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Ian Evatt doesn’t care which one of his attacking options is right in form – just so long as someone is banging in the goals.
While other positions are showing signs of wear and tear with two games to go, the Bolton boss has five fit front men to pick from for this weekend’s trip to Cheltenham Town.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson is the man in scoring form, grabbing two goals against Accrington on Easter Monday, but Dapo Afolayan – also on the scoresheet at the UniBol – Amadou Bakayoko, Dion Charles and Elias Kachunga are all itching to finish the season on a high.
Charles’ lack of goals of late have become a discussion point, the Northern Ireland international now 13 games for club and country since he last hit the back of the net.
But Evatt believes his strikers should put their individual targets to one side and make sure Wanderers see out the rest of the season unbeaten.
“Dion is a big part of what we are doing, moving forwards, but it isn’t all about him,” he told The Bolton News.
“It’s about the squad and as much as we were all pleased for Dion when he had red hot boots at the end of January and February time, we all have to be pleased for Jon now that he’s the man in form and he’s the one that’s taking it on.
“That striker group really needs to come together and support each other because players dip in and out of form, they really do.”
Evatt felt Charles’ performance against his former club Accrington was “brighter and sharper” but the course of the game meant he had to bring on more physical options in Bakayoko and Bodvarsson for the last half an hour.
While the 26-year-old is clearly keen to add to the six goals he scored at the start of the year, Evatt says he will continue to rotate his players depending on the opposition.
“I don’t mind if he’s disappointed and frustrated, I really don’t mind,” the manager said.
“When they go man for man as high as Accrington did, you really need some physicality on the third line to pin and get hold to bring other players into the game and I thought that’s what happened with Jon and Baka. They virtually had an immediate impact so credit to the manager again for making the right subs!”
Bodvarsson’s man-of-the-match performances over the Easter Weekend came as no surprise to Evatt, who says the Icelander is now providing his international pedigree.
“He has played for some big football clubs and international football. He’s still only 30 so there’s still a lot to come from him,” he added.
“People tell me ‘they can’t score goals’. They told me that about Baka, they told me that about Jon and look at their goal records. They haven’t played for me before and they haven’t played for this team.
“This team creates chances and makes it tough for oppositions and I think all of our strikers are equally important as each other. We can’t just rely on one or two. It’s a group that we have to rely on because they all provide different options and at the minute Jon’s the man in form and he’s playing extremely well.”
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