Bolton Wanderers are aiming to return to winning ways this weekend when they host AFC Wimbledon.
Wanderers are seeking a victory back on home turf when they entertain the Wombles at the University of Bolton Stadium and aim to put the midweek loss at the hands of Burton Albion behind them.
Bolton sit 10th in the League One table as things stand and will be seeking to reduce the deficit they have to the top six with a positive result.
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They are eight points from the play-offs at present with 14 games left in their campaign to play.
Ahead of the encounter, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt spoke to the press and here's a transcript of what he had to say to broadcasters.
Things are still going reasonably well, how do you reflect on the week?
“I’d say they are going more than reasonably well. I think we’ve just had to park Tuesday. I think everything that could go wrong went wrong in one day. Six minutes of set pieces madness cost us the game.
"Awful conditions, an awful pitch, just things didn’t go well for us and I don’t think it’s a reflection on where we’re at as a team.
“I think that is something that’s happened in isolation so we’ll move on from it really quickly.”
Two home games to come. You’ve said there’s no margin for error?
“No exactly. We’ve spoken to the players and we’ve set ourselves a target for the end of the season of where we want to be. That target hasn’t changed. Obviously it’s just made it a bit more difficult. We have got some margin for error but it’s very small and some of that has been taken away on Tuesday so we have to now make sure we win these next two home games in particular.”
Any news on availability or unavailability?
“Not particularly. Kieran Lee has had a scan. The scan has revealed no further damage to the Achilles, which is good news. It’s just really this heel spur which is causing a problem.
“He’s seeing a specialist today as to whether we can get him through to the summer with some pain management. If we can’t, the operation will have to take place now. Kacha and Izzy are back on the grass, which is good news. Other than that, everyone is in good health.
“They’ve been to the cryochamber today. Something different for them which has aided their recovery.”
This time of the year there’s not that many games left but you’re chasing as well. How does that affect your team selection starting with Wimbledon?
“We’ve had some specific plans in mind for these games. It’s just sod’s law that you pick the biggest team possible to deal with the set plays and then we concede from three set plays. If I don’t pick a big team and we concede those set plays then I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t really.
“We’ve moved on from that now and we’ve got a team in mind we think can cause Wimbledon problems and hopefully we get back to doing what we’ve done in recent weeks and that’s perform really well and win games.”
Do you go into the Wimbledon game already with a plan of if things go well for the next team selection which comes quickly against Lincoln?
“Yes and no really. I think these games, especially the home games, which are more suited to us and the way we want to play, we have specific teams in mind and then obviously MK Dons falls into that bracket as well. I don’t have any worries about us going to MK.
"My worries are when we go to Doncaster, Gillingham, Crewe, those are the games where we’re going to have to look at things more cautiously, but for now I think these games take care of themselves and I think on a big open lovely pitch in a big stadium which MK will also provide for us, I think it plays to our strengths.”
If Jon Dadi Bodvarsson says that was a really difficult pitch to play on at Burton, it speaks volumes for just how difficult it was for the whole team?
“It was difficult and it’s certainly not something that we’re going to do too much moaning about because it is what it is. There’s nothing that we can affect.
“I take it as a compliment to me and my team that a pitch where I heard what Jimmy said after the game about their game plan and about pressing us.
"For me, they already had a leg up with the pitch because we couldn’t play the type of football we wanted to play and I don’t think it was anything to do with the game plan. In fact, I think his game plan was set pieces and that hurt us and affected us which full credit to him.
“In terms of the actual game, I don’t remember them having a shot other than a set play and I think it was mostly us that created the chances from open play, but as I said, they did a job on us, the pitch did a job on us, and that’s that.
"We need to park that and the margin for error has got smaller and we need to make sure we go into these two home games and perform to our level. If we can do that then I’m confident we can get wins.”
How much do you think this has made you relish this challenge that little bit more in trying to get into the top six?
“A month ago it didn’t seem at all possible, so I’m happy that we’re being spoken about that we could potentially get in there but we’re a long, long way off. There’s some good teams ahead of us and we’ve got lots of work to do.
“The most important thing for me is that we’re building platforms and foundations for future and if it’s this year or next it’s important we get this club back to the Championship and that’s what we’re trying to do and that’s what the squad we’re trying to build and I think everyone can see now the squad that we’ve got is strong and capable of performing and getting results week in, week out at this level but Tuesday is a stark reminder of how difficult this league can be.
"You face different tasks and challenges and Tuesday was one that we’re certainly not suited to but something we need to look at because it seems to be our kryptonite at the moment.”
On Kieran Sadlier and Kyle Dempsey, they are going to get better the more time they play for this club?
“I’d be astonished if I see or heard any criticism towards them two. Kieran has had little game time so far and when he has done he’s done well. Tuesday he came into a team in really difficult challenging circumstances and certainly conditions that wouldn’t suit the way he plays.
"I think Kyle was probably one of our better players on Tuesday night. I think him and Jon were probably our two shining lights really so I’m more than happy with what they’re doing. More than happy with how they’ll progress and grow with us.
"We made these signings in January not just to improve the team for the here and now but with an eye on the future as well and it was about building platform and structure for sustained success moving forwards and we think this squad could provide us with that.”
Where would you say you’re at right now on getting things right away from home?
“I know there’s loads and loads more to come from this group and we’ve been fortunate that we’ve put these new players and new additions into the squad as well as having some returning players from injury and we’ve got results. In eight games we’ve won six and drew one and lost one and we probably dropped points to the two lesser teams with all due respect, so that’s something we need to look at.
"It’s a bit of our kryptonite, especially these difficult games but the thing that I’m looking forward to the most is working on the pitch and training ground with them.
“I haven’t had that opportunity yet. There’s just so much more detail we can go into, some of our play, we need to be dominating possession more than what we are doing at the moment. We look a threat, we look attacking and we’re carrying a serious goalscoring threat but I’d like to see us have more control in games.
"That doesn't mean slow build up and building from the back, but going through periods of games where we can have some control. We don’t have to score with every attack, we don’t have to score in one breath and sometimes it’s about resting and recovering with the ball.
"We need to do that better and some of our patterns need to be better, but we’ve not had time with them on the grass at all so after next week and after MK, we’ll have that chance during March to really get some tactical detail in them and we’ll only improve from there.”
AFC Wimbledon are a team that have got something relatively big to fight for in staying in this division - what kind of threat do you think they could have here?
“They’ve got some good players, they’ve got some talented young players. It was an excellent game down there early in the season and it was one we probably should have won but it was a good game and a good advert for League One football.
“It’ll be a test and a challenge, all of these games are. It’s not easy to win games consistently at this level. Every team, every match, every Saturday poses a different challenge and this is one that’s going to be difficult for us but it’s not really about them.
"It’s about what we do and how we play and if we can play to our levels then I’m more than confident we can get the right result.”
