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Derby boss Paul Warne reckons League One will be “even tougher” next season following Wanderers’ play-off final defeat against Oxford.
Warne, who guided the Rams to a second-place finish, was part of the Sky Sports punditry team at Wembley as the U’s ran out 2-0 winners.
He says Ian Evatt will be hurting now but backed the Bolton chief to “build another side and go for it next season”.
“Obviously, you are going to have Huddersfield, Birmingham, Rotherham, Wrexham, Stockport, Charlton are going to be excellent next year. The league is going to be even tougher,” Warne insisted.
“It is difficult for Ian at the moment, he is sore and I can feel his pain. All managers have lost games and it was their 49th league game. But he will pick them up in the summer, change a few things and go again.
“They have won many games this year and he has the winning element. He will build another side and go for it next season.”
Former Derby and Hull man Curtis Davies felt the Whites lacked “energy and urgency” against Des Buckingham’s side, particularly after going behind.
“It can only be the occasion,” he continued. “We thought, having played here last year - I know it was a different pressure from the EFL Trophy – the whole Wembley thing was out of the way.
“It was just about coming here and doing what they have done all season, but they just couldn’t put it together. It wasn’t a complacent performance, it was simply not good enough.
“Once Sheehan couldn’t get on the ball, they didn’t move it quick enough from there. Ian will be so disappointed with how they used the ball and the speed.
“As a team who were 1-0 down in a final, the energy and urgency just wasn’t there. Oxford were brilliant but Bolton matched that with being equally poor.”
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