Ian Evatt reflected that the stop start tactics he was frustrated with from Barnsley in their goalless draw is in fact a mark of respect for his Bolton Wanderers side but conceded perhaps his team should think about doing it on the road too.
The Whites were back at home yesterday and seeking to return to winning ways against the Tykes, following back to back losses against Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers. He made three changes to his team, including restoring Dapo Afolayan to the starting XI.
But despite opportunities for the likes of Afolayan, Dion Charles and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Wanderers were unable to break the deadlock against a Barnsley side which rarely threatened. The Whites remain just outside the play-offs and level on points with the Tykes after the spoils were shared.
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The match was stop start at times, particualrly in the first half where the visitors picked up a couple of yellow cards. Though Evatt admitted frustration with the tactic of not letting the game flow, which he felt all in the University of Bolton Stadium could see, he believes it is a mark of respect for his side and the regard in which other teams now hold them, as he called for better composure in the final third after a third game in a row without a goal.
He said: “It is (frustrating), but I’m absolutely raging when I’m down there because everybody in the stadium can see what’s happening, but now I’ve had time to compose myself and actually think about it, it’s actually a really big compliment that a team like Barnsley who have been in the Championship and had good success in that division in recent years, have come and just tried to disrupt our rhythm and be that away team that try to win ugly.
“Perhaps we need to learn a lesson or two from that because we tend to try and not do that away from home, but I just see it as a mark of we’re a good team and they’ve showed us the ultimate respect.
“It’s only been a week and it’s easy to say that, we’ve missed lots of chances in that week, not so much at Cheltenham but certainly second half against Forest Green and at times today, we’ve had two real good opportunities. It isn’t just the strikers, we’ve had opportunities to shoot from the edge of the box.
“I think young George (Thomason) had one today that we’ve snatched at, just that bit of composure and decision making and mostly technique in the final third. That probably does come off the fact that the players want to win so much and they want to win that much that sometimes it boils over and it becomes a bit desperate, a bit panicky and every bit of composure that we show in our build phase, middle phase against the ball, we need to show at the top end of the pitch and once we do that, I think we’re going to be a really good team.”
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