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Ian Evatt reckons his players will need another pick-me-up from the fans tonight as they tackle in-form Charlton at the UniBol.
Saturday’s game at Morecambe proved an exhausting affair in every sense of the word and the Bolton boss has not ruled out making changes to keep his team fresh.
Kieran Sadlier, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kyle Dempsey are all pushing hard for their first start since signing in January and Kieran Lee has been passed fit after a problem with his heel.
Evatt paid tribute to the positive impact away fans had on his team’s performance on Saturday when they re-emerged to play the last portion of the game – and the Wanderers boss has also been impressed with the atmosphere generated at the UniBol of late.
“I am only going to comment on what was good on Saturday,” he said. “I think enough has been said about what was bad and what was wrong from both sets. But what I will say is the way they supported the team, the way the team came together with 10 men in a moment of real emotion, some young players in that dressing room that have never experienced anything like that before. The way they channelled their emotions and channelled their determination into the game and getting something out of it was fantastic and a credit to themselves and you could see from the celebrations what it meant to everybody.
“We move on from that now but we need all that passion again, everyone pulling together.”
Evatt will also need help from his players, both before tonight’s game and in the lead-up to another tough trip at Oxford United this weekend.
We can monitor all of the data we want but these players know their own bodies better than anybody and they have to be honest with how they communicate with us, how they physically feel,” he said.
“We can’t be in a selfish environment where because they want to keep their place in the team, they don’t own up to being fatigued.
“We have to have this energy. The way we play, the high intensity of it, it’s challenging physically. If you’ve had a little dip and you’re a bit tired, then put your hand up and let someone else have the pressure of it.
“It doesn’t mean you’re going to be out of the team for any length of time but we just need that honesty and transparency with the players to own up when they’re not feeling themselves.
“Then we’ve got some serious options to put in the team and give us some freshness. Six more games this month, lots of games coming up and we’re going to need everybody.”
Charlton have won their last three games in the league and look a much better prospect than they did in a limp 4-1 defeat at The Valley back in late September.
Evatt knows his team will have to be on their game to get a result.
“Charlton will have aspirations, it is a big club in its own right,” he said. “There are many of them in this league now.
“I know the assistant Jason Euell very well, I played with him and he’s a fantastic guy.
“It is going to be a challenge, they are powerful, they are quick, they are strong, they are very good from set plays, they have some attacking threats in the team and we need to make sure we play to our best level and best ability.
“If we do that, I’m confident we can match anybody but we have to channel our own emotions from the weekend into a good performance tomorrow night.” “We have to make sure that we see that off but also implement our gameplan on them. If we can do that, I’m confident we can get a result against anybody.”
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