In the wake of Bristol Rovers' FA Cup humbling by non-league Boreham Wood, Joey Barton was unhappy. One player, in particular, was criticised in his post-match press conference.
That was Antony Evans, who had a poor first half and was taken off at the interval. But he was not the only player who was well below their standards, so why was he singled out?
Because Barton knows exactly how good the 24-year-old – a talisman of last season's promotion charge – is.
Evans – four goals and two assists in 20 League One games this season – would be the first to admit he has not been reaching the same levels in his second season in BS7, but a bit of tough love and some harsh truths – something Barton has never been afraid of dishing out – have prompted an immediate impact.
The playmaker was instrumental in a flying start for the Gas at Bolton on Friday night, bursting into space on the right flank like he did so many times in 2021/22 and delivering a pinpoint low cross for Josh Coburn to finish off after just 77 seconds.
That was the peak of Evans' performance, but he was still effective at the University of Bolton Stadium, showing the ever-improving defensive side of his game to help limit the number of chances the hosts could forge until the late heartbreak of Dion Charles' stoppage-time equaliser.
"I thought he was excellent," Barton said of Evans' performance, before delving into some of his man-management efforts. "I said to you in pre-season when we came back, Azza (Aaron Collins) has been great and got all the plaudits, but Evo was right at that level.
"He had a bit of COVID that set him back, long COVID, who knows what goes on with that disease? He lost a bit of confidence and a bit of rhythm.
"I sat him down this week and said ‘You’re a brilliant player, we all know you’re a brilliant player, just commit to working hard and your performance will naturally flow from that. Stop trying too hard. We all love you and you’re a great player’.
"He went out from the office and trained like a demon. You can’t train at one level and expect to play at another and last season, every day in training he scored a goal-of-the-month contender.
"This year, he hasn’t quite reached those levels of performance and he’s got frustrated with himself, but I felt he was back to his best (at Bolton). He’s simplified it, he’s committed to working hard and he’s going to back his talent. We all know what a great player he is and players go through little spells."
Clearly, this was just a start rather than a definitive return to form, but Barton will be pleased that Evans has shown his mettle and his quality so soon after being challenged.
Perhaps the boss is looking for a similar response from Luke McCormick, too? The midfielder was criticised by the manager after Friday's draw for not conveying instructions from the bench to his teammates after coming on as a late substitute.
Like Evans, McCormick has struggled to replicate his previous form with the Gas since penning a three-year deal in the summer, re-joining from AFC Wimbledon. The manager was tough with his words, but his belief in the former Chelsea prospect remains strong. The onus is on McCormick to respond accordingly.
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