From a Pompey fan what’s your view on Boltons chance for remaining few games?

[Izual_Rebirth]

When you guys had enough games in hand to mathematically pass us and seeing that coincide with our dip in form over Christmas I was very nervous. Being a Pompey fan you always feel like every game is the start of a full on collapse that we’ve experienced many times before. Add our injury list as well part of me would be happy to see us just get out of the league but after so long at the top I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed with not winning the league. My head says this is going to be a long few weeks and we are still inconsistent enough to make me worry we’ll implode over the coming games which are mostly facing teams in the top half of the table.

How do you feel Bolton are going to do the remaining handful of games? I still feel like you guys have a good chance of winning the league if you can put together a decent run.

[Spartan2]

I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed with not winning the league.

That triple negative made my head spin.

We've had our own injury crisis, which has coincided with a big drop off in form. We've managed to just about keep pace, but it's looking tough when you see our upcoming fixtures. I don't think we'll win the league, I'm just hoping Derby/Barnsley fall away and let us limp over the line, that being said our injured players should return soon and we are a good team, we're still on 2ppg after all. We're capable of being very defensively solid (12hrs without conceding) and scoring heavily (7-0 vs Exeter) and putting together a good run but after losing 4-1 on sat and with an awful trip to Wigan on Tue I don't think you'll find a lot of optimism on here. Watch out for BWFC_Insane he'll tell you we're the worst team in the whole EFL, and he's got the data to "prove" it.

[truewhite15]

I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed with not winning the league.

That triple negative made my head spin.

We've had our own injury crisis, which has coincided with a big drop off in form. We've managed to just about keep pace, but it's looking tough when you see our upcoming fixtures. I don't think we'll win the league, I'm just hoping Derby/Barnsley fall away and let us limp over the line, that being said our injured players should return soon and we are a good team, we're still on 2ppg after all. We're capable of being very defensively solid (12hrs without conceding) and scoring heavily (7-0 vs Exeter) and putting together a good run but after losing 4-1 on sat and with an awful trip to Wigan on Tue I don't think you'll find a lot of optimism on here. Watch out for BWFC_Insane he'll tell you we're the worst team in the whole EFL, and he's got the data to "prove" it.

Don't forget that we've also got the worst manager in history, so far beneath Allardyce, Rioch and even Parkinson, all three of whom would win the Champions League with this group of players who are also, somehow simultanrleously, non-league pub players.

[BWFC_Insane]

I can’t say I wouldn’t be disappointed with not winning the league.

That triple negative made my head spin.

We've had our own injury crisis, which has coincided with a big drop off in form. We've managed to just about keep pace, but it's looking tough when you see our upcoming fixtures. I don't think we'll win the league, I'm just hoping Derby/Barnsley fall away and let us limp over the line, that being said our injured players should return soon and we are a good team, we're still on 2ppg after all. We're capable of being very defensively solid (12hrs without conceding) and scoring heavily (7-0 vs Exeter) and putting together a good run but after losing 4-1 on sat and with an awful trip to Wigan on Tue I don't think you'll find a lot of optimism on here. Watch out for BWFC_Insane he'll tell you we're the worst team in the whole EFL, and he's got the data to "prove" it.

Don't forget that we've also got the worst manager in history, so far beneath Allardyce, Rioch and even Parkinson, all three of whom would win the Champions League with this group of players who are also, somehow simultanrleously, non-league pub players.

Saying Evatt is not as good a manager (yet) as those three is hardly controversial. He’s miles off as it stands.

He may get there. We all better hope so cos I can’t see him being sacked. I just don’t want another season in this league. I’ve had enough and I do genuinely think with the squad we have got this is the year to go up and if we don’t it can’t be dressed up as anything other than failure.

[Jeux sans frontiéres]

I could have put this in one of many threads.

But trying to explain it to an outside perspective feels like useful context.

We've all spent a lost of time soul searching since Saturday. Is the system right? Are the players right? Is rotation killing us? Or is it simply that our reserve keepers aren't of sufficient quality to replace our first choice stopper. Either way, we are firmly in a dip. Exactly as Pompey were over Christmas.

For me there's two key factors at play.

1. Confidence. It's a bit wooly and not easily fixed. But in a system where you need confidence to play it to a man who closely covered. Or confidence to play it out from the back. Or confidence that the keeper will step out to take it with his feet. Or the confidence to play pass-pass-pass around the edge of the opposition box to find the right scoring opportunity. Or the confidence to push on leaving one at the back. The lack of that confidence kills us. Evatt said it himself. It takes months to create. And it disappears immediately and without warning.

2. Linked to the above - the mood in the dressing room. How many times up to December did we hear about how this group is special. How they keep each other on their toes. How it's a room full of leaders all taking responsibility. The best group he's worked with. etc etc. Not much of that since December. Has there been some dissent? Some players starting to feel aggrieved about the lack of game time? One of the new lads starting to create a clique? Either way, I'd like to be hearing a bit more about how they players themselves are stepping up.

I don't think it's a catastrophe yet. But yes, anything other than a win at Wigan makes our life very difficult and further erodes both confidence and mood. It becomes a vicious cycle.

But as we saw this weekend. Portsmouth and Derby still have draws and losses in them. It's just going to come down to who can stop the most points from disappearing.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it’s fair to say that Tuesday is the biggest game in Evatt’s time here since we escaped league two.

It feels absolutely pivotal in many ways.

Obviously in it and it becomes a footnote but lose and it feels like it could be precipitant to a spiral for all those confidence, belief and general mood reasons.

There will be a reaction after Blackpool but will it be a positive one? I don’t think any of us know. I’m not even sure Evatt knows. And that’s a worry.