The ianevattable sacking

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think they need some extensive "keep the ball out of our net" practice, too, mate.

Was going to say, but work got in the way. It's definitely both, although I'd say the defending is a bigger problem.

Nine teams have scored more goals than us, so attack-wise we're upper mid-table. (We've scored 28; Wycombe have scored 43. That'll be why they're top.)

Only six teams have conceded more than us, so defence-wise we're just above relegation (two goals above 4th-bottom, to be precise).

There's more than one way to get promotion. Look at Wycombe (1st) and Wrexham (3rd). In their away games Wycombe have scored 28 and conceded 16, amassing 24 pts from a possible 33 on the road. Wrexham, by contrast, have scored just 7 on the road but only conceded 7, collecting a reasonable 12pts from 9 games, while a F23-A6 record at home has got them 23pts from a possible 33.

Whereas we're neither free-scoring nor tight at the back; we are neither unbeatable on our own patch nor unbearable as house guests.

None of it - IMO, not one metric I can find - speaks of a top-two side. I can therefore only assume that the board are hoping - gambling, some would say - on us getting promoted via the playoffs. Faith's a fine thing but that would smack of hope triumphing over experience.

[Worthy4England]

I'm with that mate - I keep coming back to, you win fewer 3-2 than 2-1. It's neither about how many you score nor how many you concede in isolation of the other element. That's pretty much universal. If you get 2 a game, you score 92, that's not beyond the realms, but unlikely to happen often (we didn't manage it last season), even though we had the fan equivalent of goal beer goggles on, whilst ignoring that we were somewhat leaky. We have an almost criminal lack of curiosity about our defence, in certain quarters.

[truewhite15]

Yeah, the thing I was mentioning about 6th being the minimum acceptable standard. That only really works if we're charging for automatics and have a massive stumble in the final couple of weeks. It's by no means a satisfactory target if we trip over the line into the playoffs almost by accident on the final day.

We've now had 12 months of, frankly, shaky performances. Back half of last season, at least there were patterns that were visible, you could see what we were trying, it just wasn't working all the time. These last four months have seen performances that are totally disjointed, players at rock-bottom confidence levels, no clear approach, no clear tactical vision, and a manager who freely admits that he doesn't have a clue how to fix it. None of the last yeah indicates a team that even thinks it can be promoted, let alone expects it.

[Mar]

Yeah, the thing I was mentioning about 6th being the minimum acceptable standard. That only really works if we're charging for automatics and have a massive stumble in the final couple of weeks. It's by no means a satisfactory target if we trip over the line into the playoffs almost by accident on the final day.

We've now had 12 months of, frankly, shaky performances. Back half of last season, at least there were patterns that were visible, you could see what we were trying, it just wasn't working all the time. These last four months have seen performances that are totally disjointed, players at rock-bottom confidence levels, no clear approach, no clear tactical vision, and a manager who freely admits that he doesn't have a clue how to fix it. None of the last yeah indicates a team that even thinks it can be promoted, let alone expects it.

Evatt's performance aside, i'd certainly would've preferred a season where we got promoted via 6th rather than missing out and coming 3rd. It's all about momentum. We buggered it up last season on more than a few occassions. I'd quite happily have us buggering it up for the majority of the season if it meant that we got promoted at the end of it. Doesn't mean i'd be overly happy with the manager's performance, but it would reflect a lot better than Evatt's current situation.

[truewhite15]

Yeah, the thing I was mentioning about 6th being the minimum acceptable standard. That only really works if we're charging for automatics and have a massive stumble in the final couple of weeks. It's by no means a satisfactory target if we trip over the line into the playoffs almost by accident on the final day.

We've now had 12 months of, frankly, shaky performances. Back half of last season, at least there were patterns that were visible, you could see what we were trying, it just wasn't working all the time. These last four months have seen performances that are totally disjointed, players at rock-bottom confidence levels, no clear approach, no clear tactical vision, and a manager who freely admits that he doesn't have a clue how to fix it. None of the last yeah indicates a team that even thinks it can be promoted, let alone expects it.

Evatt's performance aside, i'd certainly would've preferred a season where we got promoted via 6th rather than missing out and coming 3rd. It's all about momentum. We buggered it up last season on more than a few occassions. I'd quite happily have us buggering it up for the majority of the season if it meant that we got promoted at the end of it. Doesn't mean i'd be overly happy with the manager's performance, but it would reflect a lot better than Evatt's current situation.

Oh, I agree with you. That's basically what Oxford did last season.

Problem is, that's reliant on us actually being able to build momentum. Which we have utterly failed to do for a year now, and don't look close to starting now.

[officer_dibble]

Whatever happens we’ve proven time and time again we fall at the big hurdles. Barnsley in the play offs last season- we lost the home leg!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Say we did sneak up in 6th. Does anyone really think we’d stay up? That we’d suddenly pull on our big-boy pants and raise our ceiling? And that the fan-base would pull together behind a team probably likely to lose more than they win (not that we’re far off that now)?


EDIT Boy not bog! Paging Dr Freud....

[truewhite15]

Say we did sneak up in 6th. Does anyone really think we’d stay up? That we’d suddenly pull on our big-bog pants and raise our ceiling? And that the fan-base would pull together behind a team probably likely to lose more than they win (not that we’re far off that now)?

Given our 2024 form, no. There would need to be a complete reversal of form in 2025 - as in, looking like title contenders, going unbeaten to the end of the season, winning 90% of games in that run to the end of May - for trust and faith to be restored in the team and in Evatt.

As things stand right now, we're only within touching distance of the playoffs because the baseline talent of our squad is so high. They're playing so far within themselves. We're so high in the table in spite of our performances, rather than because of them. We look more like stumbling into the post-season lottery rather than sprinting into it - assuming we get that far.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Given our 2024 form, no. There would need to be a complete reversal of form in 2025 - as in, looking like title contenders, going unbeaten to the end of the season, winning 90% of games in that run to the end of May - for trust and faith to be restored in the team and in Evatt.

Thing is, they could win practically every game to the end of the season and I'd still have no confidence they would finish the job in the playoffs. For most teams you'd go into it with a little hope, however unlikely. With our lot I'd have none at all.

[BWFC_Insane]

Say we did sneak up in 6th. Does anyone really think we’d stay up? That we’d suddenly pull on our big-bog pants and raise our ceiling? And that the fan-base would pull together behind a team probably likely to lose more than they win (not that we’re far off that now)?

Thing is stay up or not the money is needed. The club can only improve from promotion the extra money, hopefully supplementing the squad quality and move from there.

It was desperately needed last season and didn’t happen. That’s why we are where we are. Football is about taking chances when they appear and we blew two (3 if you count autos last season) and that simply isn’t going to be good.

I do think that the idea that we have this championship ready squad and style that Evatt was peddling for two years is utter nonsense. You go up and have to immediately find a way to scrap results out with 30% possession week in week out and doing a lot of very good solid defending in the process.

I’m not sure we have one championship quality player as it stands. On paper Johnston, Toal, Baxter, Thomason are ones I think could cope at that level with the right setup and manager. Rest I’m either sure can’t or I have some doubts about. Id probably have a set of Santos, Collins, Charles in the bracket of ‘might’ be able to step up but would need significant improvement in some aspects of their game.

I don’t think that’s too terrible in many ways but we’ve spent a lot of money on players who aren’t imho ever going to be consistent or even semi consistent in the league above us. And aren’t doing a good job down here either.

[TonyDomingos]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/message-chairman

Full backing for IE from SB.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/message-chairman

Full backing for IE from SB.

Well, I guess that clears that up. Or rather, confirms the can has been kicked down the road. A sad-emoji summer sacking it is, unless they panic in spring if we dip too far behind the 6th place that was never even mentioned as an acceptable target.

Meanwhile, Schumacher, Robins, Buckingham etc will get jobs elsewhere.

[BWFC_Insane]

Fine. Can’t and won’t support this. No longer Bolton wanderers. If Sharon wants Ian Evatt FC she’s got it. Destroying Bolton wanderers in the process.

Well done. I’ve zero interest and won’t be bothering to go or follow it. I know a lot of others in the same boat.

[truewhite15]

Not sure it's the right decision. Certainly wouldn't be the decision I'd have made. But at least we've now heard something from those at the top.

Won't stop me going - not sure anything ever could. But each to their own.

[boltonboris]

Fine. Can’t and won’t support this. No longer Bolton wanderers. If Sharon wants Ian Evatt FC she’s got it. Destroying Bolton wanderers in the process.

Well done. I’ve zero interest and won’t be bothering to go or follow it. I know a lot of others in the same boat.

I mean you did say you wanted her to release a statement as she'd been too quiet about the whole situation...

[TonyDomingos]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/message-chairman

Full backing for IE from SB.

Well, I guess that clears that up. Or rather, confirms the can has been kicked down the road. A sad-emoji summer sacking it is, unless they panic in spring if we dip too far behind the 6th place that was never even mentioned as an acceptable target.

Meanwhile, Schumacher, Robins, Buckingham etc will get jobs elsewhere.

You're ruling out promotion?

[officer_dibble]

Were nearer being in contention for relegation than promotion. Daft decision. But sort of pleased they have said something. Purgatory continues.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/message-chairman

Full backing for IE from SB.

Well, I guess that clears that up. Or rather, confirms the can has been kicked down the road. A sad-emoji summer sacking it is, unless they panic in spring if we dip too far behind the 6th place that was never even mentioned as an acceptable target.

Meanwhile, Schumacher, Robins, Buckingham etc will get jobs elsewhere.

You're ruling out promotion?

I think we may have a 10% chance, but it would require us bucking up a bit (we're 8th) and then our play=off opponents having three successive off-days against us.

Meanwhile, a mate notes there is one key line in there: "Our collective focus must remain on achieving our ultimate goal: winning promotion to the Championship." For one, that suggests strongly to me that he has this one last season to get us up or it'll be corner-flag picture time and Sharon saying sad decision.

For another, I would hope that the Championship isn't the "ultimate" aim in the sense of "final". I don't know whether we'll reach the top flight again but it seems curious not to have that as an aim.

[BWFC_Insane]

Fine. Can’t and won’t support this. No longer Bolton wanderers. If Sharon wants Ian Evatt FC she’s got it. Destroying Bolton wanderers in the process.

Well done. I’ve zero interest and won’t be bothering to go or follow it. I know a lot of others in the same boat.

I mean you did say you wanted her to release a statement as she'd been too quiet about the whole situation...

I don’t think I did. But regardless it’s disenfranchised me. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe all the supporters who it disenfranchises shouldn’t be fans.

That’s the end result. I’m sad more than anything else. Not surprised but sad. On the plus side Saturdays can be filled with other stuff that I’ve been enjoying more and might not disappoint as much.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Won't stop me going - not sure anything ever could. But each to their own.

Agree with all of that. If people don't want to give their time and money that's completely understandable.

I can't not care, I can't not watch, I can't not comment. But I will admit there's one or two away games I might have made more effort to get to. We all lose faith in different ways.