Home
Ian Evatt is preparing for his fifth campaign in the Wanderers dugout and is the third longest-serving manager in the EFL.
Only Harrogate boss Simon Weaver and Coventry manager Mark Robins have been in their respective jobs longer than Evatt, who took charge in July 2020.
The Bolton chief reflected on how the game has changed since his playing career and the rising standard of coaching throughout the divisions.
“It is a different game now,” he told BBC Radio Manchester. “I was having this discussion with some other managers.
“A lot of us are ex-players, and not so long ago. I retired in 2018 and even since then, the amount of things that have changed. The level of detail in coaching now is phenomenal and it has surprised me.
“It is hard work, it is 24/7. In the future, I don’t think you are going to see your Big Sams, your Roy Hodgsons, those types of managers because coaches now are hands on.
“They want to do all the coaching and everything else, and that takes a lot of energy. I love this game but the one thing I have learnt is I do not want to do it forever, it is impossible to do it forever to this level.
“The age demographic has completely changed, there are so many young coaches out there now. Fresh ideas, the game is evolving and developing all the time.
“Every phase of the game is looked at with the minute detail and scrutiny it probably deserves. Everyone has a plan, there are 23 other managers in the league trying to win promotion but we will give it our best shot.”
The way last season ended was tough to take but Evatt and company have been working hard over the summer to make sure Wanderers keep evolving, both on and off the pitch.
“Psychology in football is another thing that is extremely underestimated and undervalued,” the manager insisted. “For me, it is 70 per cent of football.
“That is what separates the best teams and players, their mentality and mindset. That is something we have worked extremely hard to improve.
“We want to be the complete team, mentally tough, psychologically strong, the best technical and physical team.
“We want to be all of those things but so do 23 other clubs in our division. They all have a plan and are trying to win, so we have to be respectful of that.
“There are a lot of good things we have done here so far, people are very respectful of the way we play. It is not for everybody, which I understand, but it is the way I see best to get results and future-proof this football club.
“We have won a lot of fans and plaudits over the years and just because we didn’t get promoted, we messed up at Wembley, it shouldn’t mean we have to rip up everything and start again. There are still positives we can look back on and draw from for this coming season.”
The play-off final brought back concerns over the Whites’ mentality in the big games, and Evatt admitted it is an area they need to improve.
“In the big games, we need to take the pressure off the players and get results because that is what our season is predominantly going to come down to,” he added.
“We need to start to get results and wins in those big games, especially the away ones, which we haven’t done as yet.
“Simplify our gameplan, maybe be a bit little more pragmatic and make sure we take some of the pressure off the players because the way we play it technically difficult.
“There are lots of moving parts and when two or three of those break down, like they did at Wembley, it is hard to recover.”
Five new signings have arrived at the Toughsheet Community Stadium so far this summer, although Evatt hopes to get more business done before the end of the window.
The boss was also asked whether he expects any interest in players already at the club before the deadline.
“One of the positives at this football club right now is that it’s our decision,” he explained.
“We are not under any pressure to sell players or make anybody available which, in turn, strengthens our hand.
“Some of our players are very good players and I have no doubt they could play in the Championship. But for a club to come and bid for those players, it means they are going to have to pay us what we feel we deserve in this current market.
“Because of Sharon (Brittan), the board, myself, the staff and the way the players are treated here, there is nobody who wants to leave this football club.
“They love the fans, the place and what we are trying to build here. They want to be part of this project moving forward and from what I understand, and conversations I have had, there is no-one with itchy feet.
“Everyone is determined to gain the trust of our fans’ back and have a right good go at it this season.”
Source