Home
Ian Evatt believes his success in the Wanderers hot-seat is proof that football should be less reactionary.
Three-and-a-half years into his job at Bolton, Evatt is desperate to add a second promotion this season to his list of achievements.
He currently boasts the highest win-percentage of any Wanderers boss and is scheduled to pass the 200-game mark in mid-January.
Wanderers could climb back into the top two with a win at home to Exeter City this weekend but Evatt knows there have also been times – particularly early in his tenure – when the club could have considered a change.
Now the sixth longest-serving manager in the EFL, he feels the faith shown in him by Sharon Brittan and the board has enabled him to build a side capable of reaching the Championship.
"Hopefully what we do here is an example to other clubs that we shouldn't be so emotional and reactionary,” he told Sky Sports. “We should give managers the time to impose their ideas.
"We're the only business in the world that seems to react to revenue and results week by week rather than in year-long reviews. But that's the nature of football.
"Barrow was an incredible start to my career, but to find a club of this stature in League Two was a rarity, and to get the opportunity to rebuild and create an identity we can all be proud of here, I feel incredibly blessed to have this job.
"The fan base is enormous and it carries a huge expectancy, but we're embracing that.
"We want to get back into the Championship, there's no point in me denying that. But there are 23 other managers that want the same thing."
Wanderers currently sit on 35 points, which is their best return at the 16-game stage since Colin Todd took the club into the Premier League in 1996/97 – the final season at Burnden Park.
It also surpasses Evatt’s own target of two points per game, which he feels is a yardstick of what will be required for a top two position in May.
"This is the most points we've had at this stage since I've been at the club," he said. "Historically my teams always finish strongly, so for us it's just about striving to put together a consistent season that isn't front-loaded with poor results.
"If we keep everyone fit and healthy and in one piece we've got a competitive squad that can do good things in this league.
"There are some massive clubs in this league, but there aren't any huge outliers in terms of spending. In the last couple of seasons there have been teams with enormous budgets and real pressure to get promoted. What we're trying to do here is slightly different. We want to be sensible, smart and sustainable.
"But there are 23 other managers who want what I want. We need to stay humble and work hard to improve. I feel there's a lot more to come from this group."
Source