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Two of League One’s artisans take to the field at Stadium MK tomorrow knowing victory could hinge on something altogether more simplistic.
Wanderers and MK Dons boast some of the best in-possession stats in the division, playing a similarly expansive passing game.
But on a pitch which Dons boss Liam Manning admits has “hurt” the way his side has wanted to play since December, the encounter may not be the style parade it would have been in late August.
Thankfully, from Bolton’s viewpoint, they have shown some rapid improvement of late in the sort of basic, straightforward attacking set plays that looked for most of the season to be a weakness.
Recent goals against Charlton, Wimbledon and Lincoln came from set pieces, which is a welcome addition to the attacking arsenal against opposition who tend to give little away.
“It is really nice that we have started to score goals from set pieces,” said Evatt. “There will be two teams on Saturday that aren’t exactly known for them but, in terms of their open play, I was looking at a lot of the league data this morning and I think we’re top for open play goals this season, which is good.
“If we can add those set-play goals, it’s another strIng to our bow. That’s what we need to try and do, mix it up. I said to the players on our post-match analysis video that we do, I’m nitpicking and being a bit choosy with what I say to them but that could be the difference – one set-play where one player isn’t doing their job could be the difference of getting in the play-offs or not.
“It could be the difference of winning a game or not. In key moments, they have to give it the importance it deserves and make sure when we give them roles and responsibilities, they do it. If they don’t, they’ll be held accountable and that is just the way it is.”
Wanderers are coming to the end of a marathon eight-game run in February, with Evatt conceding that some of his players are now starting to show recognisable signs of fatigue in the data they collect.
The manager is asking for another big push from his players before they have the luxury of a week without a midweek fixture.
“I am an in-possession coach, there is no doubt about it,” he said. “I like to play with the ball, I like to control the ball and I like us to press high. That is just the way I want us to play.
“It is difficult and when we’re monitoring results and how they mirror up, it is not really a coincidence that when you run more, the better chance you have of winning.
“It is as simple as that. The players have to understand we have metrics we look at. When we run X amount as a team, we have a 96 per cent chance of getting a result of winning a game.
“They are the markers that the players really need to take notice of, and it is not just out of possession.
“It is working hard to make angles, it is making those sacrificial runs. You might make 10 runs and only receive the ball once, but you might create space for somebody else.
“It is that attitude and mentality to relentlessly do it, and if they do it will get us results as it’s shown. With 12 games left, I think I know what we have to do. It is do-able, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s going to take a huge effort.”
After a tactical battle against Michael Appleton’s Lincoln on Tuesday night, Evatt believes he will be in for more of the same on Saturday.
And the Bolton boss reckons the success this season of teams like MK, Oxford and Plymouth shows there is a changing trend at this level of football.
“Gone are the days where it was just substance,” he said. “I think nowadays people want style as well. It’s an entertainment industry and people deserve to be entertained.
“If you are playing an attractive brand of football and winning, it’s great - it’s the holy grail, it’s the golden chalice. If you can play my view of the right way and win consistently, then you’ve cracked it.
“But if you play the other way and you win games, you’ve also cracked it. It’s when you stop winning that the fans become reckless because they’re not enjoying what they’re seeing, especially when you’re getting beaten.
“In my opinion, to have sustained success throughout the pyramid – I’m talking about the Championship and Premier League here - you need to have more strings to your bow than being set-piece based and direct.
“I think there are too many good players, too many athletic players, too many good managers and coaches at the top end of the division that can hurt you. That’s our plan, that’s the way I see it. I may be wrong, but I’ll do the best to prepare us as best as I can to play in the higher echelons of the English pyramid.”
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