Angry Bolton Wanderers fans make their feelings known after losing 5-0 away at Stockport County on Saturday afternoon.
Stockport knew they needed a response after a 5-0 defeat to Wycombe in midweek. The Hatters only went and handed out a 5-0 thrashing to Bolton, putting more pressure on Ian Evatt.
Will Collar put County ahead on 30 minutes, before the hosts struck another four times with Kyle Wootton, Fraser Horsfall, Louie Barry and Odin Bailey all adding to the rout in the second half.
The result leaves Stockport sitting 6th in the League One table with 24 points from 15 games played while Bolton are 10th with 23 points from 14 games.
⚪️ Bolton Wanderers fans making their views quite clear on the way home this evening from the thrashing at Stockport!
🎵.. We want Evatt Out.say we want.. 🎵
🎥: @HPennington16 #BWFC pic.twitter.com/MQ4PLRfIdF
— On The Centre Spot ⚽️ (@onthecentrespot) November 9, 2024
Ian Evatt said, per Bolton News: “I am hurt, embarrassed, frustrated, all the words and phrases you can use – it’s just not acceptable in any way, shape or form,” Evatt said after the final whistle.
On if it was the worst performance of his time at Bolton, he added: “I think so. We have had some dark moments and bad spells but, yes, it was very, very disappointing.
“There are always things you can look back on. We haven’t been able to train all week, we have had players off ill, players who have had to have IV electrolytes before the game – four or five of them in the starting XI. It has been a disastrous week and it has finished in a disastrous manner.
“It is not excuses, it’s the truth. I will always try and tell the truth. It has been a very difficult week and today has been as difficult as it gets.
“I’d say it did come as a surprise, but I don’t think we did anything well.
“I don’t know what the players expected. I was here on Tuesday and it was a similar thing to what just happened to us. We knew they would react, try and put pressure on us, and all we did from the first minute was to play into their hands. We didn’t win any duels, second balls, first contacts, we played short to often into their press and gave them sugar and courage to go and get on the front foot. From start to finish there was nothing about today, apart from Rico and Josh (Dacres-Cogley) who have been the most poorly this week, they were the most competitive.”
On if he would be thinking about his own position as manager: “I always reflect on myself, look at myself before anything or anyone else. No doubt I will do the same.
“I know what you are trying to ask me. As I said, I reflect on myself more than anything, I’ll do the same again.
“The minute I think enough is enough, I’ll be the first to say it.”
Evatt said, per the club website: “That’s not acceptable. That’s as poor as it gets from start to finish. We’ve let everybody down again. We’ve worked so hard to build some momentum into the season, put in some good performances of late and today we’ve just undone it all in 90 minutes really.
“We didn’t compete, we didn’t win enough battles, win enough duels which are the basics of football especially in a local derby. We didn’t do that well enough, we didn’t defend set-plays well enough and we got hurt and it has to hurt it hurts us all. We apologise for that and we will try and rectify it as best we can.”
“We haven’t trained (properly) all week. We’ve tried to keep it in-house but we’ve had everyone off ill. We’ve had sickness and diarrhoea just wipe the camp out. We’ve had flu and we’ve had it all this week.
“We’re light on bodies as it is. The players on the bench are only limited to certain minutes because we can’t break them. This week has been as tough as it could possibly be but that’s no excuse. We’ve got to be better than that.
“Ultimately, I will always try to take responsibility and today we’ve drastically under-performed. These types of defeat really hurt. Self-reflection is a key part of football that doesn’t happen honestly enough, in my opinion, but we’ll do the best we can to be honest and transparent and look at ourselves and see where we go from here.
“We’ve let them (the supporters) down, there’s no two ways about that. We’ve had a lot of good times together over this four, five-year spell. This season, in particular, the start of it has been very rough but we will do all we can to try and fix it.”
View this post on Instagram
🗣️”Derby games, local games, do the basic well.”
🗣️”We did everything wrong today and nothing right.”Ian Evatt reflects on today’s loss to Stockport County with @derekclarksport #BWFC #WanderersLive ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/5pIjY96Zpo
— Bolton FM Sport (@BOLTONFMSPORT) November 9, 2024
Bolton Wanderers: Baxter; Forrester, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Dacres-Cogley (Jones 58), Sheehan, Matete, Schön (Osei-Tutu 77); McAtee; Adeboyejo (Collins 58), Charles. Substitutes: Southwood, Lolos, Williams, Artfield.
Booked: None
Stockport County: Hinchcliffe; Connolly, Horsfall, Touray; Southam-Hales (Hughes 63), Norwood, Bate, Rydel (Adaramola 63); Collar (Fevrier 69), Wootton, Barry (Bailey 69). Substitutes: Addai, Diamond, Fiorini.
Booked: Collar
Referee: David Rock
Attendance: 10,342
“I expected a reaction, I didn’t expect the scoreline,” Stockport boss Dave Challinor said, per Bolton News. “You hope that there’s a performance there but ultimately, there is still uncertainty.
“As much as you can trust the players and believe in what they can go and do, they have to walk across the line, go out into the middle of the pitch and be able to produce that.
“I have just said to them, that is a lot easier to do at three and four up than it is at three or four down.
“But regardless of what the score is, we have to blank out everything going on around us and have that attitude and application.
“A press only works if you commit to it with everybody. If one person goes by himself, they will be played around and look stupid.
“Everyone has got to go and commit to it, and Louie’s goal comes from a moment like that. Playing against a good team, at times you will get that slightly wrong.”
“He [Wootton] is a focal point for us,” said Challinor. “Playing against Santos, there is a physical battle there. Watching England v Australia rugby union, it was more akin to that than football!
“The two of them wouldn’t be lost in a rugby match! He got his goal, which was a brilliant save and a brilliant finish.
“We did get him support, counter press well and pick up those second balls especially in the second half. But I thought our discipline in terms of our shape, when we had to be a block, was very good.
“We limited a very good team to minimal opportunities and situations, which is a credit to the players.”
Here’s the Twitter reaction as angry Bolton fans make their feelings known after losing 5-0 away at Stockport…
@Chris_W_889: Time to speak to the board admin, I feel a press release is coming shortly
@wnkywanderer: Dreadful. Absolutely shocking. Decisions to be made Shazza. Get on the phone to Mr. Robins 📞
@wildeone13: That felt worse than Wembley and I think that says it all
@pfcdave1898: How’s the promotion party going lads?
@damnberry: Its a dark day. Thanks for everything but we need a fresh start
@OldManWinter999: It’s time for a boycott until the great underachiever is gone. No buying tickets and no buying anything from the club shop. Not a penny more until the board actually listen to the fans.
@phoward1974: If there ever was a time to show the managers interview in full, for free, this is it.
@tomjsh: Club statement. Now.
@FredsCap: Same old answers, no change, it’s getting tiresome Ian
@Monkbythesea: He’s not capable of motivating anyone. He’s needs to go now.
@harrybwfc446: If they don’t sack him then questions need to be asked about the board
@DanLove866: Unlucky lads, you arent a bad team, you just need to work on passing, shooting, attacking, defending, goalkeeping, creating chances, dribbling, positioning, game management and also sportsmanship 😘 #stockportcounty #bwfc
@ColBwfc: Go. Now. Thanks Ian.
@OneSizeFitz89: And repeat…
Evatt OUT
Crainey OUT
Atherton OUT
Markham OUT
#BWFC
@chrisbeth26: Terrible turn out on and off the pitch.
@drac_uk: That’s me done until he’s gone. He’s an arrogant disgrace. Still thinks we should be passing it round the back when 0-3 down. No fight. No passion
@olliejoell1606: Oi! Where’s your promotion party
@8arzeee: I’ve backed Evatt until today but that’s a sackable for me.. same old story for the past couple of years.. completely bullied from minute 1. Thanks for the memories 👋🏻 players also need to take a long hard look at themselves.
@Andy_1883: Thanks for the training sessions
@choppereaton1: Anybody checked on Thogden?
@PD_1972: Time to part company. It’s like a slow death! Absolutely awful, yet again!
@BillNeighy: “It has to hurt, we all have to feel it” – how many times is this going to be the party line? Is everyone just staying together for the kids now? Do we have another 18 years of this drivel? #bwfc
@BwfcFans: Give us the corner flag
@bwfc_archie5: Where tf is the corner flag you soft cunts
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