Bolton Wanderers sack manager
What next for Bolton?
Ian Evatt has left his role as manager of Bolton Wanderers after Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Charlton Athletic.
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The defeat leaves Bolton ninth in League One, three points adrift of the play-off spots, capping off a disappointing first half of the season.
The 43-year-old took charge of the club in 2020 and made an immediate impact, securing automatic promotion from League Two in his debut campaign. He also guided Bolton to victory in the EFL Trophy final at Wembley in 2023 and led them to last season’s League One play-off final, where they were beaten by Oxford United.
The club announced they are committed to appointing the “right” replacement and confirmed that academy coaches Julian Darby, Andy Taylor, and Andrew Tutte will take charge on an interim basis.
How it went wrong so quickly for the club
After pushing for automatic promotion from League One last season, Bolton narrowly missed out, finishing behind Derby County on the final day of the 2023-24 campaign.
They managed to overcome Barnsley in the play-off semi-finals but fell short in the final at Wembley, where Oxford United dominated in a 2-0 win. Reflecting on the defeat, Evatt attributed it to the team’s fear, which he believed held them back from securing a return to the Championship for the first time since 2019.
Unfortunately, that disappointing end to last season has carried over into this campaign. Tuesday’s defeat to Charlton marked their 10th league loss of the season, leaving them ninth in the table, three points shy of the play-off positions after 24 games.
Fan anger
Evatt’s departure had felt inevitable for some time. Two wins in their last nine league matches only heightened discontent, while his persistent focus on possession-based football often drew criticism from supporters.
Heavy defeats to local rivals Stockport (5-0), Wigan (2-0), and a humbling 4-0 home loss to Huddersfield further fuelled frustration.
Off the pitch, Evatt’s behaviour occasionally raised eyebrows. Just last month, he received the dreaded “vote of confidence” from the club’s board.
Despite the challenges, Evatt can look back on notable achievements, including promotion, an EFL Trophy triumph, and back-to-back play-off campaigns. He departs as Bolton’s fifth-longest-serving manager across the Premier League and EFL.
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