed up by his manager.
“He is disappointed because he feels like he has let the team down,” Evatt said. “But he hasn’t because, for me, it’s a challenge he has to make. He has gone left foot first, not two-footed, and the referee has allowed their players to surround him and pressure him into a decision.
“Hopefully we get it rescinded but that doesn’t get the two points back we lost.”
Evatt was unhappy at the number of free kicks Morecambe were given around the penalty box by referee Langford on the night, claiming his defenders had been duped.
Although Matt Gilks remained relatively untested on the night, Bolton’s grip on the game was tested in the last half-hour by a stream of set pieces – and Evatt feels his players were suckered in Morecambe’s tactics.
“Rico and Baps were untroubled throughout the game, really,” he said. “We defended well, it was just those set pieces and dead balls. We have to become wiser. We are naïve at times.
“These teams play for set pieces, they are falling over in corners, feeling contact and going to ground. Officials need to be wiser to it as well because they want the free kicks to put people in the box and try to create opportunities that way.
“I don’t want to coach my players to fall over, it’s not what I want us to be or who we are at Bolton Wanderers. We are honest, we work hard and we want to play the game in the right spirit. But I don’t think that’s doing is any favours at the minute.”
The Bolton boss also explained why new signing Lukas Jensen did not make the bench.
Wanderers once again went with just one goalkeeper on the team-sheet, despite having loanees Billy Crellin and Jensen, plus academy keeper Matt Alexander available.
“If I put a keeper on the bench it stops one of my attacking options,” Evatt said. “It’s risk and reward and we’ll take the risk.”
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