‘An embarrassing assessment’ – Fans react to Ian Evatt’s interview after Bolton Wanderers lose 2-0 defeat to Birmingham City.
League One leaders Birmingham went four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand as they eventually wrapped up all three points in the closing stages after an initially fast start in breaking the deadlock.
Chris Davies’ side went ahead three minutes in with a strike from Japanese playmaker Tomoki Iwata, with Birmingham making it 2-0 via a controversial 86th-minute penalty from £10m striker Jay Stansfield. Second place Wrexham dropped points at home to Huddersfield Town.
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Ian Evatt said: “We knew with the personnel available we had to stick in for 60 or so minutes, really trying to make it difficult for them, which we did.
“The disappointing thing is we concede so early, losing a duel. It’s a brilliant finish but a little bit self-inflicted. But we hung in there, we stuck in and we knew with half an hour to go we could then start to be a little bit more adventurous and get some more attackers onto the pitch and maybe lose a bit of solidity and go for it.
“That happened and we had the big moment. You don’t get many big moments here and we had the big moment where if John (McAtee) scores I think we’re in the ascendancy with five or 10 minutes to go and it’s a chance we have to take.
“That’s the thing that’s disappointing the most is that in these games we’ve missed out on big moments and that was another one tonight.”
“Their two central midfield players are really good and everything they do that’s good goes through them, so we tried to take that box away that they create in possession,” added Evatt.
“We needed to be solid and the plan all along was to try and keep the game tight and then be adventurous in the last half an hour and try and take something from the game. I genuinely believe if John scores we get something from the game and it would have been a brilliant result.
“This is as tough a place as it gets in League One and it should be with the finances that have been spent here. They are a really good team. We gave them some respect but the plan was very close to coming off.
“We knew we’d get some big moments later in the game. We had it and we didn’t take it and we just need to re-group now and get ready for Saturday.”
Speaking to BluesTV post-match, Davies said: “We spoke to them before the game about the importance of that, these are the evenings when you have got to show a real relentlessness and intensity and aggression about you.
“Bolton are a good side at this level, they were play-off finalists last year and missed out narrowly on the Championship, I think they will be in and around it this year, so they tried to play with the ball, decent players, so we had to give them no time basically. We pressed aggressively and that takes a lot of hard work, a lot of intensity and the players delivered that.”
On Iwata’s goal: “Individually, probably one of the best we have had this season. You don’t see many of them. I have worked at a pretty high level with some top players and that’s right up there, it’s a hell of a finish.
“It has come down a long way and he has had to control it and strike it. A great finish and a great position at the edge of the box.”
As mentioned fans react to Ian Evatt’s interview after Bolton’s defeat to Birmingham…
@martinjohnson81: McAtee has to score that chance…BUT he is not the reason we’re all so angry right now, acknowledge the fact that we “kept it tight” for less than 180 seconds of this game Ian #bwfc
@WanderasLuke: He’s like a broken record. We know the team hasn’t been great this season, but 4 of the current top 6 have been played and we haven’t even scored against them but conceded 8. The pattern is consistent yet again.
@KroB91875: If my nan had wheels she’d be a bike 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@cwarb1: Keep it tight? We were 1-0 down after 3 minutes you weapon.
@dalebwfc: thrown mcatee under the bus saying it’s his fault we didn’t get anything from the game. fucking clown when we set up with the worst lineup i’ve seen this season against the best team. muppet get gone.
@colonel_nutz:
“If John scores we get something from the game”. My Auntie Brian is thrilled with that, she’s always wanted to be an uncle. We should have lost by 8 tonight. That we only lost by 2 is because of Birmingham, not us. We’re not a top half team. Prove me wrong. Please, I beg you.
@OneSizeFitz89:
Evatt OUT
Crainey OUT
Atherton OUT
Markham OUT
The gimp asking the questions needs fucking off too. #BWFC
@Stesmith_92: So ultimately you never thought we could never get a win against Birmingham & only snatching a draw with one opportunity was the best chance of getting a draw. Good mindset for the players to follow👍🏻
@JackWalker_99: So the most disappointing part of the night was a player missing a chance…. Not the fact we conceded after 3 minutes and couldn’t string a pass together 😂
@FredsCap: More excuses, these are problems that all teams encounter and have to work around. Tonight was men v boys. He left his own recent signings on the bench; mcAttee & Collins??? It’s pretty clear he’s struggling, the blind loyalty and hope given by the board is staggering #bwfc
@Chris_W_889: The away end didn’t watch the same game then… we went to draw. Never even tried to win it… can’t win big games against our promotion rivals.. same old story… groundhog day…. again!
@drac_uk: Keep it tight when you’re losing??? What on earth. Negative Evatt. Got to get rid
@nickp1969: I have supported Ian after what he has achieved, but with that team selection I was disappointed before we had kicked a ball. So negative. We should have played our strongest team, something like what he changed to in the second half. Felt sorry for Dion he works his socks off.
@Leemcafee: After more thought on how negative we where last night. Evatt has to go. 11 games in and 14th in the table. Simply not good enough. Find a new manager now let him have this season to bond and build then go again next year. This season we will struggle of top half. 😴😴🫠
@simoniriley: Time to go Ian
@OldManWinter999: Get him and Sharon gone and let’s get back to being an ambitious football club where results and performances actually matter.
@andyroodaddyo:
Showed fear once again.
Too slow in possession.
Too negative in team selection.
We played better in the last 15 minutes with actual threats from McAtee and Collins.
@cregsy_35: Out of his depth!
@GarethHulme: An embarrassing assessment.
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