Ian Evatt admits that Bolton Wanderers were probably not ready to reach the Championship this campaign as he believes the League One side will be prepared for when they get there and to stay in it.
Wanderers finished ninth in the third tier of English football this campaign with a total of 73 points, a fine achievement for a newly promoted side.
A total of 73 points would in most seasons be enough to have the Whites in and around the top six, but the high standards in League One this campaign meant that Bolton were 10 points behind sixth placed Wycombe Wanderers.
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The play-offs commence this evening when Wycombe take on MK Dons, with Sunderland entertaining Sheffield Wednesday in the other semi-final tomorrow, with the line-up for the final confirmed on Monday evening.
One of these teams will then join champions Wigan Athletic and Rotherham United in the Championship next season.
Wanderers had a late surge up the table which had raised hopes of an outside chance of reaching the play-offs. Bolton suffered only three defeats in the second half of the season since mid-January but ultimately fell short of the top six.
Focus is on reaching the play-offs as a minimum next season and, though Wanderers to be promoted this campaign, Evatt admits that the Whites were not ready to reach the Championship in their current state and the intense competition which exists in the division above League One.
But under chairman Sharon Brittan and Football Ventures, Evatt believes Wanderers are getting back into a position where they will be able to get back into the Championship which they last graced in the 2018/19 campaign to compete in the division and be ready for it, on and off the pitch.
He told the Manchester Evening News : "As much as we all wanted to do it this year – and me more than most – I don’t think we are ready.
"When we get there, we want to stay there and be competitive in that league as well. This season, I don’t think we were ready for it on and off the pitch.
"But I do know that Sharon is getting the club to a position where we will be ready where we will be competitive in the Championship – I have no doubts about that.
"The infrastructure is improving and increasing all the time. I think when we do get there, and we will get there, we will be ready for it – there is no doubt."
