Fans on social media take issue with Ian Evatt and his post-match interview after Bolton’s 2-1 defeat to Mansfield on New Year’s Day.
His side again failed to make it-back-to-back victories as they allowed the Stags a two-goal lead after 36 minutes. Bolton only got what ended up being a consolation goal with Aaron Collins netting his 12th of the season just before half time.
The result sees Mansfield jump above Bolton, into 9th in League One with 34 points from 22 games played while the Trotters are 10th with the same amount of points and games played, Mansfield with a +4 goal difference.
Evatt straight down the tunnel, feel bad for you lot. #bwfc pic.twitter.com/9S8ytaUiUD
— AG (@alfiegilberttt) January 1, 2025
“I felt like we would win the game, I genuinely did, when we got that goal back,” continued the Bolton, boss per the club website.
“I thought we would take over, which we did, and other than that five-minute spell in the first half – the two moments – we controlled the game. But our final-third stuff let us down.
“It’s frustrating because the games that we’ve lost this season, most of them we deserve to lose. We didn’t deserve to lose that today.
“A lot of the performance was pretty good. We just let ourselves down with two really bad goals to concede, and got punished twice heavily, and our attacking play, particularly in the final third, let us down.”
🗣️ “Second half I felt like we’d go on to win it.”
🗣️ “It doesn’t help when you go two gold behind in a game you’ve got full control of.Ian Evatt looks back over the 2-1 loss to Mansfield, with @derekclarksport #BWFC #WanderersLive pic.twitter.com/kd9JCyoYKg
— Bolton FM Sport (@BOLTONFMSPORT) January 1, 2025
“We had so much good play to get us to the final third and then our final-third execution, delivery, pass, decision was just completely wrong,” added Evatt.
“The one time we got it all together we scored. We had so many opportunities, so much control and dominance in an away fixture that this one is really frustrating.
“We didn’t to do ourselves any favours today with the scoreboard pressure. Conceding two goals applies that pressure. You know you’ve got to get back into it which can make you rush your decisions and the fact that we know we need to win games, we know we’re not in the position that we want to be and we have to start winning regularly.
“It’s just a knock-on effect and that creates some panic in the final third when you need composure, some detail and need to understand what we’re trying to do and today we became too rushed at that.
“Most of the performance was pretty good. Moments need to be better and we have been heavily punished in a game which we had full control of. We just have to dust ourselves down and try and respond and go again.”
Mansfield boss Nigel Clough said per chad.co.uk: “To win three out of four from the Christmas period is a brilliant return.
“Now we just want to get something from Stockport on Saturday to finish it off.
“We can’t start the New Year off any better than that.
“It was incredibly hard work today and an immense effort by the players who were out there today, subs as well – everybody contributed.
“We had to sit in and defend a bit second half which is not generally how we like to do it. But we didn’t have much choice today.
“We left two up as long as we could, but when we changed it I thought we looked pretty solid. All credit to the incredible work rate.
“Bolton are exceptionally good going forward.
“They are one of the best footballing sides in the league.
“It was too open early on and could have been 2-2 after 15 minutes – it was a proper game all the way through.
“We have played them three times this season now and we are entitled to win one with the three performances we have put in.
“We have had three very good games against them. We lost to them on penalties in the cup, were winning 1-0 up there until Hiram Boateng got sent off, so we were due a result against them.”
On the goals, he said: “We thought Stephen McLaughlin had taken too long, but he composed himself and it was a lovely strike.
“You miss your leading scorer and someone of Lee Gregory’s quality.
“He’s been out seven or eight games but you see what he did for that second goal today that ultimately got us the three points – you look back at the games we have lost and he could have done that in any one of those if he had been available.”
As mentioned, fans take issue with Ian Evatt and his post-match interview after Bolton’s defeat to Mansfield…
@mickey_day: So Ian Evatt walked straight off down the tunnel at the final whistle, didn’t shake hands with Nigel Clough or applaud the 1,500 away supporters, that travelled on New Years Day. I think that sums the bloke up 100% #bwfc
@luke_bwfc: Dominated? Are you for real????
@krisconvery: I didn’t dislike Dougie Freedman this much.
@LT1BLB4B: I think he watched a different game to me.
@TrottersBlog: Get out of my club
@PhilipShortland: Well gaffer, what kind of obsequious, servile questions would you like me to lob at you in the name of informing the fans?
@harrybwfc446: Is the interviewer one of his mates as well?
@PD_1972: They had more shots at goal and more on target! Possession counts for nothing! They won and are now above us in the table. Time to leave!
@WanderasLuke: And remember as you said, Ian.. “Mansfield is always a tough place to come”. You’ll be fine once you’re managing in the prem in, 2 years or whenever you said it’d be. Anfield and such are far less intimidating.
@OldManWinter999: Get out of my club.
@Danny_BWFC87: Dominating possession isn’t Jones Santos and Johnston having their own little keep ball session. Nearly cocked up so many times. Team that used to score goals for fun to this crap. He lost himself a long time ago, but he’s a stubborn bloke who won’t accept it’s the tactics 🤷🏻♂️
@MichaelSouther7:
We are poor
We have no set play plans
Corners always go straight out or to a keeper
We are 2-1 down so mess about passing it to our keeper
Pass from Left to right not on the attack
That is one disillusioned squad if they think that’s good enough
Struggle to pass, no win interest
@fliplop1234: Dominating games counts for nothing if we can’t stop shipping goals. How about we focus on only 5 L1 clean sheets all season. Football starts with not conceding. I seem to remember a rather successful period between 93 and 2008 where a couple of managers had that philosophy 🧐
@jonners11981612: Same old tired excuses. Possession counts for nothing if you don’t put the ball in the net. Too much time wasted going backwards and sideways game after game after game. He needs to go asap
@bwfc_baldy: Straight down the tunnel. Leave our club
@ScottyO67: Yet they had more shots and more on target. Fact is Ian anyone can dominate by passing it around in their own half last 5 games. 1 win (against 10 men)1 draw 3 defeats let talk about them stats
@FredsCap: The Last Word … delusional. Awful match to watch, we only beat them last time out because they had a player sent off 🤣 #bwfc
@aliadiere25: Oh, fuck off. We didn’t dominate any part of that game besides pointless possession. You honestly need to fuck off that interviewer. We were shit for most of the first half, and in the 2nd half, we barely created anything despite all that possession.
@EndTheShitShow: Same old same old same. It’s been the same problems for the last 2 seasons and it’s clear he doesn’t know how to solve them. It’s way past his time to go.
@StevoNR: Dominated the game??! What game was he watching. It was an even game and they had more than the 2 moments they scored from.They could have been further ahead in the 1st half. Delusional. I was a huge Evatt fan but I’m no longer a believer. Too many issues. Too many excuses. #bwfc
@robf193: I’d be more hopeful if he actually acknowledged that we didn’t play well enough. It almost sounds like he thought they were lucky to win, and only had 2 moments in the entire game. Worrying times 😩 #bwfc
@TrotterBL1: Even he doesn’t believe what he’s saying anymore
@SeanBwfc1992: What’s he been smoking?
Just leave now! We are going backwards! We have proven players at this level, we have players who thrive under other managers & we’ve bottled big games with different players throughout IEs reign the constant in the failure is him pic.twitter.com/yF0VOdJrCK
— Kelly Jenkinson 💜🤍💚 (@kelllyj1982) January 1, 2025
