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Ian Evatt didn’t know whether to chastise or praise his Wanderers players after their performance in defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
The Bolton boss says he was proud of his side after feeling they dominated against the Owls – but left empty handed thanks to a stream of missed chances.
Lee Gregory’s second-half goal earned Wednesday the points, much to Evatt’s chagrin.
“It is very rare for me to be speechless and I sat quiet for a few minutes in there because I needed time to think. I didn’t know whether to have a go at them or praise them. And I don’t think I can have a go at them,” he said.
“To come here and dominate the whole game, not just a half, and play like that is exceptional and we created chance after chance and didn’t take them. They have one shot in each half and one ends in a goal.
“Against the better teams in this league – Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday away – that is all they need.
“We have to be more ruthless and clinical. I’d be pretty upset if we were not creating the chances but if you ask their players and manager yet again how good our team is, they will tell you.”
Wanderers have drawn a blank on five occasions out of 12 this season but Evatt says he will not over-react.
“We have to stay positive and if we were not creating them I’d be more worried,” he said.
“I don’t care who we play, Sunderland, Sheffield Wednesday, Wigan home or away, we could score six and that’s not arrogance. It is based on the clear cut opportunities we are creating.
“At the moment we score four or five, or none. And the game looks the same, the chances are the same.
“We spoke about it the other day, you come here and it almost doesn’t feel like a defeat. I am proud of how the players played. I am sure our fans – who were magnificent again – will have enjoyed it.
“Yes, there will be frustrations that we haven’t won. We should have won it. But if we keep playing like that we will not be far away.
“We have loaned them the three points.
“They have to come to our place still and we need to be more ruthless.”
Wanderers put 12 shots in on goal but only one on target. And though he was frustrated by the lack of a finishing touch, Evatt insists there was little wrong with the performance in general.
“I know it is a massive opportunity missed, we dominated the whole game,” he said. “They are changing systems, going three, four at the back, because they can’t get near us.
“Our solutions, problem solving and rotations were brilliant. On another day we win four or five one. But we didn’t – we just have to continue striving to be more ruthless.”
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