Vale of tiers: Port Vale (A), Division Three, Sat 30 Sep @ 3pm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Full disclosure: I’ve used this thread title before, when Evatt first faced the Valiants on the weekend that some clubs first welcomed back a limited number of fans post-Covid. Bolton couldn’t, what with being in the government’s third tier; perhaps that was a blessing for the relatively new manager as his side was humbled 6-3 and fans could only seethe remotely. Much was made of the young George Thomason. Making his full league debut in place of the injured Andy Tutte. (“There’s a player in him,” said Prufrock, through the tears. “Freak result and no need for the fans to panic,” said Bertie Wooster. It's an interesting read.)

Anyway, that season turned out all right as we went up through the gears and up through the tiers. Can we do so again this season? As we near the 10-game mark – and just after it, the enforced caesura of an international break - a trip to Vale Park might give us more of a clue.

Vale have loomed large in previous promotion seasons. That 6-3 was the nadir of Evatt’s ultimately successful debut – Wanderers’ 1-0 win in the mid-March return being typical of the long grinding march to promotion. Our 2-0 win at Vale in April 2017 – witnessed by a huge away support, many of whom hit the turf in celebration – would have sealed promotion in Parky’s first season had 3rd-placed Fleetwood not simultaneously won in injury time through some bloke called Kyle Dempsey. And a shade over 30 years ago, the two clubs were locked in a spring-long struggle to ride Stoke's coat-tails up out of the third tier, with Bruce Rioch also ending up successful.

This time around, not many expected the Valiants to be above us in the table, but there they sit in 4th after recovering well from an opening-day 7-0 blistering at Barnsley. Since then they’ve won nine games in all competitions - eight by a single goal, one on penalties. They’ve drawn two and lost just one – the previous home league game, 3-2 to Burton. So don’t expect the game to be over after an hour.

Pity, that, given Bolton’s problems maintaining their early-game pace. Hopefully the improved finish from the finishers - both on the eye test last Saturday and on the scoresheet in midweek - will help Evatt’s team start to regain the reputation they once had for getting stronger as the clock ticked on.

Suspensions and injuries mean the XI picks itself. With Coleman, Jones, Santos, Thomason, Maghoma and Mendes Gomes unavailable - all for the next three games, bar the yellow-card magnet Tomo who spends just this game on the naughty step - and Ashworth seemingly still MIA, it’s pretty much going to have to be Baxter; Forrester, Toal, Iredale; JDC, Morley, Sheehan, Dempsey, Williams; Charles, Adeboyejo. On the bench we’ll have the three back-up strikers plus presumably Hutchinson, Matheson, Khumbeni and one more - possibly LWB Sam Inwood, who made his debut on Tuesday just five months after signing his first pro contract and a week after turning 18.

Evatt has said he wants his diminished squad to take Tuesday’s rampant form into the next three games – Vale away followed by two home games against long-ballers, firstly leadership contenders Stevenage then fellow promotees Carlisle – before regrouping during the international break. Where Wanderers sit after their first 11 league games - almost half a season – will tell us a lot about where they might end up… and whether those Port Vale-tinged promotion seasons of the past might be repeated.


(Edited for correction)

[Worthy4England]

A grand read, DSB. It feels like we could use a win, to stay thereabouts, but these have managed to turn over Oxford, so maybe not straight forward...It sort of feels like one of those at the end of the season you might look back on with an "if only"

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

A grand read, DSB. It feels like we could use a win, to stay thereabouts, but these have managed to turn over Oxford, so maybe not straight forward...It sort of feels like one of those at the end of the season you might look back on with an "if only"

Careful now, you're tiptoeing t'wards "must-win" territory

Know what you mean tho. Purely mathematically, a draw might leave us seven points off top spot, six off the autos. It will also upset those who think we should be beating "teams like" Vale – and Exeter and Stevenage, also above us; I suspect Pompey and Barnsley are more forgivable, while Oxford are somewhere in the middle of the perceived Table Of Bigness.

Oxford 1-2 Vale was a weird old game. Vale keeper Connor Ripley - whom I'm now contractually obliged to call Stuart's lad, while pointing out that he saved half the pengies he faced last season – seems to oscillate between saving everything and nothing, and this was one of his better days: the irksomely apostrophised U's had six efforts on goal in a game that one might say Exploded Into Life Late On.

Oxford had a man sent off in the 62nd minute; Vale went ahead in the 74th minute; Oxford equalised in the 93rd via Greg Leigh, who was also sent off two minutes later; then in the 99th minute Vale won it through a penalty converted by Alfie Devine, the Spurs loanee we were linked with in January before getting Shoretire instead.

On that note, in passing - Evatt confirmed before this week's game that we didn't consider Shola this summer because we've moved away from "an out-and-out 10". Devine, who assisted Vale's opener in that game, has featured in all non-Pizza Cup fixtures since he joined them, but not usually for the full 90.

Devine is among three players rotating in the two slots behind hard-working centre-forward James Wilson (ex-Rags, Salford) in Vale manager Andy Crosby's preferred 3-4-2-1; the other two are Ben Garrity (top scorer with 5) and Ethan Chislett, with whom I think we were again linked when he was at Wimbledon.

Stylistically they're fairly average for the division, neither 'long' nor 'short'; if anything they're slightly slow to get the ball forward. They also press less than the divisional average; we're top of that table, although they've managed more high turnovers than us and had more resultant shots, they are (like us and most of the division) awaiting their first goal from such stolen moments.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Missed these Evatt quotes after the rags game:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... vale-game/

This next week is going to be a real struggle, we can’t deny it. Players are playing with injuries, playing with niggles, they need some help and support. I’ll probably have to call upon players to play out of position and we need to find a way to get some points over the next three games.
But I promise that this next week won’t define our season. As I said, there is sunshine coming over the horizon, we know it is there post-international break. By that point I think we will have everyone back and ready and raring to go. Until that point it is a case of rolling up our sleeves and finding a way to get results.

Not sure quite who he's saying could play out of position. We do (to my eyes) have a workable XI, even if Morley isn't quite the worker at 6 that Thomason is. Except the forwards, we have little depth beyond that XI; we also have no cover at all at centre-back or LWB (except Iredale, which would leave us short at centre-back). I hope Matheson gets minutes to rest JDC during each game.

[BWFC_Insane]

Missed these Evatt quotes after the rags game:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... vale-game/

This next week is going to be a real struggle, we can’t deny it. Players are playing with injuries, playing with niggles, they need some help and support. I’ll probably have to call upon players to play out of position and we need to find a way to get some points over the next three games.
But I promise that this next week won’t define our season. As I said, there is sunshine coming over the horizon, we know it is there post-international break. By that point I think we will have everyone back and ready and raring to go. Until that point it is a case of rolling up our sleeves and finding a way to get results.

Not sure quite who he's saying could play out of position. We do (to my eyes) have a workable XI, even if Morley isn't quite the worker at 6 that Thomason is. Except the forwards, we have little depth beyond that XI; we also have no cover at all at centre-back or LWB (except Iredale, which would leave us short at centre-back). I hope Matheson gets minutes to rest JDC during each game.

Think he’s talking about maybe playing strikers in the midfield etc….win backs at centre back….

He has an issue where Dempsey will struggle to play Saturday Tuesday so I’m told….so that in itself is one….

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Think he’s talking about maybe playing strikers in the midfield etc….win backs at centre back….

He has an issue where Dempsey will struggle to play Saturday Tuesday so I’m told….so that in itself is one….

I can just about see JDC at centre-back (with Matheson RCB), but Randell?

Bod or Dan could play at 10, but I don't know how good they'd be – and as noted, we don't really use a 10 any more. Hope Demps can make it through Saturday and then Tomo will be back - which would at least give us three "native" midfielders even if Demps is out.

Might also want to note that Stevenage and Carlisle are long-ballers, so we may want an extra "tall one" in the side - eg Bod/Dan at 10 in front of two midfielders. Although it would be somewhat unEvattian to change our system (rather than just personnel) to reflect the oppo.

[Harry Genshaw]

DSB - Please tell me it's 30 years and not 40 when we pipped Vale to that 2nd promotion spot?

Next few games feel pretty pivotal to me. Are we genuine promotion contenders or also rans? Point here, if we win our next 2, would be grand but I'm unsure how we'll handle a Steve Evans side next Tuesday, so let's get 3 if we can.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

DSB - Please tell me it's 30 years and not 40 when we pipped Vale to that 2nd promotion spot?

Next few games feel pretty pivotal to me. Are we genuine promotion contenders or also rans? Point here, if we win our next 2, would be grand but I'm unsure how we'll handle a Steve Evans side next Tuesday, so let's get 3 if we can.

Ha yeah! I need a sub-editor....

Evatt confirms Ashworth is available, so that's another warm body on the bench - and Inwood can go back to the kids' playground. https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/zacs-back-strengthen-whites

[BWFC_Insane]

DSB - Please tell me it's 30 years and not 40 when we pipped Vale to that 2nd promotion spot?

Next few games feel pretty pivotal to me. Are we genuine promotion contenders or also rans? Point here, if we win our next 2, would be grand but I'm unsure how we'll handle a Steve Evans side next Tuesday, so let's get 3 if we can.

Ha yeah! I need a sub-editor....

Evatt confirms Ashworth is available, so that's another warm body on the bench - and Inwood can go back to the kids' playground. https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/zacs-back-strengthen-whites

However JDC may be missing as his partner has had a baby but is still in hospital and he’s not trained….

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt confirms Ashworth is available, so that's another warm body on the bench - and Inwood can go back to the kids' playground. https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/zacs-back-strengthen-whites

However JDC may be missing as his partner has had a baby but is still in hospital and he’s not trained….

Congrats to them.

jdc2.gif (4.63 MiB) Viewed 8728 times

For us, it's sub-optimal. Guess we'd have Ashworth left and Randy right, although Matheson is playing his way into being an option.

[officer_dibble]

Surely JDC starts even with no training. Hope all is OK for him mind.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Surely JDC starts even with no training. Hope all is OK for him mind.

Iles: “Mother and son are still in hospital and Evatt said the wing-back would be given all the time he needed before making a return.”

[Mar]

Surely JDC starts even with no training. Hope all is OK for him mind.

Iles: “Mother and son are still in hospital and Evatt said the wing-back would be given all the time he needed before making a return.”

Might just be a case for seeing on the day. Not every newborn is easy to cater for. Those restless nights may mentally tire him out so it's a lack of sleep that may be the thing that causes most problems.

Given they're still in the hospital I can imagine his priorities are massively elsewhere at the moment. Cue Matheson I guess.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It will be JDC's decision. Evatt has previously proven very flexible with players' personal lives – from memory Rico and partner having a baby, but also Gethin and his mum. It's a lovely touch (even if a touch problematic when we're understaffed!!) and seems to foster a good spirit – one might say "as it should", but football can be a very selfish industry.

Anyway - I'm sure he'll have been told "come back when you're ready." Meantime, the contigency is either drop Matheson straight in or switch Randell and play Ashworth on the left. Vale play wingbacks so we might judge it on which of those players are likely to win those 1v1 battles.

[Worthy4England]

There isn't much point playing someone, if their mind is elsewhere...

[officer_dibble]

Nathan Delfounso was the one I remember having a tough time after birth of a child. I don’t know the ins and outs but his form dropped off a cliff.

[BWFC_Insane]

There isn't much point playing someone, if their mind is elsewhere...

Indeed and I’m sure it will be if the situation isn’t resolved. Give the lad time.

[boltonboris]

The excuses are in. The players won't be held accountable if there's a shit performance. Many lower league footballers don't need a second chance to take their foot of the gas

3-0 defeat tomorrow. I'm not going

[BWFC_Insane]

The excuses are in. The players won't be held accountable if there's a shit performance. Many lower league footballers don't need a second chance to take their foot of the gas

3-0 defeat tomorrow. I'm not going

Yeah I don’t like the way he’s addressed this. It’s fine to say ‘we are down to the bare bones and need to dig deep and put in heroic performances’ but the whole. ‘Season isn’t defined by the next three results’ stuff is pretty dangerous. Lose next three and that top two is looking pretty difficult….last season you would say that it would be gone already given that would be 5 defeats before November…..the only thing we’d be relying on is then an almost perfect run to the end of the season and the top teams being less consistent by a significant margin.

I don’t care what Evatt says the fact is that going to Port Vale and losing irrespective of the circumstances is very poor indeed. And failing to beat Stevenage at home is in the same category. He’s left us light so the next couple of games are a test of his judgement.

[boltonboris]

Surely JDC starts even with no training. Hope all is OK for him mind.

Iles: “Mother and son are still in hospital and Evatt said the wing-back would be given all the time he needed before making a return.”

Take all the time you need, son.... But you may come back to a spot on the bench

Is usually how these things go in Football!