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Marcus Maddison is starting to show that he can be a key figure in Bolton Wanderers’ promotion chase.
Ian Evatt believes his mercurial playmaker may soon be ready to show his true value after a difficult start to life at the UniBol.
Maddison has started just three games since moving on loan from Charlton Athletic on transfer deadline day and it yet to really substantiate his reputation with the Whites.
Evatt had challenged the 27-year-old to improve his work-rate and force his way into a winning team – and reckons he has now seen a different side to the former Peterborough United man as a result.
“This week has been his best on the training ground since he has been at the club,” he said. “We have got a response and that is what we wanted and needed.
“He has to work hard and show us what he is capable of doing and he has done that this week.
“That way he earns my trust and he earns the players’ trust as well and that is equally important. The players have to trust what he can give to the team with and without the ball, and it is the same with me.
“If Marcus trains like he has this week and does that consistently then I think he will be a big player for us in the next 10 games.”
Evatt maintains that the door is open for Maddison to claim a regular starting spot in his attack if he can prove he can be a reliable component of a team which is currently in its best run of form in two decades.
“It affects the whole group if someone is not doing their job, the whole team,” the manager said.
“Regardless of what you can do in possession, you still have a duty out of possession and vice-versa.
“Give me consistency, give me what he has this week in training, and then there will be no issues.
“But there are no people who are exempt from that statement, whether you are Marcus Maddison, George Thomason, whoever. I expect you to do the same things on and off the ball.
“If you don’t you won’t be involved. If you do, you will. It is simple.
“It is great that he has upped his levels this week and I have told him that it is the standard I expect and what his team-mates expect and demand as well. I said if he continues to do that then he will be a huge player for us in the run-in.”
After grinding out victory at Port Vale and at home to Walsall in the last couple of weeks, Evatt feels Forest Green will be a different proposition at the New Lawn this weekend.
The Gloucestershire men have been above Bolton all season and have occupied a top seven spot for the vast majority of the League Two campaign.
Whereas opposition have looked to spoil and slow down the game in recent weeks, the Bolton boss reckons Mark Cooper’s men will try and take them on at their own game.
“It becomes difficult when you analyse the opposition because they can play a certain way for four or five weeks leading into the game and then throw something very different at you to try and combat what we do,” he said.
“We have to make sure that our players are able to problem solve on the pitch and not leave it until half time for me to tweak things or give them extra information. They have to be doing it from minute one.
“We are showing them things on the video analysis, on the training ground, and they need to learn quickly because I do think teams are going to show us respect now.
“It maybe won’t happen as much with the top teams, like Forest Green, who I think should be going for three points and trying to win games playing their own way. But in the home games, for example, where we will play against sides who are in the lower parts of the table then they may give us something like Walsall and Barrow gave us in recent weeks where they sit deep and play for set pieces, spoil the game and try to hit on the counter, buy fouls, territory and long throws. We have to find solutions for that.
“But I think this game on Saturday will be completely different. It will be two attractive teams going all out to win the game.”
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Ian Evatt believes his mercurial playmaker may soon be ready to show his true value after a difficult start to life at the UniBol.
Maddison has started just three games since moving on loan from Charlton Athletic on transfer deadline day and it yet to really substantiate his reputation with the Whites.
Evatt had challenged the 27-year-old to improve his work-rate and force his way into a winning team – and reckons he has now seen a different side to the former Peterborough United man as a result.
“This week has been his best on the training ground since he has been at the club,” he said. “We have got a response and that is what we wanted and needed.
“He has to work hard and show us what he is capable of doing and he has done that this week.
“That way he earns my trust and he earns the players’ trust as well and that is equally important. The players have to trust what he can give to the team with and without the ball, and it is the same with me.
“If Marcus trains like he has this week and does that consistently then I think he will be a big player for us in the next 10 games.”
Evatt maintains that the door is open for Maddison to claim a regular starting spot in his attack if he can prove he can be a reliable component of a team which is currently in its best run of form in two decades.
“It affects the whole group if someone is not doing their job, the whole team,” the manager said.
“Regardless of what you can do in possession, you still have a duty out of possession and vice-versa.
“Give me consistency, give me what he has this week in training, and then there will be no issues.
“But there are no people who are exempt from that statement, whether you are Marcus Maddison, George Thomason, whoever. I expect you to do the same things on and off the ball.
“If you don’t you won’t be involved. If you do, you will. It is simple.
“It is great that he has upped his levels this week and I have told him that it is the standard I expect and what his team-mates expect and demand as well. I said if he continues to do that then he will be a huge player for us in the run-in.”
After grinding out victory at Port Vale and at home to Walsall in the last couple of weeks, Evatt feels Forest Green will be a different proposition at the New Lawn this weekend.
The Gloucestershire men have been above Bolton all season and have occupied a top seven spot for the vast majority of the League Two campaign.
Whereas opposition have looked to spoil and slow down the game in recent weeks, the Bolton boss reckons Mark Cooper’s men will try and take them on at their own game.
“It becomes difficult when you analyse the opposition because they can play a certain way for four or five weeks leading into the game and then throw something very different at you to try and combat what we do,” he said.
“We have to make sure that our players are able to problem solve on the pitch and not leave it until half time for me to tweak things or give them extra information. They have to be doing it from minute one.
“We are showing them things on the video analysis, on the training ground, and they need to learn quickly because I do think teams are going to show us respect now.
“It maybe won’t happen as much with the top teams, like Forest Green, who I think should be going for three points and trying to win games playing their own way. But in the home games, for example, where we will play against sides who are in the lower parts of the table then they may give us something like Walsall and Barrow gave us in recent weeks where they sit deep and play for set pieces, spoil the game and try to hit on the counter, buy fouls, territory and long throws. We have to find solutions for that.
“But I think this game on Saturday will be completely different. It will be two attractive teams going all out to win the game.”
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