Should I(E) stay or should I(E) go?

[Worthy4England]

He’s not going to change.

I do find it a bit worrying when the team boss can't say "we got it wrong on the day." Sure I've done a few over the years and sometimes you just need a bit of self reflection and "If I had my time again, I'd have done X instead." It's not that difficult.

Especially at this distance, when he's got the backing of the board. Straight after the game? Fine. Now? You have to see that wasn't right.

He's in a hole. He tries not to criticise the players (after Crellin). And he wants to say "I got it right." So no one got it wrong - as the boss you have to be better than that...defend your team and shoulder the accoutability.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... l-options/

I find this unbelievable. It actually leaves me feeling completely unmotivated for next season.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... l-options/

I find this unbelievable. It actually leaves me feeling completely unmotivated for next season.

If plan 2.0 fixes the issues then fine. If he thinks having a couple of better backups fixes it then yes, its going to be a miserable autumn.

[TANGODANCER]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... l-options/

I find this unbelievable. It actually leaves me feeling completely unmotivated for next season.

I think he's being completely frank and honest in not believing he's some sort of miracle worker and having the balls to say so. It's so easy to wear false feathers and pretend wrong doesn't exist; it does, and I.E. is just one of twenty plus managers all with the same aims and ambitions. Much is going to depend on who we have available when the bell rings, and in that again, finance will play as important a major part as any manager. It won't matter a fig how much we, as supporters, are motivated, that's down to the Board, Evatt and the players. Showing we are behind them is where we are the important ones, so come on, let's do that, starting now. Amen,

COME ON YOU WHITES...

[Worthy4England]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... l-options/

I find this unbelievable. It actually leaves me feeling completely unmotivated for next season.

I don't really care what badge the alternative plan has. It needs to be different enough to impact what happens on the pitch.

[jmjhb]

He does mention a second option.. as long as that second option isn’t identikit substitutions every game.

The two outfield signings being big units is a good sign, imo.

[irie Cee Bee]

The next signings will indicate what 2.0 is. Will we sign wingers or wingbacks or fullbacks.

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... l-options/

I find this unbelievable. It actually leaves me feeling completely unmotivated for next season.

I don't really care what badge the alternative plan has. It needs to be different enough to impact what happens on the pitch.

I think the issue is that we need to be more versatile. You need to have a variety of styles that you can win with. And ability to adapt as necessary.

That is more than just a plan A and plan B. But I’m concerned again that he’s persisting with ‘we are recruiting and coaching to a style’….i don’t think any manager I’ve watched do well here has done that. They’ve evolved as they go.

[officer_dibble]

The next signings will indicate what 2.0 is. Will we sign wingers or wingbacks or fullbacks.

I actually reckon Cogley and Iredale would be good enough as full backs. Johnston might be a good left back as well. A 433 / 4231 would work for Mendes Gomes as well. Not every week of course but might be something to have in the locker!!

[sonicthewhite]

The next signings will indicate what 2.0 is. Will we sign wingers or wingbacks or fullbacks.

I actually reckon Cogley and Iredale would be good enough as full backs. Johnston might be a good left back as well. A 433 / 4231 would work for Mendes Gomes as well. Not every week of course but might be something to have in the locker!!

That would be Iredale/Randy at LB, Cogz/Geth/Mattheson for RB then any 2 from 5 of George, Rico, Will, Toaly and Forino. That would on paper mean the defence more than well enough stocked unless you were going to buy 2 new fullbacks to upgrade on what we have?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Iles:

Wanderers played almost exclusively with a 3-5-2 formation last season, switching very occasionally in-game. The focus this summer will be on switching shapes more quickly and seamlessly, especially on occasions where opposing sides change their own system to try and first nullify that of the Whites – an issue which regularly cropped up in home games.

The cliched football critique calls for managers to have a ‘Plan B’ – and the phrase most certainly has been directed towards Evatt as he stuck to his beliefs over the past few years. His response, in most cases, has been to try and ensure ‘Plan A’ was better but with a boosted playing budget this summer he may for the first time have the spending power to sign more players who can switch systems and play different roles, giving him more tactical flexibility.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ns-summer/

A good thing, surely. I must say I think it's rather late and IMO somewhat belittling of the players we've had - many of whom have played in more than one position within whatever has been the system du jour - but such flexibility is how to get results. And if it happens, I think we can dismiss the "Plan A 2.0" as typical, if ill-advised, verbal belligerence rather than refusal to adapt. As I've said before, Evatt has changed his tactics (personnel and formation) on numerous occasions, but only very on occasion. True flexibility is being able to switch at short notice.

[Prufrock]

Aye, it's been all or nothing previously. I do think 3-5-2 is a tough one to go through. You don't have any natural wingers and basically anything else other than a diamond requires them. I'd like us to work towards having 433 and 343 as the options, but I'm not sure that's likely.

Collins helps. A fit Randy or CMG would help. We're going to need signings otherwise.

[irie Cee Bee]

I must admit that I am very concerned about next season with a manager who appears to be tactically inflexible and trying to convince me of his intelligence to stick to the system he knows that has failed us so far, with a little tweeking. Other teams successfully adjust their systems to play and counter our passing game. I was hoping Evatt will be able change up too to counter their change ... doesn't seem like he intends to sign wingers. .. you know what, let me shut up, wait and give his 2.0 a chance.

[Worthy4England]

Agree. I doubt anyone is expecting we have a "squad for every style and formation" (albeit some might prefer a different formation) - just that whatever isn't Plan A, has enough in its locker, to impact the game, when we can see it's being pretty well countered and/or we're not at the races.

I think to Pru's point, there's a few that feel the current formation sort of boxes us in a bit, with the current squad and that's a problem of out own making as no one tells us we have to play 3-5-2, that's our pick. I guess all formations will give you some rigidity, it's just how to break out of it, when needs must.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don’t really see this. Being able to flip between multiple formations is not that easy and even the best teams in the world struggle. The issue is not that. It’s that we play a system that has little opportunity within it to change it. Play a 433 and you can easily go with two pivots in midfield, or one as the situation dictates. It can become. 451, even a 424 without necessarily needing to change personnel and it has flexibility built in more basically…your full backs can bomb or not. You can play a negative controlled defensive game at times if needed. Without necessarily needing to change personnel.

The 352 for me only works when you are front foot, your wing backs are right up the pitch and you can play a team that way. Otherwise it can easily become a system that gets stretched and the only way to avoid that is to effectively drop into a pseudo back 5. Which is why I think last season at times we ended up in a mess. See Barnsley home game for example.

The issue is not that we can’t flip systems continually. It’s that the basic system is one that we are too flawed to really master.

[officer_dibble]

Agree with a lot of the above but with an addition that Santos needs to be in a back 3 and he’s the captain who plays every game when fit. I’d also be concerned about George Johnston as one of two centre halves, he may fit left back, or he may surprise me. Don’t know yet.

I’d say two centre halves would be Toal and Forester or possibly the new lad as well.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Any formation is only a starting point - it's football, not table football - and should therefore be flexible depending on the state of the game and the team's state of mind. The current morose England team is playing the same formation as Man City, just artlessly.

The 3-1-4-2 we've used since March 2023 is definitely adaptable mid-game. If you're holding a lead you don't have to fling the wing-backs forward, and you can drop an 8 back alongside Sheehan to make the 3-4-1-2 we'd preferred from Jan 2022 to March 2023; in practice, the wingbacks make a back five. The question is whether the manager chooses to.

It's perhaps harder to chase the game from a starting 3-1-4-2, but that's where formational flips come in (or, in our case, don't). Although CMG's injury robbed us of a wide option for a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, by then we had Collins and Ogbeta in, with Williams back the next game. Most of our "outside centre-backs" look like they would be at least as comfortable at full-back. The problem hasn't been "having the right players," it's been lack of desire to change.

[BWFC_Insane]

^^ But my issue with the system is you always have gaps down the side unless you end up with a deep back five and obviously that has its issues. And as games go on and seasons go on the midfield press maybe drops a little and teams can more readily exploit the gaps the back three have to cover. It’s a hard system to make compact and sit in with because you either stretch the centre of midfield out and flog them chasing it or you expose centre halves down the sides constantly.

I think a four at the back offers a much easier shape to go compact in when needed. My issue is that I think three at the back should be the change it up option not the main system we try and play. I don’t think we have the right qualities to balance the system out and I also think it puts too much physical strain on key areas of your team. And that tells over a season. Not over ten games maybe, but over a season. It’s no coincidence that our right wing backs the last two seasons started the season like trains but absolutely both dipped in the latter stages. And one is now a top end premiership player so it wasn’t ability.

[Worthy4England]

There's plenty of my City supporting mates, that think they often pretty unattractive football. Obviously, with the talent at their disposal, they're a bit better equipped to come up with special moments which are capable of papering over a few cracks...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's plenty of my City supporting mates, that think they often pretty unattractive football. Obviously, with the talent at their disposal, they're a bit better equipped to come up with special moments which are capable of papering over a few cracks...

Let me fetch my f**king violin for the poor bastards.