'We seem to freeze' - Evatt looks back over wreckage of Wigan Athletic defeat

AS question marks again appeared over the mentality of Ian Evatt’s Wanderers after defeat against Wigan, the Bolton boss admits he is at a loss to explain why his side have again let themselves down on the big occasion.

Beaten at home by their near neighbours for the third time in his reign without scoring a goal, the winless streak against the Latics now stretches beyond a decade.

Talk in the Bolton camp was confident before kick-off, and recent results had reflected a team with intention to break back into the top six.

Evatt was struggling to understand how solid preparations had led to such an unsatisfactory outcome.

“We have discussed it at length, we’re not silly and we know exactly how (these games) are going to be and what you need to do,” he said.

“We all talk about it and the players all have the right answers and solutions in the lead-up but when it comes to the heat of battle and the heat of the moment we seem to freeze.

“It is not just me that hasn’t beaten Wigan, we haven’t won for 10 years, for too long. So clearly they have got it over us for whatever reason.

“All I can focus on is the team. First half wasn’t anything like it should have been and, for me, the only thing it can be is psychological, it can’t be anything else.

“We have opened up old wounds again and that was always going to be the case. We have to find a way to stop this theme following us around because just when you think we have turned a corner and this is the day for us, it isn’t. That happens and it makes it even harder to recover.”

Wigan had been 19th in the table going into the game and it was thought by many that this was the best opportunity Wanderers had in some time to break the jinx against their local rivals.

“I said in the week it doesn’t matter how they have been playing and the results they have had, they always seem to find their best football against us,” Evatt said.

“First half I thought they were excellent but how much of it was them being excellent and how much was us being very poor, I don’t know.

“Second half for us was better but you have to score in the moments and good spells and the one real chance they had second half, they took.”

Supporters voiced their anger and there were again calls for Evatt’s job from some sections of the supporters.

Responding to the upset, he added: “I have been here a long time, managed this club for a long time, took a club from where it was to where it is today, winning a lot of things along the way, a lot of great victories – and these ones hurt me more than most.

“I am not going to say sorry because I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think they want to hear sorry, they went to see us do better. Of course I feel devastated and gutted, it hurts me and hurts the players and staff, but it’s no good crying wolf, apologising or making excuses, we just ned to be better and to do better, and we haven’t.”