Ian Evatt will strive to keep Wanderers moving forwards when the chance comes to re-assert their League One credentials, writes Pete Oliver.
Evatt’s immediate focus is on trying to complete a passage through to the knock-out stages of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy when his side faces Fleetwood Town in their final Group D tie tonight (Tuesday).
But beyond that, the boss knows the Whites must make amends for their 5-0 beating at Stockport County last weekend when their league campaign resumes at home to local rivals Blackpool on Saturday week.
Evatt apologised for the ‘unacceptable’ display at Edgeley Park – where his team was undermined by illness and injury – and admitted that too often the lowest level of performance from his players has been far too low.
He has since come in from criticism from a section of the fan base but is ready to lead from the front in the quest to hit back and keep pursuing another promotion push from Wanderers’ current position of tenth in the table – a point outside the play-off places.
“We know what football is and when you have results and performances like that you get criticism and it's about us finding a way to really progress again and march forwards,” Evatt told Wanderers TV.
“Within any destination you find bumps in the road and when you hit those bumps you have a decision to make, whether to stand still, turn back and move backwards or march forwards and continue towards your journey and destination and that's what we're trying to do.
“The group of players is very upset from Saturday and it's my job now to pick them back up again and understand all is not lost. If we had won on Saturday we would probably have been fourth in the league. We have had some good victories, six out of the last eight in the league prior to Saturday, and we've got a group of games coming up we think are winnable.
“We are under no illusion that we have to go on a good run and start winning games consistently. It's my job to re-focus the players, to concentrate on everything we can to get better, to give them everything we can to get better, get tonight out the way and then focus on a big game against Blackpool.
“This group of players are capable of being at the top end of this league. I think it's going to be an incredibly tight league. I said that at the start of this season and nothing I have seen has made me change that opinion.
“For now, understand that we're going to take some heat but have a real clarity of thought to understand what we need to do to get better. That's where I'm at and will continue to march forwards and improve.”
Tuesday night's visit of Fleetwood precedes a pivotal run of eight league fixtures up to the turn of the year, with the possibility of a last-32 tie in the Trophy to fit in too.
Two points against Town are guaranteed to take Wanderers through, although the Whites will be far from full strength against the League Two side which could also progress with a win or a draw (and the bonus point from a penalty shoot-out) under Evatt’s former Blackpool team-mate Charlie Adam who is nearly 11 months into his first managerial job.
“It's a game that isn't ideal in terms of timing,” Evatt added. “We've had so many injuries, a lot of illness from last week and players away on international duty, so the likelihood is the team is going to be heavily changed and rotated because we can't keep going to the well with the same ones.
“We'll get ready for the Blackpool game but, firstly, whatever team I put out we always expect to be competitive. We're under no illusions that Fleetwood will come here and try and get through and we'll be trying to do the same thing.
“I've known Charlie a long time and been part of a winning team with Charlie. That gives you a bond and a sense of togetherness and it will be great to see him. We’re relatively young managers but we've been in the game all our lives. We know what it is and what it takes to be successful in football.
“Sometimes you have to take a lot of heat, whether that's right or wrong is not really for me to say, but it's just par for the course and we have to just get on with it and focus on our respective roles and jobs and do the very best we can. And one thing I can assure everybody is I'm doing the very best that I can.”
Watch the manager’s full pre-match interview on Wanderers TV HERE