"The issue is" - Claim made on Ian Evatt call at Bolton Wanderers amid Steven Schumacher form | OneFootball

FLW's Bolton fan pundit has his say on the timing of Ian Evatt's sacking.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Bolton Wanderers have enjoyed a sharp upturn in form over recent weeks under new boss Steven Schumacher.

The Trotters have won five of the first seven games since the Liverpudlian took over from previous boss Ian Evatt at the end of February.

Evatt cut a divisive figure towards the end of his time with the club and was ultimately shown the door with the much-fancied Wanderers sat ninth in the League One table.

Former Stoke City and Plymouth Argyle boss, Schumacher, now has them back in the play-off positions after their recent run of form, but with Bolton still sat eight points behind Wycombe in the second automatic promotion spot, they may have been left wondering what could have been had they made the decision to sack Evatt earlier in the season.

Bolton may look back at their Evatt decision with regret

Given the recent struggles of League One’s second-placed team, Wycombe Wanderers, Bolton must surely be wondering what could have been from this season.

Despite the fact that the Trotters now look on course for their third consecutive play-off finish in the third tier, there must surely be a tinge of regret that they aren't really in the automatic promotion race.

By the end of Evatt’s time with the club, his situation had created something of a split among the fanbase. There were several supporters who believed the board waited too long to sack the former Barrow boss, who had created something of a negative atmosphere surrounding the club and the team.

With that in mind, we spoke to FLW’s resident Bolton fan pundit, Liam O’Meara, to find out whether he believes the Trotters should regret waiting so long before parting ways with Evatt, given the impact of Schumacher so far.

Liam said: “The issue is you can’t turn back time. I think Bolton wanted to give Ian Evatt every chance – he’d finished in a higher position every single year and the natural progression on that basis would be that they would get in the top two this year.

“If you asked the vast majority of the fans after the Oxford play-off final, that felt like a defining defeat, the end of an era kind of defeat. We really didn’t perform. We missed out to Derby County on the last day (of the season) for automatic promotion and were then completely humbled at Wembley.

“So, yes of course, he should have gone sooner, but sometimes things have to play out before they can then actually move on. I think it’s easier with hindsight, but I think most fans would have had the feeling that this was how this season was going to play out.”

Bolton still have chance to achieve their goal this season

Although they would likely have been hoping for more before this campaign got underway, Bolton are now seemingly on course to claim a spot in the top six once again this season, potentially giving them another opportunity to find their way back into the Championship in the post-season.

Last year’s defeated play-off finalists still have work to do to ensure they get the opportunity to fight for a place in the second tier once again, but the recent signs are certainly promising.

Schumacher's men are now unbeaten in their last six league games and, with that spell including a victory over table-toppers Birmingham City, it’s fair to say that Schumacher has almost got them firing on all cylinders once again.

A favourable run of fixtures between now and May sees the Greater Manchester outfit face just three teams from the division’s current top 10 in their remaining 11 league games. Pick up a favourable points return from those games and Bolton could find themselves heading into a play-off campaign with the form book firmly on their side.

While expectations surely would have been higher than another play-off finish before this season began, if they get the next few months right, it could still finish with the desired outcome for Bolton.