PETER Atherton believes Ian Evatt has the right character to ride out his current storm at Bolton Wanderers.

Barracked by away fans during the second half of Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Rotherham United, Evatt left pre-match media duties to his assistant before their trip to Lincoln City in the last 16 of the Vertu Trophy.

Pressure to turn around an inconsistent season is higher than ever, as are the calls for change.

Atherton, who has been Evatt’s right-hand man throughout his managerial career, says he and the rest of the backroom remain convinced they can get Bolton’s promotion push going, which will mean lifting spirits right around the club.

“Obviously, we're a team, so we're all there for each other, but he's a strong character, you all know that, and he's desperate to do well, desperate to win every game, and we're all a part of that,” he said.

“Every week, win, lose or draw, you evaluate, we look at ourselves, we look at the players, and it's a collective, and certainly we're all part of the same team, so we're all going to make sure we're pulling in the right direction.

“We do need to raise a few, you speak to players individually, collectively, we have discussions between the staff, and we do our best to make sure we're all pulling in the right direction.

“We have to make sure we are in the best place to try and get a win at Lincoln and then go from there.”

Atherton does not believe there will be any less pressure or expectation from a smaller crowd at Lincoln, where around 700 travelling supporters are expected at Sincil Bank.

Though the Vertu Trophy remains secondary to the league in importance, the game is now being viewed as a chance to spark some confidence ahead of the weekend’s home fixture with Cambridge United.

“It's easy to say that there won’t be pressure but at this club the eyes are always on you, the expectations are high, and we know that, so with every game there comes an expectation,” Atherton said. “It's up to us to put in the performances to obviously win games, and hopefully please the fans and everybody around that.

“We're not used to losing as we have done of late, so it's important whether it's in the cup or the league to raise your game. Certainly in this competition we enjoyed winning it a couple of years ago. It was great for the club, great for the town, great for the fans, so we'd like to sample that again.”