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Ahead of this afternoon’s clash with Plymouth at the UniBol, here are the best bits from Ian Evatt’s press conference.
How is the squad shaping up ahead of Saturday’s game?
“Kacha (Elias Kachunga) will be available this weekend. Everyone is fine other than that, obviously MJ (Williams) escaped the threshold of yellow cards so he’s okay now.
“Kyle Dempsey will return to training on Tuesday, it is too soon this weekend. Other than that we are all good.
“Kieran Lee is also progressing well, so he won’t be too far. His boot is off, the plaster is off. He’s been doing some light work on the grass, some running. Things are looking good.
“We’ve had discussions with Gethin (Jones) and feel until the funeral is over, he won’t be fully with us and focused, so it’s important he spends some time with his family and they mourn.
“Following the funeral, we’ll all be here to support him when he’s ready to come back.”
Having had time to reflect, how are you feeling about Tuesday night’s draw with Morecambe?
“Everybody could see the game on Tuesday, we completely controlled and dominated it. I watched game back and how we didn’t win is baffling really. 80 odd per cent possession, 22 shots to their four.
“Some self-preservation from their manager after the game I see, but other than that we played really well. Some of our football was breath-taking at times, especially first half.
“Sometimes you don’t always get what you deserve in football and I don’t think anybody could argue, other than the lot at Morecambe, that we certainly didn’t get what we deserved.
“It wasn’t just possession for the sake of it. We were creating chances, cutting them open at will and we just didn’t take them.
“To be fair to them, they’ve defended for their lives. But we’ve had all of the ball and eventually we’ve broke them down. If you keep punching eventually you get knocked out and that’s what happened.”
Is it difficult to deal with your players being linked with moves elsewhere?
“I expect it because I think we’ve got some good players. But this club is now in a position because of Sharon (Brittan) and the rest of the board where we don’t have to sell, so I hope they’ve got deep pockets.
“I’m not going to sit here and say players aren’t for sale, because we all know that’s true - everybody has a price.
“It’s my job to provide assets on the football pitch. I think we’ve done that and then if someone comes and bids what we deem the right money to help the club in the long term, then we’ll take it.
“There is nobody who can’t be replaced. Some are more difficult than others, but for the right money you can replace anybody.
“Once a player’s head is turned, it can be very difficult in modern circumstances and with the way the game is to keep them on board and keep them focused on the job at hand.
“It is really then about selling at the right exit price so we’ll see what happens. And I’m not saying anyone’s head has been turned by the way, because it certainly has not, but we’re getting ourselves in a position where clubs are enviously looking at some of our talent and rightly so because we’ve got some good players.”
Is Saturday’s game a must win for Wanderers?
“I have been around too long in football to ever write anything off but it is a very big game, there’s no getting around it.
“It is big for both teams but we need to concentrate on ourselves, performing to our levels and when we do, as you have seen, we are a match for anyone around.
“Our margin for error is a lot smaller than theirs, we’re under no illusion there, but we want to attack the game, try to win, and move to the next one.
“We all want it to happen this season and get into the play-offs but we cannot be too downbeat if that isn’t what ends up happening.
“As a newly-promoted team we have given ourselves a platform to build on and if it isn’t now, then next season we’ll be in a great position to push for that top spot and get promoted.
“We want to do it this year, we’ll do our best to do it this year, but there are no guarantees with some of the poor runs we have had.”
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson seems to be enjoying life at Wanderers…
“I think one thing we have worked really hard on behind the scenes, starting with Sharon and down to me and the staff, is creating a really good environment.
“People feel comfortable and wanted. They feel like they are improving and no matter what age you are, if you bring people into that environment they thrive.
“Jon has really enjoyed it. We have probably been over-cautious with him but for the right reasons, and now he is ready to kick on for the remaining nine games to show what he is about.
“I think he will turn out to be a really good signing for this football club.”
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