BOOS BUSTER
Evatt prepares troops for Oakwell ‘welcome’
IAN EVATT took a leaf out of Mikel Arteta’s playbook this week by turning up the volume before Bolton’s League One play-off clash with Barnsley.
Arsenal boss Arteta blasted out You’ll Never Walk Alone at the Gunners training ground to acclimatise his players ahead of a trip to Liverpool.
And Wanderers boss Evatt employed a similar tactic in an effort to shake his squad up before today’s semi-final first leg.
Evatt’s players have been training in the University of Bolton Stadium against a backdrop of boos and jeers booming through the PA system.
They can expect better backing during today’s home leg – but the manager hopes it will prepare his side for a more hostile atmosphere in the return at Oakwell next week. The manager said: “There are things we’re looking at as part of our training schedule and gameplan and that’s one of them.
“I don’t need to go into too much detail but that is one of them.
“It is maybe something we can gain a one per cent advantage with it.”
Wanderers already have one Wembley triumph under their belts after beating Plymouth in the Papa Johns Trophy Final.
That has boosted belief – but Evatt knows they face a tough challenge if they are to overcome Barnsley and book a return to the national stadium.
He said: “We have taken on a bit of a mantra recently that it is a bit of a roller coaster but if we’re going to do it, we’ll sit at the front. And that is what we have to do on Saturday.
“You have to enjoy the experience, enjoy the pressure, and concentrate on performing well because it will give us a great chance of winning.
“We played well at Wembley and hopefully we can do that again on Saturday.”