Ian Evatt hopes his Wanderers team is finally in the right place to give him a cup run.
After winning the overall title against Wycombe on Saturday, the Whites are confident they will continue to party as they host League Two Salford City in the Carabao Cup.
Evatt has had little luck in major knockout competitions since becoming manager and has yet to win the Carabao Cup or the FA Cup in 90 minutes, but tonight’s match (kick-off at 7:45pm) could prove a change of fortune. I hope to show you
“You can’t deny it. I was useless in the cup,” he told Bolton News.
“I don’t know why. It’s not by design. I don’t want to leave them.”
“Last season we thought we were unlucky and to be honest it was disappointing to lose the Wigan game on penalties as we beat a team in the championship here in the first round. .
“I thought we were doing well at Papa John’s, but in Hartlepool Joel[Dixon]passed straight to centre-forward and he was out again.
“It wasn’t that bad – the FA Cup didn’t say much about it, but it’s not intentional. We want to do it and I want to do better. And the club and board want it too.
Evatt was undecided on whether to make many changes for the Salford visit. Players such as Joel Dixon, Will Aimson, Elias Kachunga, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Kieran Sadlier are yet to start in the league, but with Port He due to visit Vale over the weekend, the Bolton bosses are expected to rest or He said he doesn’t feel pressure to rotate. .
“Last season we made some changes for the cup competition and would argue that there was a significant decline from the top teams, but I don’t think that will be the case this season,” he said.
“It’s by design. A team needs as many good players as possible. Keeping them happy is a challenge and that’s what we have to face.
“We always believe that players should be on the team, regardless of the opponent or the performance of the team.It is exactly how we manage the environment.
“All you can do is be honest and treat people with respect. Now there’s a hungry group of players who love it here and want to prove their worth to themselves, me and everyone.”
Kudos were pouring in on Evatt and his team after Saturday’s home win.
There was similarly euphoria after a promotion 12 months ago, but the Bolton bosses are working hard to ensure that the euphoria is entrusted to the terrace.
“It looks good, but things change fast in football,” he said.
“Just like on Saturday I was the hero and the players were the heroes, I know that if I lose on Tuesday, I am back to useless again. That is how the game is played.
“Early on, we saw the results of last season and it was pretty good up until October, November and December and then it was disastrous.
“We can’t rest on our laurels. When things are going well, everyone is happy and things are easy, so how we manage downs is always important. That’s what we’re doing now from Saturday onwards. and expectations have gone through the roof.It’s up to us to keep our feet on the ground, stay humble, and keep improving.”
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