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Eager to capitalise on a week of drama at Wanderers and right on brand for Halloween weekend, Ian Evatt has made a big request of fans heading to the game against Oxford United.
The Bolton boss has called on supporters to play their part in creating a “cauldron of noise” for the visit of Karl Robinson’s side – whilst also helping his own players set off on the right tempo.
Late goals against Burton Albion on Tuesday night ensured the volume level was turned up full – but Evatt is conscious that there cannot be a drop-off when the adrenaline dies down.
Impressed by their unwavering support on a frustrating night against the Brewers, Evatt has asked for a group effort against Oxford.
“Against Burton I thought the fans were excellent because it would have been easy for them to make life more difficult for us with the frustration, but they didn’t, they stuck with us,” he told The Bolton News. “And once we got that first goal in particular, the noise in the stadium and the momentum the players gathered from that noise was absolutely massive.
“I would like to hear that noise on Saturday at 0-0. If we can create the cauldron of noise we did in the final 15-20 minutes from the first whistle, for 90 minutes, then this is going to be a really challenging place to come.”
Attendances at the UniBol are on the up again this season and Evatt admits there are times when his team has slowed down, muting the overall atmosphere.
He feels the supporters can play a part in ‘jump starting’ such lulls in the game.
“As a team I think we have been guilty of it,” he said. “Sometimes we are waiting for a spark off a player instead of the individuals taking it on themselves to spark.
“Maybe the fans sometimes are waiting for the players to spark them? I’m just saying, let’s all just do it together.
“Let the players try and spark the fans, let the fans try and spark the players. If we come together, we create a perfect storm and great things can happen, as we have seen before.”
Comebacks against Accrington and Burton in the last week have not only ended a run of goalless games but perhaps made a statement about the character of Evatt’s squad and their desire to be challenging at the top end of the table.
Bolton’s fans have also made little secret of their demand to return to the top half of the Football League after a few years in the wilderness.
“What we must see is that this group is very much together and they are extremely proud of playing for this football club, as I am extremely proud to mange this club,” Evatt said.
“I think what we have to remember is there is always going to be pressure because of the history of this place and the expectations are huge. We want success right now. That is a pressure, there is no doubt.
“Sometimes we all feel that pressure but for me, the pressure is a privilege. We are privileged to be here, I am privileged to be manager, the players are privileged to play for this club, a brilliant football club.
“We should really take that on and give it our best shot to make it successful, and we will. We work extremely hard. The players care so much, we all do. We all want success, but sometimes things aren’t going to go to plan and it is about how we manage those situations together as a group.”
Wanderers will come up against a very different style of opponent in Oxford on Saturday, compared with their previous two.
Whereas Accrington and Burton were blood-and-thunder affairs, Evatt expects this encounter to be more cerebral.
“They are expansive, they throw the game open,” he said of Oxford. “They are really fast and good in transition – that is what Karl’s teams are like. We have to manage those transitional moments.
“We have to be good with the ball because the press is intense, it is aggressive - similar to ours. Our final third entries, we need to get more from them, and we need to be more detailed with our pass, with our cross, with our finish.”
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