Best Of

Time to sign Aaron Morley and then move on to the Championship.

For me, the game showed we have a decent squad. Those players could step into gaps and do a job if called upon...which is what you want. If Gideon is happy to cover the right back position for a while to keep getting minutes, that isn't a bad thing either!

I’m gonna carry on boring about Butcher. Same as last season when he came in players around him played better. Leahy especially was much better last night than recently as Butcher did things he doesn’t. Which allowed Leahy to be more creative. Our midfield was a void on Tuesday. Last night it was a rigid organised unit.

A little comment about Gideon. He’s unlikely to play for West Ham unless the new manager starts to offer realistic pathways for young players - which it might be too late now for Gideon. He would certainly be one I would love to sign.

Time to forget Aaron and move on. He did a great job for us and we will always be grateful but he is a Bolton player.

Delighted that you have been so impressed by a player you didn’t exactly enthuse about when he signed.

Here's the text...

IAN Evatt has seen enough improvement in Aaron Morley since his return from Wycombe to suggest he can play a big role in Wanderers’ push for promotion.

Speculation has raged over the midfielder’s future, and after scoring a winning goal at Exeter City last weekend even Morley could not tell for certain where he would be playing his football beyond the January window.

Wycombe had a loan offer turned down and were given Bolton’s valuation of a player who had helped them push to the top of the table in the first half of the campaign.

But the Chairboys have not yet progressed with an offer to sign Morley permanently, and impressed by the way the 24-year-old matured at Adams Park, Evatt feels that if he continues in his current vein of form, he can feature prominently for the Whites from here on in.

Asked if Wycombe had pushed their claim to re-sign Morley in the past week, Evatt confirmed: “Since he has been back we haven’t heard anything. He is our player, we are comfortable with him and we want him to be a part of our team. 

 “In terms of the loan itself it was a huge success for him personally and for us. We have got him back to where he was 18 months ago at the point where he was one of our most important players. Hopefully he can continue that form for the rest of the season now.”

Morley started just 19 games in league and cup last season and only four times post-January 1, which led to the club’s decision to send him out on loan in the summer.

Evatt also challenged the former Rochdale playmaker to improve the defensive and physical side of his game – and the Wanderers boss has been delighted with the reaction.

“Until you get eyes back on him yourself, you can watch games but it’s a different way of playing and a totally different environment,” he said. “Here (at Bolton) there is huge scrutiny, a fanbase who are very expectant, and you have to be able to cope with all that.

“Having seen him now, he has improved. He has improved himself, maybe the penny dropped a little bit, especially on the out-of-possession scenarios that we had talked about before he left.

“He is looking great and I can’t really pick faults with him at the moment. He’s improving, he’s only 24, and he has got a bright future.

“He has a terrific range of passing and we saw some of that on Saturday where he tried more from deeper, which is where he prefers to play, but then his last pass and cross around the penalty box is deadly at times.

“That is the benefit of loans sometimes. He just wasn’t in that place and space for us. He came back really fit, improved on the things that we’d talked about improving, and he does look a different player now. It is almost like a new signing and we’re pleased to have him.” 

‘One swallow does not a Summer make’

Which is when Joe’s contract runs out.

Go figure.

Was just coming back to correct myself!

I believe he’s joining Brighton in some sort of coaching capacity

I really felt for Shamal George last night. Gets a big opportunity and a top class save before getting his injury. He looked absolutely gutted to come off.

Wheeler also a small reminder, if needed, of what he has to offer. Great commitment and pressing from him👏