Ian Evatt believes Bolton Wanderers do not have the ability to just play long when things are not going their way as he believes their progressive playing style continues to be the way to go to achieve success not just in League One but beyond as well.
Wanderers have developed a passing style under Evatt since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2020. It has helped bring about success, with promotion out of League Two in his first campaign in charge, before finishing ninth last campaign.
The Whites have started the new campaign well and sit just outside the top six heading into tomorrow's clash versus Barnsley. It follows successive defeats on the road against Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers.
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Wanderers chief Evatt admits his side do not have at their disposal the assets to lump it forward and gain success frequently. He concedes they are pragmatic at times and believes they were moments of that being successful at Forest Green last time out.
But he pointed to Wanderers being below what they ought to have scored in terms of their expected goals and believes between the boxes, there is no issue. It is what happens in both penalty areas which requires further work.
Evatt's philosophy gained success at former club Barrow, where he took them back into the EFL. He is attempting get Wanderers on a path which will gain success throughout the English football pyramid and believes a direct style of play will not do so in the Championship and above.
Despite frustration at the last two losses, Evatt believes it is far from the end of the world. He is seeking a response against Barnsley tomorrow afternoon.
He said: “I tend not to get involved with what is being said – but you hear bits and bobs, and I hear about ‘Plan B’. But what is that, Plan Boom it?
“That is not what we are. We are pragmatic at times and at times at Forest Green we did cause them problems doing that.
“We are getting the ball in the box, we are getting the ball in the right areas, final third entries, xG is high, all the things people look for in modern football we are getting right. It is just that final finish.
“I think we’re one of six teams in the league that have under-scored their xG. It shows that box to box, what we are doing is right. It is just that inside the box is where games are won and lost, and we’re working on it.
“I am trying to get us on a path that I think can be successful in every division of English football. Set plays, direct plays, they are not going to cut it in the Championship, they just won’t.
“It might take us longer to get there, to get it right, and there might be some pain. But when we do get there we will be a very good team.
“You can look at data – but anyone can visually see how much dominance we had (at Forest Green). It isn’t like we were soundly beaten. The game was almost played in their final third by the end and we created chances too, which is difficult to do in that 10-man low block. We just didn’t take them.
“That is down to a number of things – confidence, technique – and we’re trying to help them improve that. Every single player we sign here is not the finished article, they all have strengths and weaknesses. It is always a trade-off, depending on who we are playing, who has the right strengths to highlight the opposition’s weaknesses.
“But we have to re-emphasise this is a League One club, these are League One players, and there will be times when they are not going to take chances or be quite at it.
“We are all extremely frustrated with the last couple of games but you are allowed to lose them, it isn’t the end of the world. When you do, it is about how you adapt and recover for the next one. That is what we plan to do on Saturday."
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