Evatt Suggests Bolton’s Current Struggles Are Psychological

Following Bolton Wanderers’ significant 5-0 defeat by Stockport County, a period during which manager Ian Evatt has overseen two victories and a draw, Evatt has now indicated that the team’s current difficulties are psychological. This assessment comes after Bolton lost ground in the race for a top-six position in League One following their match against Cambridge United. Wanderers had maintained a lead for the majority of their encounter with a Cambridge side reduced to ten players, but they conceded an equalizer in the 89th minute when Sullay Kaikai scored with a header, resulting in a 1-1 draw. Evatt’s squad now trails the top two teams by seven points, having experienced an inconsistent 2024-25 season. This stands in contrast to the previous season, when they contended for automatic promotion for much of the campaign before ultimately being defeated by Oxford United in the play-off final held at Wembley in May. “We have to manage the game better,” Evatt stated to BBC Radio Manchester. He further elaborated, “For me, it’s a mental thing. All our issues are psychological, I think.” Evatt continued, “We’ve got experienced players out there. I put on Macca [John McAtee] and Victor [Adeboyejo] on to help defend the set plays because we knew what was going to come.” Bolton’s inability to secure the win occurred despite playing with a numerical advantage for a substantial portion of the second half. Jubril Okedina of Cambridge received a red card for violent conduct four minutes after half-time, following an altercation with George Johnston. “He’s punched him. We watched it back, and he’s chucked a left hand at him, and it’s silly,” Evatt commented. He concluded, “From that, we had the extra man. Whether the crowd thought it was harsh or whatever, it seemed to rally them and give them some inspiration.”