Ian Evatt returned to Blackpool this week, as the Tangerines selected him as their new manager.
The former Bolton Wanderers and Barrow boss returns to management at the club that gave him the most success in his playing career.
43-year-old Evatt was part of the 2010 Championship play off winning side under Ian Holloway. The former defender featured 38 times in their sole Premier League campaign, and made 254 appearances for Blackpool in a seven year spell at the club.
Evatt returns to the Tangerines on a three-year-deal, returning to the game after being sacked by Bolton in January of this year.
The Statistics on Evatt
Let’s talk the black and white. Evatt’s managerial statistics.
The former defender took over then non-league Barrow in 2018 and began to transform the team on the pitch. A new possession-based style was incorporated and started to muster up results.
After a positive first season, Barrow would have strong transfer window and go on to dominate the National League before the COVID pandemic saw the season ended early.
The Bluebirds would be promoted on PPG and Evatt would be poached by Bolton Wanderers (who had just dropped into League Two). He left the club with a growing reputation and a win ratio of 44.44%.
The task at the Trotters was a huge one. Evatt was tasked with turning round a sinking ship that had virtually no players. After several optimistic pre-season statements, the first half of the season was rough to say the least.
Things turned around in January and Wanderers went on a run that saw them finish third and return to League One at the first time of asking.
From here the only way was up for Bolton and Evatt but expectation was always part of the package at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Wanderers would improve year-on-year, winning the now Vertu Trophy and making the play offs on two occaisons.
Unfortunately for the manager, the goal was always to get the club back to the Championship and after a no show in the 2024 play off final against Oxford United, it became clear that it may be a step too far for the manager.
Evatt left Bolton with a win ratio of 49.81%.
Who is Ian Evatt Now?
When Evatt was employed by Bolton, he was full of optimism, praise of the club and ambition intertwined with his almost aggressive backing of himself.
Five years on, things ended sour at the Wanderers having lost the fans and talked rather too much for his own good.
With Evatt, when it’s good, it’s really damn good but when it’s bad, it’s a deep dark whole.
Bolton fans know this all too well. At the start, excluding the first half of Evatt’s first campaign in charge, the football was fresh, exciting and new. The list of non-negotiable’s gave the squad a presence. Talk of players needing to know they had to earn their place at the club gave fans a reason to be proud of the club they supported again.
When manager came in, Wanderers were on their knees and he, alongside the ownership, picked them up, there’s no doubting that. Promotion out of League Two at the first time of asking was imperative.
Whilst at this stage the fans were fully on board, Evatt started to become a victim of his own success. His visceral backing of his own ability was becoming arrogant. To his credit, at this stage he delivered on it.
The Vertu Trophy was lifted, Bolton made the play offs and continued to play some sublime football.
As comes with success, so does pressure. The Trotters were tipped for the step up and spent big in the window. Bolton would sit near the top of the table consistently but fall at the same hurdles. Wanderers would lose the majority of local derbies, lose the title rivals like Derby County and Portsmouth and Evatt would pick fights in interviews and often other players.
An employment drive for all his former Blackpool teammates didn’t exactly help his ego or the atmosphere either.
By the dreaded Oxford game things were all but ready to blow. A no show blew the atmosphere up and in truth that was the end of the line for Bolton and former Barrow boss.
A lot of Bolton fans have a heavily negative look on Evatt. The last season was toxic and things fell out of place. He was backed, strongly, and couldn’t deliver on the ultimate goal.
Whilst I do not share the same outlook on the Evatt era, it is as simple as I’ve stated, when it’s good it’s great and when it’s bad, it’s oh so bad. Big games were Evatt’s biggest down fall, he could not get his team up for them, and it stopped his sides getting over the line.
The day at Wembley and promotion in 2020 alongside some great games in the league made me believe in Wanderers again after a torrid few years but failing to complete the overall goal leaves an unfortunate stain.
A board-backed Evatt that can get his team winning is wonderful to watch, but an egotistical Evatt that’s losing fans and players is a sad sight to see.
Time will tell who Evatt is now but can the pieces fall in place, Blackpool will have a hugely ambitious manager, who’s style can excite at times and drive this team up the table.
A little less sideways-and-backwards and maybe the Tangerines will have the mananger Bolton had in 2020.
