Grecians, but bearing no gifts. Away to Exeter, Sat, 4th Jan. 3'0 clock

[GhostoftheBok]

I bloody love football, me

[TANGODANCER]

Three cheers:

First one for the Whites fans who travelled "Through the rude winds wild lament, and the bitter weather" (One of my favourite lines in all literature. Those fans deserve a win however got. We've lost enough games we should have won, so although we weren't the best side, we'll take it.

Second: That the lads didn't give up when all seemed lost; yes we made a few howlers at the back, which we'll keep doing as long as we persist in playing suicide football under the current mode, but the signs are there and hope springs eternal. A cracking goal given offside, a header that hit the bar and a couple we should have buried ( and didn't)are all in the plus column.

Third: There seems a general agreement here that the league and the teams in it have changed and dreaming of yesterday is for the history books. There's little doubt that Bolton aren't referees favourite team as we get little in the way of decisions. We got three badly needed points against the odds. We do need to address that Ricky Santos needs to stay back, because his lack of pace is costing us and that Thommo needs to decide were he's playing.

All said, it ended well although the stress factor was in the clouds.

[Prufrock]

Hadn't clocked that Exeter have lost their last two games to 90+ goals from Aaron Morley

[Mar]

Hadn't clocked that Exeter have lost their last two games to 90+ goals from Aaron Morley

That's brilliant. Football's a funny thing.

[DJBlu]

Hadn't clocked that Exeter have lost their last two games to 90+ goals from Aaron Morley

One for the pub quiz.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Hadn't clocked that Exeter have lost their last two games to 90+ goals from Aaron Morley

That's brilliant. Football's a funny thing.

Furthermore: Wycombe, having gained two points at home last time through an added-time winner, dropped two points at home this time through an added-time equaliser.

[The_Gun]

I’m assuming Magennis reported one of our fans for saying something of a racist nature? Very poor do, if so.

[GhostoftheBok]

We weren't as bad today as is being made out.

Individual performances were the issue.

Lolos had probably his worst game in a white shirt.
Johnston and Thomason on the left side are both off it and that's handicapping us on that side.
Santos made mistakes.

So we were shaky because of that, but most of the team did okay.

There's good stuff in there. The tactical stuff is starting to work now. We are getting players and the ball into the same dangerous areas. We are getting bodies back when the opposition get forward. The midfield switch is still finding a free man, but we can adjust there.

On the individual side Schon is constantly improving and Williams has found a new lease of life on the right, so long as he's allowed to play inside. Forrester is developing well. McAtee is more and more involved. Morley has come back fit and firing. Most importantly, Collins is scoring a lot of goals.

We need that #10. It looks like he will rock up on Monday, or shortly thereafter. That'll make a huge difference to our ability to retain the ball in the final third in transitional movements and create good chances.

We need a solid defender to come in on that left side. Ideally someone with a left foot, but primarily someone defensively solid. We'd need to shift a player to make that happen. Paudie O'Connor is wanted by Championship clubs, so that interest seems very ambitious now. Someone is needed, though.

Nobody is going to watch that and think Evatt has suddenly blown the cobwebs out, but there's a clear pathway to the play-offs.

Get a #10 in. Sort out the defensive left side. A genuinely rapid striker has always been missing, but we have enough firepower if the rest of the team functions.

If we can stabilise that spine there's work to do. The more games we win and the more confidence returns the more likely players like Thomason are to find their feet again. We know this lot, with a platform, as be one of the top sides in League One - regardless of their failings.

Rotherham is important for the psychological value as much as the points on offer. This lot need back-to-back wins to instill real belief they can go on a run. It'll mean a better home atmosphere and us much more likely to get 6 points from the two home games. 4 league wins on the bounce and suddenly you're a football team.

[Worthy4England]

We're 10th.

[GhostoftheBok]

We're 10th.

Yes, we are.

We're also not getting rid of the manager any time soon. So we can bleat about how much we'd like to, or we can have a look at what might be doable as things stand.

We need to get into the play-offs. If we do then we have some kind of chance of going up.

We just won a match. Lots of stuff happened that wasn't good, some stuff happened that was.

One good point is that this group of lads with "no bollocks and no character" kept pushing for a result and won it in injury time.

The second half went badly and they pulled out a result anyway.

The fact we're not top of the league doesn't mean we all have to wallow at the bottom of a glass of whiskey. It's football and there's still stuff to play for. I'm interested in watching my football team give it a go.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Its kinda like the weather in my part of the world. You get a day where it doesn't rain or blow a hoolie, but there is little enthusiasm as you know more than likely the next day will blow a hoolie. Every now and then you'll get a pocket of good days, but it is so rare these days you can only appreciate it after the fact.

These lads are going to have to prove it before you'll get any enthusiasm or optimism from me.

[BWFC_Insane]

If it wasn’t for all the individual performances of our players we’d be a cracking side….

Evatt has some of his confidence back at least in interviews. Which I’d say suggests he is either trying to front it out or he feels better about his squad than he has done this season.

It’s all a bit too late though. Far far too late.

[GhostoftheBok]

I don't really care now about whether it should or shouldn't be "Evatt at the wheel"...it shouldn't now. He's lucky to have his job, but he is clearly keeping it.

We have two things that can happen this season. We go up with Evatt or we don't go up at all. The only way he's getting sacked is if we're in such a ridiculous position we can't get near the play-offs.

So our lived reality is that Ian Evatt is literally the only man who can get us promoted.

We can't pretend it's absolutely impossible he'll do it. I think there are other managers who'd be more likely to do it, so I'd rather have one of them right now; but there is a pathway to get out of this division.

I'd very much like us to make it.

[Prufrock]

Aye, very much hope rather than expectation mind.

I just want us to win games. He won't be here next year anyway if he doesn't manage to.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't really care now about whether it should or shouldn't be "Evatt at the wheel"...it shouldn't now. He's lucky to have his job, but he is clearly keeping it.

We have two things that can happen this season. We go up with Evatt or we don't go up at all. The only way he's getting sacked is if we're in such a ridiculous position we can't get near the play-offs.

So our lived reality is that Ian Evatt is literally the only man who can get us promoted.

We can't pretend it's absolutely impossible he'll do it. I think there are other managers who'd be more likely to do it, so I'd rather have one of them right now; but there is a pathway to get out of this division.

I'd very much like us to make it.

I think the problem is that even should we manage to find a way - the fans have been disenfranchised. There is going to be no momentum and I think even being massively generous there are at best one hands worth of players here who could compete in the league above.

The championship is a massively tough league and going into it two years ago we’d have had momentum and fans prepared to be patient. Going up now and it’s going to be grim.

And that’s still the longest of long shots.

[The_Gun]

If we go up this season most of our fans will be very happy indeed.

[Worthy4England]

I don't really care now about whether it should or shouldn't be "Evatt at the wheel"...it shouldn't now. He's lucky to have his job, but he is clearly keeping it.

We have two things that can happen this season. We go up with Evatt or we don't go up at all. The only way he's getting sacked is if we're in such a ridiculous position we can't get near the play-offs.

So our lived reality is that Ian Evatt is literally the only man who can get us promoted.

We can't pretend it's absolutely impossible he'll do it. I think there are other managers who'd be more likely to do it, so I'd rather have one of them right now; but there is a pathway to get out of this division.

I'd very much like us to make it.

I think the problem is that even should we manage to find a way - the fans have been disenfranchised. There is going to be no momentum and I think even being massively generous there are at best one hands worth of players here who could compete in the league above.

The championship is a massively tough league and going into it two years ago we’d have had momentum and fans prepared to be patient. Going up now and it’s going to be grim.

And that’s still the longest of long shots.

Agree mate, it feels like the masterplan (and I genuinely don't believe it's just Evatt) isn't working, but if we could somehow sneak up, then everyone would have to say it's done its job. But then the question is in spite of or because of? We'd get a doubling down of "told ya so." Despite not going up last season and maybe making the playoffs by a point which was gained at Exeter after throwing on a coylesque amount of forwards (but not before minute 70, obviously) and getting it in the mixer.

[officer_dibble]

If we go up this season most of our fans will be very happy indeed.

It will be ‘the biggest comeback since Lazarus’. Of course strange things happen in football, so we will see. But I remember thinking after Lincoln - we’ve been here before - and I think the same now. Win at Rotherham would be a big needle move given we haven’t won there since dinosaurs.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

In league-position terms, it wouldn't even be Evatt's biggest comeback at Bolton - after losing at Tranmere on 11/1/21 we were 17th.

Two differences then, though: maths and mood. Firstly, we were only 11pts off 3rd (last auto spot) and now it's 14pts, chasing down three teams in 2+ppg form – whereas no team in League Two that season set anything like that pace. 79pts got us automatic promotion.

More importantly, Evatt was in his first season, and while many managerial appointments never make their first anniversary, you tend to get a honeymoon period. Now, almost half a decade in, we're much more into the bickering-divorce stage. because trust is hard won and easily lost, many fans think he's taken the team as far as he can, which is fair enough. I think so too - as does Ghost, who seems to be held up as the last of the Evatt defenders even when he makes quite plain that he'd have shut of him - but like Ghost, I want to see my team win and even though I'm prey to negativity myself (I've said many times that if we go up under Evatt it will only take two bad results for doubts to flood back in) I don't really see much mental-health benefit in borrowing sorrows from misfortunes yet to occur.

If we keep winning, we go up. If we don't, he goes (eventually). Surely that's a win-win.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don't really care now about whether it should or shouldn't be "Evatt at the wheel"...it shouldn't now. He's lucky to have his job, but he is clearly keeping it.

We have two things that can happen this season. We go up with Evatt or we don't go up at all. The only way he's getting sacked is if we're in such a ridiculous position we can't get near the play-offs.

So our lived reality is that Ian Evatt is literally the only man who can get us promoted.

We can't pretend it's absolutely impossible he'll do it. I think there are other managers who'd be more likely to do it, so I'd rather have one of them right now; but there is a pathway to get out of this division.

I'd very much like us to make it.

I think the problem is that even should we manage to find a way - the fans have been disenfranchised. There is going to be no momentum and I think even being massively generous there are at best one hands worth of players here who could compete in the league above.

The championship is a massively tough league and going into it two years ago we’d have had momentum and fans prepared to be patient. Going up now and it’s going to be grim.

And that’s still the longest of long shots.

Agree mate, it feels like the masterplan (and I genuinely don't believe it's just Evatt) isn't working, but if we could somehow sneak up, then everyone would have to say it's done its job. But then the question is in spite of or because of? We'd get a doubling down of "told ya so." Despite not going up last season and maybe making the playoffs by a point which was gained at Exeter after throwing on a coylesque amount of forwards (but not before minute 70, obviously) and getting it in the mixer.

I mean if we go up the job has been belatedly done. But there is nothing to sustain what is likely a grim season in the championship. Evatt has burned through any patience or capital and promotion now won’t restore that. I don’t see much momentum even from a promotion unless he manages to recruits players who genuinely move the needle and are physically clearly going to be up to the league above.

But let’s be clear he starts next season in the championship it will be a slog. Most games we will be defending mainly. I don’t see a team here currently set up for that. And I just don’t think any patience exists now. They wasted that in the last two seasons. Going up for me would have given the club a chance to build and improve before coming back down. But now it feels too late for that and Evatt is too disliked for that to be given any real credibility.