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Ian Evatt has asked his Wanderers to become Super-men in tomorrow’s challenging trip to Priestfield.
Having struggled to pick up points against League One’s more direct teams this season, a long journey to Neil Harris’s uncompromising Gillingham does not look the ideal destination for Evatt’s artisans.
Bullied at Burton, flattened at Fleetwood, pulverised at Plymouth, the Whites have reserved some of their worst performances for the road when conditions or the style of game contrasts with that of their own.
On paper, a Gillingham side fighting for survival and showing signs of distinct improvement under new boss Neil Harris looks the type of game that could cause issues – and it has not escaped Evatt’s attention.
“I am sat here and I can’t disagree with you, it seems to be our Kryptonite. There is no two ways about it,” he told The Bolton News.
“But only we can change that. We have tried different things, set-ups, personnel, but we just need to be us and good at what we do.
“No disrespect to Gillingham at all but we have to back ourselves to be a better team than they are, simple as that.
“I need my players to go out and believe in themselves, trust each other, and play the way we coach them to play.
“If that isn’t good enough, then fine, lose on our terms. But don’t have any regrets. I felt for the first time in a long time on Saturday that we lost with regrets. I don’t think we did ourselves justice, I think we are better than that, and we have to show it against Gillingham.”
Evatt attempted to combat Burton’s extra physicality by naming the most imposing 11 he could at the Pirelli Stadium a few weeks ago, a plan which unravelled with a spell of poor first-half defending, resulting in three quick-fire goals.
Have Bolton over-compensated for games and opposition exactly like they will face this weekend?
“I think that has been the case,” Evatt agreed. “We were scarred from Plymouth and Fleetwood and then we got a result at Morecambe but didn’t really look like ourselves. We went to Burton and had six minutes of complete madness and not played the way my team should be playing and doing things that do not come naturally to us.
“We just need to concentrate on doing what we do well. I think that is the answer.
“I don’t want to come off the pitch on Saturday with regrets. If you lose a game then fine but lose it on your own terms.”
Evatt is concerned that since he switched formation in January, introducing two strikers, that his side has lost some of its control in possession.
Without injured natural number 10, Kieran Lee, Kieran Sadlier or Dapo Afolayan could be used against Gillingham to add an extra attacking layer that was missing against MK Dons last weekend. “I don’t want to see the game transitional,” Evatt said. “I want us to dominate the game with the ball, control the game with the ball and then make sure we penetrate where we can. The first goal in most games is vital.
“I don’t know the record but it’s exceptional I think when we’ve scored the first goal so it becomes vital that we start the game well and we do get that first goal and then we can go on to control it. If they do get the first goal, it’s going to be difficult for us.”
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