FT: Bolton 5-2 Reading

Anyway, the goals!

Enjoy.

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Evatt will have another meltdown after we ship 13 against Arsenal reserves. 

“People know how I go about my business here and I’ll continue to do that”

Ian Evatt believes Wanderers rediscovered their mojo again as they crashed five goals past Reading to register their first win since the opening day of the season.

The Bolton boss had been under intense pressure to turn around a poor start to the season but was delighted to see them bounce back to goal-scoring form, with Dion Charles leading the way with a first-half hat-trick.

Calls had come from some sections of the fanbase for a change of manager, and a banner briefly appeared in the crowd bearing the words “Evatt Out” during the first half.

But the manager and his players were able to walk around the pitch to applaud the supporters at the end, having beaten the Royals by exactly the same scoreline that they did back in April.

“Obviously it has been really tough, personally for me and collectively for us all,” he said of the days since the Huddersfield defeat. “This industry is tough at times and it can be hard to switch off from it.

“But the players have been amazing this week and I touched on that on Thursday.

“I felt like we have found a bit of ourselves again this week. For whatever reason it feels like the system helps us, gets back to what we know, front-foot aggressive football, suffocating teams and sustaining attacks and that is why we got the goals.

“It wasn’t our fluid best, of course not, but I think that was impossible with what we have been through so far and the nervousness it causes. We can get better but it is a lot more like what we are and what we stand for as a team.”

Many felt the Reading game was the most pressured that Evatt had faced outside the play-offs since taking charge four years ago, and he admitted that the expectation to turn things around had made the game itself hard to enjoy.

“Of course, I was anxious because I want us to win football matches and I care deeply about this club and I have been here a long time. I care deeply about the players, the fans, the staff, the players I work for, they all matter a great deal to him. Of course I am anxious before a game we needed to win.

“The game was exactly how I thought it would be and if you watch the one back from the end of April it was exactly the same. They are a team who are never out of it, they draw you in and turn it into a basketball game, but they give up chances and well as create them. We wanted to go punch for punch and see if we could out-score them, and today we managed to do that.”

Evatt reverted to the 3-5-2 system he used last season and installed George Thomason as the new captain, taking over from Ricardo Santos.

The ‘back to basics’ approach worked well as Josh Sheehan put his side ahead with an early free-kick, Charles then adding three goals – two from the spot – before half time.

Reading didn’t buckle entirely and brought themselves back within two with their own penalty early in the second half, but Kyle Dempsey then made the points safe with a header.

Reflecting on his decision to change formation, Evatt said: “We all have to take collective responsibility – but as manager I’ll always take responsibility – we tried to fix something that wasn’t fundamentally broken, and that’s an honest appraisal of where we are. Going back to last season there was a lot to like about our business. We tried to amend and change when it wasn’t necessary.

“Today the players were back with something they had been coached to do for a number of years and comfortable doing. That was there for all to see and we will get better.

“The enjoyment will come back once we get into a rhythm again. Just as defeats don’t mean we’re the worst team in the world, a win doesn’t mean we are back to where we were again.

“We stay humble and grounded, but know there is hard work to go. It’s great scoring five goals and creating again and looking like we can score at any point but there is more we can do to get better.”

Wanderers go to Arsenal on Wednesday night in the Carabao Cup but Evatt believes the bigger game may be a few days later at Crawley.

“It makes Arsenal slightly more enjoyable,” he added. “Wednesday is a very difficult game and we have very little hope but where there is hope we’ll give it our best shot. The most important thing is to enjoy today and get used to that winning feeling again.

“We have an Arsenal game to prepare for but then there is another huge one against Crawley.”

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Reading boss Ruben Selles felt “soft” decisions went against his side during their 5-2 defeat at Wanderers.

Dion Charles netted a hat trick, with Josh Sheehan and Kyle Dempsey also getting on the scoresheet as Ian Evatt’s men returned to winning ways.

Ben Elliott and Sam Smith both struck for visitors, while Nathan Baxter made a superb save to deny Amadou Mbengue at 3-1.

“We knew it was a difficult game coming here to Bolton,” said Selles. “I think first half, we were competitive but we conceded two penalties and a free kick.

“We had some key moments to go 2-1 or 3-2, with the good save the goalkeeper made to Amadou Mbengue.

“Then things turned against us pretty quickly. Second half, we wanted to continue building because we knew difficult moments in the game would come.

“We know the situation we are in and the boys gave absolutely everything to me. Of course, there are moments in the game where we need to be better but we will keep going and competing for this club.”

When asked about the decisions, he replied: “I think they were soft but that is not going to change it, so there is not much to say about that.”

Ahead of the game, there was plenty of attention on the Royals’ situation off the pitch after Rob Couhig’s attempted takeover fell through.

Selles admits it has been tough but refused to use recent events as an excuse for the result.

“We came here ready and trying to forget,” he added. “I will say that you can never forget where you are, but it was a game of football and we had moments we should take.

“We know the situation we are in and we are not going to use any situation as an excuse, we have been there before.

“Unfortunately, as I said (before the game), the cycle is repeating and the support to the players and staff is non-existent from the club.

“That is the reality and there will be a moment where we cannot cope. But today, that is not why we didn’t win. We had a good team in front of us who made things very clear.”

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I have to say that from watching the highlights again this morning, Sheehan's free kick was just pure class!

The penalty against Santos I feel was very harsh to be fair and could see no wrong.

I was in the same camp as sluffy it was a no brainer to revert back to a 3-5-2 and use less of the new boys put trust in those that know the system. Im in favour of the captaincy change but to be fair up to yesterday GT as really struggled, If we win our next two away games. i expect normal performance to return and stop this idiotic change for changes sake.  The squad must be in the top four in this league and thats were i expect us to finish. Until Evatt posts a position that is not higher than the previous season he stays in charge for me.

Yesterday was our day everything went our way and there were times despite the scoreline you felt if Reading get another the crowd will turn, this needs to stop and get back to the total support of the past few seasons.

It's one game.

Watershed moment.

On the cusp.

New horizons.

We win again when i don't go, perhaps  i should stay away more often? 

4-2 up and I was still having kittens. I shouldn't be going through this at my age.

God knows how the 99 year old Wanderer in attendance felt.

Great result. right choice to change captain but it is just one game and frankly I think we have to be realistic about the mess Reading are in. In all seriousness I don't dispute that we were much better but I still don't see us anywhere other than the bottom third while Evatt remains in charge.

I sincerely hope he proves me wrong. I'd love to have to apologise but frankly I don't currently believe I'll have to.

You don't need to apologise for anything you've said on here Peter, it's all only thoughts and opinions and a bit of fun, when all said and done - least it should be.