Bolton Wanderers are aiming to make it eight wins in their last 10 games when they take on Lincoln City tomorrow evening.
Wanderers host the Imps at the University of Bolton Stadium and can do the double over Michael Appleton's side if they pick up three points.
Bolton are 10th in the League One table and their gap to the top six and the play-offs currently stands at seven points, a deficit they will be hoping to reduce further against the Imps.
READ MORE: Lincoln City's Michael Appleton makes Bolton prediction and gives view on Wanderers transfers
Lincoln are currently 17th in the standings and are five points from the drop zone heading into the encounter.
Before the game, Wanderers boss Evatt spoke to the press and here's a full transcript of what he had to say to broadcasters prior to the encounter.
Any injuries on unavailability?
“All good from the weekend, no issues. All systems go tomorrow.”
It’s amazing how everyone is fit and available when you’re on a great run?
“I think they coincide with each other. I think we’ve had an awful injury record in the first half of the season and then since we’ve brought in the new recruits, everyone seems to be coming back fit.
"It’s just the way it’s happened for us, we’re in a pretty good place, we’re really pleased with what’s happening. I think there’s loads more to come, but for now we’re in a good vein of form.”
Lincoln next up - what do you expect?
“Tough. I think we’ve learnt our lesson about this league and how tough it can be. I know Michael very, very well. I played under him, excellent manager, I know his team will be well coached and I think they’ve had some really good away wins during this season so they’re going to be a dangerous team, but I think we’re a dangerous team as well.”
Are you still learning about what the new signings can bring to the party and what you see in their games?
“Yeah I think there’s a mixture that we’re still learning about them and they’re still learning about us. I think some of them still have work to do in what we require from the position specifics, their roles and responsibilities, but they’re doing fantastically well to hit the ground running like they have done. I’m pleased with them all, we’ve bought them in and they’ve settled really fast.
"The boys that were here already have made them feel very welcome, the fans have made them feel very welcome, but the pleasing thing for me is they’re still at a very good age where there’s still lots of improvement to come and also we haven’t had the time on the grass yet. Once we get that, I think we’re only going to improve.”
Dion Charles has made a very impressive start - it might not come as a surprise to you but it probably has to a lot of other people?
“There’s lots of hard work that goes into recruitment and recruiting players. We have a clear identity and idea of what we want from each position, what attributes those players need to play in our team and the way we want them to play and that hard work from the analysts, from Chris and myself, has come to fruition and Dion is a shining example of that.
“He’s really enjoying his football, he’s playing with a smile on his face, and we told him that we’d get him chances and he’s taking those chances.”
Michael Appleton has been pretty complimentary about your transfer window in January?
“That’s good, I’m pleased that people are complimentary about it. We think we’ve done good business, we think we’ve done it strategically, we think we’ve done it in the correct manner at the right time and we’re happy. But there’s lots more to come from this group.”
On the possible introduction of VAR or a system to help referees, should it filter down the football food chain?
“I think so, but I think primarily first and foremost we need to make officials professional. I think that should come first while we’ve still got part-time officiating from the Championship downwards, you’re asking a lot on high stakes football.
"People are spending a lot of money in the game. There’s lots of things at stake and getting the right decision is difficult at times, but give the referees the best possible chance of that by making them professional and giving them a chance to live and breath it 24/7.
"I think once they’ve got their own careers aside from football it can be tedious and tiring for them, so what I’d like to see primarily before VAR is that they are made professional and you give them the best opportunity to make the correct decisions.”
The result against AFC Wimbledon felt like an ideal response to the Burton Albion blip?
“I said that I’d parked it really quickly. I knew that it was just a defeat in isolation. I think that everything that could go wrong on the day did go wrong. There was some bits and pieces of over reaction, but not from us. We still felt like we were in a good place and I thought the way they played on Saturday showed that.”
The fact that there is more to come could be a ringing endorsement that people are buying into exactly what you want from this team?
“I was frustrated after that we didn’t score more but I’m always frustrated in some way, shape or form! It’s just the way I am, I’m a perfectionist and I want us to be the best, but in the last four or five home games, we’ve won 6-0, 4-0, 2-0 and beaten Charlton, we’re nit picking a little bit but that’s what I want us to be.
"I want us all to demand the best and want to be the best and the players have to understand that and there’s more to come.”
It felt like a massive deal for Jon Dadi Bodvarsson to score his first Bolton goal?
“I’m delighted for him. It’s good for me that all four of our forward attacking players were on the scoresheet. I think they’re all in good form.
"I think we’ve got some really good options and obviously Kieran Sadlier added into that and we’ve got Kacha getting fitter and stronger all the time, Izzy is not far away, so it’s a really good squad.
"But there’s lots more to come from this group and I do think there’s some serious improvement in there. I think we’ve got the players at a good age and once we get drilled down into the detail, I think we’re going to be a major threat, but we’re enjoying the run we’re on and we’ve got to keep it up.”
Even more impressive was the midfield, with no MJ Williams or Kieran Lee, but those who are available seemed to have enjoyed playing in the centre of the park and dominating the play?
“I think Aaron has been excellent. He’s come in, 21-years-old and he’s really grew into the role. He’s understanding what we require. He’s learning all the time and there’s some serious improvement in him.
"Kyle just gives us something different to what we’ve got in that midfield area. He’s dynamic, he’s got energy, he can dribble with the ball, good athleticism. I thought that was his best game for us so far on Saturday, so lots of positives and not so long ago, if we’d have felt like MJ wasn’t playing, there would have been a gaping hole in the middle of the pitch but there wasn’t on Saturday and that’s testament to the ones we’ve bought in.”
Dapo Afolayan’s attitude of taking it one game at a time seems to be one that the players and everyone in the coaching staff seem to be taking?
“Yes. That’s all we can do. We’ve set ourselves a target, we know what we need to do. I’m not going to share it with you guys (the media) because I’ll get badgered about it every time I do one of these, but we know what we need to do and we know what’s required.
"We’re still a long way short from that target so for now let’s just keep our heads down and bring on the next game tomorrow night and do the best we can in that.”
What are your thoughts on Lincoln this season and is their position in the table false?
“No. I think at this stage of the season, you pretty much are where you deserve to be. There’s no doubt about that, but I think they’re a good team and a dangerous team and I do think they’re really well coached.
"I think Michael is one of the best managers outside of the Premier League. I think he’s tactically astute, I think he tries to play the game the right way and they’ve had a big turnover in players last season.
“They probably overachieved for the size of club they are but when you’ve got Morgan Rogers and Brennan Johnson and you lose those two out of the team, it’s going to affect anybody. He’s still doing very well. I think the world of Michael and I wish him all the best, just not tomorrow night.”
