Bolton boss thankful to have time to prepare for Dons

"This is probably the game you’d want first because it does give you time to analyse"
Ian EvattIan Evatt
Ian Evatt

Taking on MK Dons in the first game of the season came as a bit of a relief for Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt.

Having watched Dons and the way they like to play, albeit under their previous management team, Evatt said having a longer period of time to prepare for the threats Dons pose is a blessing in disguise for the newly promoted Trotters.

“This is probably the game you’d want first because it does give you time to analyse,” he told Bolton News.

“They do things very differently, the way they play out from the back, the way they rotate and move, it is quite technical and detailed, so you need to spend time working on your pressing strategy and how we go about the game.

“There are two teams here trying to dominate possession but we are not both going to be able to do it.

“We are not looking to change our approach and I’d guess neither will they, so it is an interesting game. It will be technical and hopefully we will get our decisions right.”

Dons though head to the University of Bolton Stadium under the leadership of Dean Lewington, albeit in a temporary capacity as he swaps the pitch for the dugout while the club finds a new manager to lead them through the 2021/22 season.

Evatt too was handed his first managerial experience at the drop of a hat when he took over the reins at Chesterfield in April 2018 when Jack Lester was sacked. The Bolton boss said he expects Lewington to take to the situation with ease, given the squad he has inherited.

“It was a slightly different situation for me than it will be for Dean because we were already relegated out of the Football League and it was a tragic situation, really, a hiding to nothing,” Evatt added.

“This is different, it’s a start of a new campaign, and the club has recruited heavily in the summer to get some very talented players.

“On the other hand it is nerve-racking because those players will be used to having him as a team-mate and crossing over that line is sometimes challenging on how they view you.

“He is a very experienced player and I am sure he will deal with it well and have the team prepared for Saturday.”