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Wanderers have been warned to expect the unexpected when they face Exeter City on the latest leg of their promotion chase.
Grecians boss Gary Caldwell watched Bolton in action at Wigan at the start of the month but whether he decides to emulate the Latics’ counter-attacking plan on the night remains to be seen.
Exeter went toe-to-toe with Peterborough United last week with an overtly attacking approach and that has kept the Bolton camp guessing as they get closer to the game at St James Park.
“How will they set up? The answer is ‘I don’t know!’” Evatt told The Bolton News.
“We spent a lot of time looking at opponents, and over the last few days we have looked closely at them, but they have done different things for different games.
“They have been sacrificial at times but against Peterborough last weekend it was almost a 4-2-4 really aggressive press and Peterborough found it difficult at times to break it.
“We will be prepared for both scenarios and make sure the players understand the solutions. That’s my job.”
Exeter are without a win in their last four games but have claimed some impressive scalps this season to push themselves towards mid-table.
Evatt saw out his playing career at Chesterfield, where he was managed by Caldwell, and believes his opposite number could easily switch his approach on the day to cause Bolton issues.
“They are a well-coached team,” he said. “I played under Gary so I know he has some good detail.
“We never disrespect anyone else and we are always diligent with our analytical work but the focus is on ourselves and how we perform.
“We have to be ready regardless of the opposition set up and plan. They will have an attack, I’m sure, they will get bodies forward and they are quite fluid in possession, there is a lot of rotation there.
“Fingers crossed we can go there and action our plan to get a result.”
Wanderers won at Exeter last April five days after they had lifted the Papa Johns Trophy at Wembley.
They did so without defenders Eoin Toal and Ricardo Santos, both injured in the final, and kept themselves in the top six as they chased the play-offs.
The demands are higher this time around for Evatt’s side, who have made no secret of their target of a top two spot this time around.
“That was a wonderful result on the back of Wembley,” the manager recalled. “Losing Eoin and Rico that week it was pretty impressive to go there and win.
“I remember Conor Bradley’s goal, Josh Sheehan’s lovely pass, and a nice spring day. I doubt we’ll get one of those this time but we face a similar pressure this time around.
“We are in the automatic spots this time around whereas it was the play-offs last season and I use the word progression a lot because I think it is important to judge yourself based on what has happened in the past.
“We have had progress, we have been fighting for the automatic promotion spots for virtually the whole season whereas last year we were never really in that fight. That is an indication that we are better.
“That is when the pressure starts. We are being hunted, there are two or three clubs behind us who have aspirations of getting above us and possibly catching Portsmouth as well.
“There is a lot of football to be played and there will be ups and downs for everybody involved. We have to manage them and make sure we play our best football as often as possible in this last 10 games because if we do, I am confident we can achieve our ambitions.”
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