Exeter boss Caldwell's pride after 'really low moment' last year
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Exeter boss Gary Caldwell was proud to bounce back from a “really low moment” at Wanderers a year later.
The Grecians were thrashed 7-0 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last November but left with all three points this time around thanks to goals from Kamari Doyle and Millenic Alli either side of half time.
“It feels really good,” Caldwell said after the final whistle. “To win any game at this level is difficult.
“But to come to this stadium after last year, where we were when we played here, it was a really low moment for the team and for the club.
“This group of players have quality but today I think what won us the game was our mentality.
“Bravery at times in possession, I still think we can do better second half and we will work on that.
“But the commit to run and fight for each other… I questioned the players last week and said we need more out of possession, we need to be a tougher team to play against. I thought every single player on the pitch was outstanding today.”
More than 22,000 supporters were in attendance as Wanderers held their first Community Day of the season.
“We spoke a lot about the stadium and how we control the crowd, I thought we did that,” Caldwell added.
“When you go in at half time and there are boos around the stadium, you are doing something right.
“We spoke about the start of the second half and how they would come out in a more positive frame of mind.
“We had to still play on the front foot and set pieces are something we have done a lot of work on over pre-season.”
Exeter had suffered back-to-back defeats ahead of their trip to Lancashire, and Caldwell was delighted with their response against the Whites.
“I think a lot of credit has to go to the players, tactically. The information they are receiving, how they carried that out was outstanding,” the manager insisted.
“We always want to dominate possession and create overloads. Bolton gave us a problem today, they have played 3-4-2-1 all season.
“I think they probably thought about the game last year, the two nines and wide eights hurting us, and tried to go with that again.
“But the players can work it out, we had a stoppage with Joe (Whitworth) when he went down and managed to tweak a few things that allowed us to be better in the game out of possession.”
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Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Exeter City - Ian Evatt match reaction
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Ian Evatt admitted Wanderers’ performance in their home defeat to Exeter City was “unacceptable” – but insists his team will improve in time.
A superb first-half free-kick from Kamari Doyle and a close-range effort from Millenic Alli after the half time break was enough to help the Grecians avenge a seven-goal drubbing at the Toughsheet last November.
Wanderers did hit the woodwork in the second half through Aaron Collins but Evatt admitted they came nowhere near the same levels as they had shown in their Carabao Cup win against Shrewsbury in midweek.
“It was below our level, below our standards,” he said. “We lack rhythm at the moment, we look tired, fatigued.
“I don’t think 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game. They have scored two set pieces, one brilliant free kick and a corner, and the second one in particular hurts because we didn’t give ourselves a chance to build any momentum second half.
“It is a tough period but as I said earlier in the week it isn’t unexpected. I did feel like we were going to suffer a little bit because we were not 100 per cent fit, we have not got players ready and up to speed.
“Things are challenging but we need to stick together and work hard post international break to reset and go again.”
Wanderers sit 18th in the table, with one win from their first four league games.
They will face Barrow without a handful of international players in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday night and then have a free weekend to try and turn their fortunes around before a home clash with Huddersfield Town on September 14.
Asked about the poor start, Evatt said: “It is not what we wanted, certainly. In a football season you are always going to have difficult and tough periods and we’re in one right now.
“We don’t seem to get any rhythm. We take a step forward on Tuesday at Shrewsbury and then a step back. We have to understand why, to resolve, and to find some solutions.
“The players, myself, the one thing you have to do when you are trying to find a way out of these things is to look inside to find a way out. That is what we have to do now.
“We had 19 shots and three on target, that is simply not good enough. We had chances at good moments to score and get ourselves back into the game but we didn’t take them and with the players we have got we need to be better.”
Evatt spent much of the second half in the dugout, a ploy he revealed was more about keeping himself out of trouble than anything else.
“I was stood there at the start of second half but sometimes it is important that I don’t let my own frustrations boil over,” he said. “Sometimes that can have a negative impact on the team and with the fourth official. The team have to own that second half, so I decided to calm myself down. It wasn’t going to help anyone with frustrations boiling over.
“We know that is unacceptable, we know that is not our standard, we have to work hard to do better.”
Wanderers fans voiced their frustration at the final whistle, a reaction Evatt found difficult to argue against.
He added: “I understand the frustration, this is a football club with huge expectations. What we have done since we have been here is win consistently, so everyone expects us to win and when we don’t people ask questions. We have to be man enough to front those and answer them, we have done in the past and we will work really hard to respond again.”
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Exeter boss Gary Caldwell was proud to bounce back from a “really low moment” at Wanderers a year later.
The Grecians were thrashed 7-0 at the Toughsheet Community Stadium last November but left with all three points this time around thanks to goals from Kamari Doyle and Millenic Alli either side of half time.
“It feels really good,” Caldwell said after the final whistle. “To win any game at this level is difficult.
“But to come to this stadium after last year, where we were when we played here, it was a really low moment for the team and for the club.
“This group of players have quality but today I think what won us the game was our mentality.
“Bravery at times in possession, I still think we can do better second half and we will work on that.
“But the commit to run and fight for each other… I questioned the players last week and said we need more out of possession, we need to be a tougher team to play against. I thought every single player on the pitch was outstanding today.”
More than 22,000 supporters were in attendance as Wanderers held their first Community Day of the season.
“We spoke a lot about the stadium and how we control the crowd, I thought we did that,” Caldwell added.
“When you go in at half time and there are boos around the stadium, you are doing something right.
“We spoke about the start of the second half and how they would come out in a more positive frame of mind.
“We had to still play on the front foot and set pieces are something we have done a lot of work on over pre-season.”
Exeter had suffered back-to-back defeats ahead of their trip to Lancashire, and Caldwell was delighted with their response against the Whites.
“I think a lot of credit has to go to the players, tactically. The information they are receiving, how they carried that out was outstanding,” the manager insisted.
“We always want to dominate possession and create overloads. Bolton gave us a problem today, they have played 3-4-2-1 all season.
“I think they probably thought about the game last year, the two nines and wide eights hurting us, and tried to go with that again.
“But the players can work it out, we had a stoppage with Joe (Whitworth) when he went down and managed to tweak a few things that allowed us to be better in the game out of possession.”
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Bolton Wanderers 0-2 Exeter City - Ian Evatt match reaction
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Ian Evatt admitted Wanderers’ performance in their home defeat to Exeter City was “unacceptable” – but insists his team will improve in time.
A superb first-half free-kick from Kamari Doyle and a close-range effort from Millenic Alli after the half time break was enough to help the Grecians avenge a seven-goal drubbing at the Toughsheet last November.
Wanderers did hit the woodwork in the second half through Aaron Collins but Evatt admitted they came nowhere near the same levels as they had shown in their Carabao Cup win against Shrewsbury in midweek.
“It was below our level, below our standards,” he said. “We lack rhythm at the moment, we look tired, fatigued.
“I don’t think 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game. They have scored two set pieces, one brilliant free kick and a corner, and the second one in particular hurts because we didn’t give ourselves a chance to build any momentum second half.
“It is a tough period but as I said earlier in the week it isn’t unexpected. I did feel like we were going to suffer a little bit because we were not 100 per cent fit, we have not got players ready and up to speed.
“Things are challenging but we need to stick together and work hard post international break to reset and go again.”
Wanderers sit 18th in the table, with one win from their first four league games.
They will face Barrow without a handful of international players in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday night and then have a free weekend to try and turn their fortunes around before a home clash with Huddersfield Town on September 14.
Asked about the poor start, Evatt said: “It is not what we wanted, certainly. In a football season you are always going to have difficult and tough periods and we’re in one right now.
“We don’t seem to get any rhythm. We take a step forward on Tuesday at Shrewsbury and then a step back. We have to understand why, to resolve, and to find some solutions.
“The players, myself, the one thing you have to do when you are trying to find a way out of these things is to look inside to find a way out. That is what we have to do now.
“We had 19 shots and three on target, that is simply not good enough. We had chances at good moments to score and get ourselves back into the game but we didn’t take them and with the players we have got we need to be better.”
Evatt spent much of the second half in the dugout, a ploy he revealed was more about keeping himself out of trouble than anything else.
“I was stood there at the start of second half but sometimes it is important that I don’t let my own frustrations boil over,” he said. “Sometimes that can have a negative impact on the team and with the fourth official. The team have to own that second half, so I decided to calm myself down. It wasn’t going to help anyone with frustrations boiling over.
“We know that is unacceptable, we know that is not our standard, we have to work hard to do better.”
Wanderers fans voiced their frustration at the final whistle, a reaction Evatt found difficult to argue against.
He added: “I understand the frustration, this is a football club with huge expectations. What we have done since we have been here is win consistently, so everyone expects us to win and when we don’t people ask questions. We have to be man enough to front those and answer them, we have done in the past and we will work really hard to respond again.”
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