The previous season, the Trotters finished third in the division and advanced to the play-offs at Wembley, where they lost 2-0 to Oxford United in the championship match.
Despite their devastating loss in May, many would have predicted that the Greater Manchester club would be a serious competitor in the third division in 2024–2025, but they haven’t had much of an influence.
Bolton has actually significantly regressed, and in spite of calls for manager Ian Evatt to be fired, the former Chesterfield and Blackpool defender is still in place for the time being. However, one of his coaches was fired.
Matt Craddock, a first-team coach at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, has reportedly been axed following a bitterly disappointing 4-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town. However, it has been a move that has not gone down well with supporters.
Many would have expected Evatt to be fired after the Terriers’ defeat, but in a meeting held after the weekend, the board decided to put their trust in him to turn things around.
However, it has meant that certain people have to bear the brunt of their subpar performances since the start of the season, and it appears that Craddock is one of them.
Just last November, he was elevated from the position of B Team manager to the senior squad. Since then, the club has had difficulties, as seen by their inability to advance to the Championship in 2023–2024, and their dismal first five games have only made matters worse.
The Bolton News reports that Craddock and another member of the coaching or analytical team are anticipated to have either gone or will depart Bolton this week. This is a crucial week for the Trotters as they take on Reading.
The board may come to regret its initial choice if there is yet another failure to secure all three points or to submit a performance that demonstrates improvement.
The club has had a difficult few months following their loss in the play-off final, and it appears that this has contributed to the bad start to the current season.
When Evatt lost to Derby County in March—a game that turned out to be a six-pointer for automatic promotion—fans began to lose patience with the team.
Bolton had difficulty playing against the other five teams in League One the previous season, and there are early indications that teams near the top of the table will once again easily defeat them this year.
What is not helping matters is how Evatt has responded, particularly after the loss to Huddersfield. In his post-match interview, he dejectedly told the club’s media: “It was everything we’re not as a team.
“Everything was against what we’ve built, everything against what I stand for and what I am as a person, so it’s hard to take. I think it’s confidence. I think ever since we lost that final, there’s such negative energy around everything and everywhere.
“After more than four years with this football team, I’ve gone a long way. This is the hardest time yet, even though we’ve had many enjoyable ones. Even at the beginning of the League Two campaign, that was the hardest to watch. Never before have I stood here feeling the way I do.”
Evatt went on, “We have to be much, much better than that. That is not what we’ve produced here, which is quite disheartening. After each of us has given ourselves a serious examination, we’ll see what comes out.
“I’m hurt, upset, and disappointed. I have always been and always will be resolute. I’ve had a challenging life, having overcome some incredibly challenging circumstances.
“This is as tough as it gets but I’ve been prepared for it all my life, so we’ll go away think about what we do next.”
Most Trotters fans would prefer to see Evatt leave, despite the manager’s belief that he is the best person to lead the team.
He has been a great asset to the team in the past, but the present outcomes are unacceptable for a team the size of Bolton, and the gap between the top players will widen with every week that goes by.
It’s not personal; I believe that the majority of sensible supporters would be appreciative of what he has done for the team and how far we have come. However, I believe that things have gotten too poisonous at this point and that he has run out of ideas and is unwilling to make changes.
There will be concerns that they will have lost the chance to fire the 42-year-old at the best possible moment if he plays on for the next few weeks and no points are scored.
It’s possible that Sharon Brittan and the other board members at Toughsheet Community Stadium will come to regret the choices they’ve made in recent days. Craddock in particular may believe the team made a mistake by not handing Evatt his marching orders.
