Opening day Blues or all White on the night? Ipswich (A) Saturday 30th July. 3pm KO

[Bruce Rioja]

Many thanks for that. Although much of it hadn't really occurred to me (hence the question) I found myself nodding in agreement as I read through it. Are we to take it that it's something of a message to the board also (although I'm not aware of them not backing him at any point)? Or maybe management of expectations?

[BWFC_Insane]

Many thanks for that. Although much of it hadn't really occurred to me (hence the question) I found myself nodding in agreement as I read through it. Are we to take it that it's something of a message to the board also (although I'm not aware of them not backing him at any point)? Or maybe management of expectations?

There is a long form interview with Evatt on the Radio Manchester The Wanderer podcast. It’s really very very good and I’d recommend it.

He talks at length about a number of topics and I’d suggest it’s more useful than trying to read between quotes or internet whispers.

To me if just sounds like a manager who has awoken to the reality of the league they are in and also learned to tone it down a bit. We had a manager for years in Allardyce trying to make the noises that he wasn’t supported in the market or unable to match ambitions and Evatt sounds in entirely the opposite camp. He very explicitly states that no club could pull him away from here as he has everything he needs and full autonomy.

He also conceded that this summer is the first time he’s missed out on ‘a couple of targets’ and goes into detail about Fossey who presumably was one of those two and essentially says he wanted championship football before saying his injuries complicate anything.

The podcast is worth a listen. I don’t think Evatt suddenly doesn’t believe. I just think he’s had the realisation that this league is not straightforward. Indeed he talks about back to back promotions from league two into the championship being virtually impossible given the nature of clubs coming down from championship now. He makes the point that January was all about this season and getting things in place then and being settled was critical to him.

[Bruce Rioja]

I'll dig it out and have a listen. Many thanks for the heads-up.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I was thinking yesterday that this time of the year lends itself to extrapolation from small data-sets. We go into the season with assumptions and hunches; one game out of the 46 and it's tempting to conclude X, Y and Z. I know I do it. And I see the Manny Evenin News is plugging the details of the weekend's results into its supercomputer. (Will they do that after every game? Will anyone read the 45th iteration?)

[Worthy4England]

I was thinking yesterday that this time of the year lends itself to extrapolation from small data-sets. We go into the season with assumptions and hunches; one game out of the 46 and it's tempting to conclude X, Y and Z. I know I do it. And I see the Manny Evenin News is plugging the details of the weekend's results into its supercomputer. (Will they do that after every game? Will anyone read the 45th iteration?)

Yeah. In the scheme of things, a point away at Ipswich probably isn't going to be the worst thing that occurs this season.

But there is clearly a developing narrative that Evatt/Markham/Us have missed out on key targets (which I don't doubt) and therefore we've told ourselves "we're a bit shit compared to team X and we can't play our natural game and win (certainly against Ipswich)."

I'm not sure I buy it (Saturday, I think up until we scored the penalty, we had more possession, made more passes, had more shots etc. most were progressive, a fair chunk in the final third etc. etc.), so for me, the first 30 mins looked totally different than the last 60, where they took the initiative off us. Had the first 30 looked the same as the last 60, then I might be more inclined to agree. (That and Evatt said we didn't play our game)...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It may be of interest to see these postmatch quotes from George Johnston, who seems one of the more thoughtful players; Evatt has said he often comes into training with this or that statistic or fact for the coaches, so he clearly thinks more analytically than many a footballer. He even uses Evatt's favourite rhetorical device of hypophora: "Am I going to pose a question? Yes I am. Will I immediately answer it? Yes I will."

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... de-better/

Whether or not you believe these quotes contradict or strengthen the Ghost Theory of Sudden Inferiority, well that's up to you...

In possession, we weren’t our usual selves but we aren’t going to be able to play our usual stuff everywhere we go. It's just about finding a way to get a goal... But we've got things to improve on now and we know what we need to improve on going into next week.

...always tough coming here and we know they have got good players. We knew what we were coming up against and we had a strategy to deal with it. We can rely on big Rico (Santos) behind us. We went man-for-man, which I think for the first 30, 35 minutes especially caused them problems, and on the back of that we had a few counter-attacks. But second half we were a bit ragged. They pulled us apart a bit. But that is when we have to regroup and we just defended for our lives towards the end.

[on defending] I feel we know how to deal with these things better now. The first goal is massive – it silences the crowd and puts us on the front foot. From when we got the first goal until when they scored, we were kind of controlling the game.

Obviously, it is disappointing to concede from a set-piece and from then until half-time it kind of wobbled us. But we regrouped inside, talked about it and came back out. When we come to places like this with big crowds, big atmospheres, we want to put on a good display and show what we are capable of.

Did we do that in possession? Probably not today. But out of possession we have shown what a dangerous team we can be – winning the ball back high and counter attacking, and then being solid at the back.

It is a mental thing as much as a technical, physical thing. We are not going to come and play good, free-flowing football all the time. You've got to think about how we are going to win the game in other ways, and that might be doing the ugly stuff well and winning second balls.

Especially the first 30, 35 minutes, I think we dominated the second balls. If we went long to Dion and Dapo, they would make a scrap out of it but if they didn’t win it, MJ and Aaron and Kieran were there to pick up the second balls.

There are different ways to win games, which we didn’t always realise on the pitch last year but this year that is something we have definitely got to improve on.

We didn’t want to get turned over. We wanted to come here and showcase what we are about. Coming in, we weren’t nervous. If anything, we thought they would probably be more nervous than us so we came here and tried to do what we wanted to do.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah that's a "pick the bones out of that" set of statements - plenty in there supporting the view that we didn't want to get turned over/beaten etc. (whilst also lots of things about putting on a good display too )

[BWFC_Insane]

Ian Evatt carrying on saying we were the best team in the league and will outplay anyone and never look to do anything else was always counter productive and the idea that a bit more sense and accepting we need to dig out results sometimes is a sign he doesn’t believe in us to me is silly.

When Evatt came out with what he did after Sheffield Wednesday it was one of the reasons our form dipped. Who thinks that sort of thing wasn’t used to motivate Wigan the week after? It’s the sort of losing your cool and saying AOW thing stupid that doesn’t scream ‘cocky manager playing a psychological game’ but the exact opposite. A manager making it harder for their players after losing their cool.

Measured and pragmatic Evatt is far better and far more likely to pay dividends. This season we can go up and Evatt obviously thinks this. But he’s right when he says it will be a lot of hard work, not always pretty and we will have ups and downs. That’s football.

And Evatt is far more effective in this mode than he is talking nonsense and winding our future opposition up.

[Worthy4England]

We'll shit 'em.

[TANGODANCER]

I have been known as a rose-tinter in the past, and not to be a killjoy, but assuming how many/which teams will be in a promotion race after first game of the season is just a wee bit er....premature. Throw tomatoes if you must, but please take them out of the tin first.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Our boi Brommers has been busy banging Bradley's bits together.

I also noted last night that he'd been doing Saturday's pass maps.

Note particularly how important Johnston is/was to our passing out from the back. That might give Evatt some pause for thought on whether to bring in the much taller Iredale for the Wycombe luftwaffe.
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[Worthy4England]

As noted by Mr Brommers - lotta red on some of them. And others hardly any marks at all...certainly not enough from the MF.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

As noted by Mr Brommers - lotta red on some of them. And others hardly any marks at all...certainly not enough from the MF.

Indeed.

Just noticed that massive red line from Baka – an attempt to pass to Bod, who was less than ten yards from him.

[BWFC_Insane]

As noted by Mr Brommers - lotta red on some of them. And others hardly any marks at all...certainly not enough from the MF.

Yeah that would reflect on midfield significantly struggling. Hardly any successful forward passes between them. Lee looks particularly barren. MJ probably as you’d expect. Morley not influencing games enough - pattern of last season.

[brommers95]

As noted by Mr Brommers - lotta red on some of them. And others hardly any marks at all...certainly not enough from the MF.

Indeed.

Just noticed that massive red line from Baka – an attempt to pass to Bod, who was less than ten yards from him.

It was laughable how bad that pass from Baka was

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Per WhoScored:

Passes: Ipswich 378, Bolton 289.
Long balls: Ipswich 54, Bolton 78.

Passes per midfielder:
Morley 24, Lee 23, MJ 21
Evans 48, Morsy 44, Chaplin 31

Sounds about right. Player positions suggest John was more involved higher up the field than Bradley - but also that they outnumbered us in midfield (note their back four with high fullbacks compared to our back three plus wingbacks).
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[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It was laughable how bad that pass from Baka was

"I can smile about it now but at the time it was terrible"

Think that was around the time fresh-legged Thomason let Morsy jog away from him. It was not a good few minutes for my voicebox or mental equilibrium.

[BWFC_Insane]

I still feel midfield is a problem.

We all know MJ’s limitations in this system particularly.

Lee is used as a running number ten so can’t influence the game as much in games we have less possession especially and is 34.

Dempsey has as yet failed to look that great here.

Morley for me - I know it’s unpopular and I think he’s a decent player but I don’t think he’s main man in a side with serious promotion ambitions. Squad player for me,

Thomason again like the lad. Don’t think he’s promotion winning quality.

Sheehan - injury to come back from and then a question as to what role he can realistically do in this shape and then we find out whether he’s top end league one level in that role.

I just feel we are outclassed and outgunned in this area more than anywhere else.

[Bruce Rioja]

It was laughable how bad that pass from Baka was

I don't suppose your equipment allows you to add 'Have It' just underneath the image, does it?

[officer_dibble]

Early days, away at Ipswich. Work to do but that was the 30th July, let’s see where we are at the end of August.

Out of all the midfielders I’m most concerned with Dempsey - we spent a long time chasing him for him to be constantly injured or poorly disciplined. Any news on what supposedly kept him out?