Let’s discuss.

For me:

We’ve progressed✅
He plays good football (when it works)✅

Makes good signings✅
A promotion on the CV with us✅
Wants to be around long term✅
Has played a big part in the feel good factor, more bums on seats etc✅
Is the sort of manager I want at BWFC✅
papa johns day out✅

We look rigid tactically and can’t adapt in certain good games❌
Trying to walk in he ball in❌
Talks about managing in the premier league when we just want to get out of L1❌
Stubborn❌
LB issue❌
squad has regressed since last summer❌
Big game management (outside of Sherpa van final)poor❌
1 shot on target in 2 games in our biggest for years❌

strange signings ❌

Im incredibly undecided on him. It’s everything I wanted but something niggles at me it’s not right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

47 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

Certainly not in L1

Not sure about that. I remember several games when this was discussed (Oldham away, Chesterfield home). If you remember until pre Fleetwood away when we went on an amazing run, one or two posters said we were definitely not going up (you being one of them) and I said it’s not over until it’s over. 

5 minutes ago, Farrelli said:

Not sure about that. I remember several games when this was discussed (Oldham away, Chesterfield home). If you remember until pre Fleetwood away when we went on an amazing run, one or two posters said we were definitely not going up (you being one of them) and I said it’s not over until it’s over. 

I most definitely was one had my doubts at one point on promotion but he made some clever transfers in January and they proved key to our promotion

 

31 minutes ago, desperado said:

I don’t agree, but I understand your opinion - you’re not sold on him yet for the reasons you’ve reasonably explained.

But the above suggests you’d only be fully content with him, had we got promoted this or last season, as all those games were against sides who have gone up/or likely to go up.

That level of progress for any manager, never mind a young/inexperienced one who is still learning,  would have been off the scale. A bit unrealistic I think.

Exaclty this and he wouldnt even be still at the club. He'd have exceeded all expectations by a million miles. 

Its like the Jan flop thing. What were people expecting? Big Vic comes in, cracks 20 in and we win the league?

Come on lads.

9 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Exaclty this and he wouldnt even be still at the club. He'd have exceeded all expectations by a million miles. 

Its like the Jan flop thing. What were people expecting? Big Vic comes in, cracks 20 in and we win the league?

Come on lads.

Big vic looks like he’s never played football before joining. Offers nothing

11 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Exaclty this and he wouldnt even be still at the club. He'd have exceeded all expectations by a million miles. 

Its like the Jan flop thing. What were people expecting? Big Vic comes in, cracks 20 in and we win the league?

Come on lads.

Don’t think anyone is suggesting that mate

but him & Jerome look a tad poor, let’s see what a fresh start in Aug brings eh

I think Vic excelled at his previous club as the lone target man

I don't know if that's something to do with it

18 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

I most definitely was one had my doubts at one point on promotion but he made some clever transfers in January and they proved key to our promotion

 

See the thread from March 2017. 

So when he took over what peoples expectations ? 
 

Year 1 -  Consolidate,  hopefully promotion push

Year 2 - Given we got promoted , consolidate ,  no threat of relegation

Year 3 - Get in the push for promotion/play offs . Massive bonus to get 35k Bolton fans to watch us win a final 4-0 ! 

The argument given when we got promoted was that our budget meant we should , this year the same argument presumably is that we have done ok ?  

3 minutes ago, Farrelli said:

See the thread from March 2017. 

I ain’t trawling back through threads

End of the day he got us up and he did that by mixing different playing styles

 

A lot I like about Evatt, pretty much all the green ticks from the top of the post. Also like his thoughts in the latest interview about us making great strides in short time but still with a lot to improve on. 

On the playing style thing, he has bordered on snobbery with it at times and without a bit of tweaking it won't get us out of this league. If he's open to that, and is supported as well as Auntie Sharon suggests he will be, we'll all be happy come next May. 

Even Pep knew he had to evolve City's approach and also openly still learns from others, pointing out how much he likes Brighton's way of playing. 

That doesn't mean ripping our blueprint up and turning into Barnsley, just having a little more flexibility and mix to our game, and some more physically robust bodies to play it. Ipswich didn't rattle up nearly 100 points lumping it, they could play decent football but with strong, physical units in all areas. We look a bit lightweight at times, not just against the alehouse sides, and (injuries noted) faded fitness-wise over the last third of the season. 

Possession based game is fine, all for it and I've really enjoyed it when we've done it well (v Wycombe at home and Wembley two such examples), but, when we're doing it at walking pace it's deathly dull and isn't very threatening to opponents who often aren't actually any good. 

I've a feeling there'll be a good sit down over the next week or so, some honest reflection and a bit of resetting that will have us ready to go again in good shape come August.  

8 minutes ago, radcliffe white said:

I ain’t trawling back through threads

End of the day he got us up and he did that by mixing different playing styles

 

You said ‘certainly not in L1’ which was bollocks.

Just now, Farrelli said:

You said ‘certainly not in L1’ which was bollocks.

Might have been a passing comment you make it sound like he got dogs, on the whole he did a very good job in that season 

5 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

On the playing style thing, he has bordered on snobbery with it at times and without a bit of tweaking it won't get us out of this league. If he's open to that, and is supported as well as Auntie Sharon suggests he will be, we'll all be happy come next May. 

I doubt she's really your aunt.

Can we stop this, please, guys? It's awful.

1 minute ago, radcliffe white said:

Might have been a passing comment you make it sound like he got dogs, on the whole he did a very good job in that season 

There is a whole thread of criticism in the thread I re-posted.

4 minutes ago, Traf said:

I doubt she's really your aunt.

Can we stop this, please, guys? It's awful.

Your right; more like his niece 

1 hour ago, desperado said:

I don’t agree, but I understand your opinion - you’re not sold on him yet for the reasons you’ve reasonably explained.

But the above suggests you’d only be fully content with him, had we got promoted this or last season, as all those games were against sides who have gone up/or likely to go up.

That level of progress for any manager, never mind a young/inexperienced one who is still learning,  would have been off the scale. A bit unrealistic I think.

Yes I think that’s the margins for me. I think going to this season we had every belief to think a promotion charge was on. We were bang at come the end of last season and with a good summer we were in the mix to kick on. We were for a long time in chasing distance of Sheff/Ipswich and Plymouth with a real chance of catching them. January window then seemed to kill it and I think it’s fair to say a level of culpability could be assigned to the manager. The pizza cup was a great day enjoyed by all but I’d of swapped it in a heartbeat for promotion. 
 

I am worried about next season but appreciate its far too early to call yet. It feels we were a bit boom or bust and ended up being bust. We’ve a lot of holes to fill and chances are we will but my confidence is low in this being ready enough to be consistent enough. To hit 2 points a game. I then worry if we rock up into the play offs that we see a repeat of Friday night.

15 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

A lot I like about Evatt, pretty much all the green ticks from the top of the post. Also like his thoughts in the latest interview about us making great strides in short time but still with a lot to improve on. 

On the playing style thing, he has bordered on snobbery with it at times and without a bit of tweaking it won't get us out of this league. If he's open to that, and is supported as well as Auntie Sharon suggests he will be, we'll all be happy come next May. 

Even Pep knew he had to evolve City's approach and also openly still learns from others, pointing out how much he likes Brighton's way of playing. 

That doesn't mean ripping our blueprint up and turning into Barnsley, just having a little more flexibility and mix to our game, and some more physically robust bodies to play it. Ipswich didn't rattle up nearly 100 points lumping it, they could play decent football but with strong, physical units in all areas. We look a bit lightweight at times, not just against the alehouse sides, and (injuries noted) faded fitness-wise over the last third of the season. 

Possession based game is fine, all for it and I've really enjoyed it when we've done it well (v Wycombe at home and Wembley two such examples), but, when we're doing it at walking pace it's deathly dull and isn't very threatening to opponents who often aren't actually any good. 

I've a feeling there'll be a good sit down over the next week or so, some honest reflection and a bit of resetting that will have us ready to go again in good shape come August.  

Good post and thoughts.

2 minutes ago, tomski said:

Yes I think that’s the margins for me. I think going to this season we had every belief to think a promotion charge was on. We were bang at come the end of last season and with a good summer we were in the mix to kick on. We were for a long time in chasing distance of Sheff/Ipswich and Plymouth with a real chance of catching them. January window then seemed to kill it and I think it’s fair to say a level of culpability could be assigned to the manager. The pizza cup was a great day enjoyed by all but I’d of swapped it in a heartbeat for promotion. 
 

I am worried about next season but appreciate its far too early to call yet. It feels we were a bit boom or bust and ended up being bust. We’ve a lot of holes to fill and chances are we will but my confidence is low in this being ready enough to be consistent enough. To hit 2 points a game. I then worry if we rock up into the play offs that we see a repeat of Friday night.

It was sqaud depth and finances that killed it mate. Ipswich spent a small fortune and moved up a gear. Barnsley found bit of form and we finished exactly where we we finished the month of January. 5th.

There was never a promotion push on the cards in the real world.

15 minutes ago, Traf said:

I doubt she's really your aunt.

Can we stop this, please, guys? It's awful.

Noted. Will switch to Shazza for future posts

1 minute ago, gonzo said:

It was sqaud depth and finances that killed it mate. Ipswich spent a small fortune and moved up a gear. Barnsley found bit of form and we finished exactly where we we finished the month of January. 5th.

There was never a promotion push on the cards in the real world.

Fair points on finances in regards to Ipswich but I’d question that against Plymouth and Barnsley. I found in the run in the subs frustrating in points dropped though and now it’s widely irrelevant we could of had more points on the board.

Barnsley we’re for the taking imo. It didn’t happen I am (slowly😂) moving on into next season. End of last season I knew the team sheet practically for the first game. This time I’ve literally no idea. This may be a good thing though. Just doesn’t feel like it now.

All in all it’s been a cracking season and one of unquestionable progress. Ok it was disappointing in the end but although there will be many leavers over the summer we still have the bones of a very good team next year and I’d trust Evatt to bring in the players to take us up another level. Also as others have said, the league is likely to be far less challenging next year with those going up and coming down so that alone should benefit us. The January signings were disappointing but at the time we made them I thought they were bang on. Sadly it didn’t prove to be but hopefully Evatt now knows where he got it wrong and will put it right during the summer.

17 minutes ago, tomski said:

 We were for a long time in chasing distance of Sheff/Ipswich and Plymouth with a real chance of catching them. January window then seemed to kill it

At 1 jan we were 12 off the top

Second half of the season we were only 5 points worse then ipswich

13 minutes ago, tomski said:

Fair points on finances in regards to Ipswich but I’d question that against Plymouth and Barnsley. I found in the run in the subs frustrating in points dropped though and now it’s widely irrelevant we could of had more points on the board.

Barnsley we’re for the taking imo. It didn’t happen I am (slowly😂) moving on into next season. End of last season I knew the team sheet practically for the first game. This time I’ve literally no idea. This may be a good thing though. Just doesn’t feel like it now.

Barnsley have just spent 3 seasons in the championship.

Nobody could lay a glove on Plymouth nevermind us.

 

Surely they can only be guesswork, tbf @gonzo

I cant get ours to be that high...no idea about the others

I dont think we have anybody over 5 and kachunga isnt top, either