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.”
Wouldn’t it have been nice if Evatt could have forced himself to acknowledge in passing what a great job Wycombe have done to totally rehabilitate a player who by his own admission was really struggling.
Morley was "always" a great player apparently, but was "crap" before this loan has magically brought him back to the quality player Evatt always knew he was.
Basically Evatt is an incredible manager. In his own eyes.
'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.'
Bizarre - he basically says it is only down to the players, and has nothing to do with him. Surely that means changing him out for a cheap traffic cone would actually be a good move, seeing as management has nothing to do with performance?
Such a shame Morley signed such a long term deal there. But at least he's playing. The worst outcome would have been them setting a mad fee yet benching him for the rest of the season, meaning everyone loses.
Aaron Morley's instagram profile picture is still him in a Wycombe kit. Reading into things deeply, if you were that committed to your current club, you'd change that straight away (or be advised to by someone).
Comments
Was just coming back to correct myself!
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.”
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.
Time to sign Aaron Morley and then move on to the Championship.
Bolton 3-0 down at Rotherham. Does it harm any lingering chance of signing Morley if Evatt is sacked?
If we are thinking of making a bid, I'd do it sooner rather than later, in case Evatt actually does get sacked. A new manager might really want Aaron
Poor Aaron. This is turning into more of a rescue mission than a necessary signing.
Wouldn’t it have been nice if Evatt could have forced himself to acknowledge in passing what a great job Wycombe have done to totally rehabilitate a player who by his own admission was really struggling.
It does feel mad to me that we haven't made any permanent bid at all. Implies that the asking price must be way too high.
Morley has been Bolton’s best player today by a distance.
Not sure why on earth they would sell him to us unless silly money.
Evatt is trying to play a clever game there.
Morley was "always" a great player apparently, but was "crap" before this loan has magically brought him back to the quality player Evatt always knew he was.
Basically Evatt is an incredible manager. In his own eyes.
But Bloomfield is even more incredible. You gotta believe it.
Where is the match available to watch. And please don’t say Rotherham.
If you read his quotes he's actually begrudgingly complimented the player and us indirectly without mentioning us at all.
Evatt won't last the month.
It was on the sky red button. Early kick off and finished 3-1 to Rotherham
There’s a video of Morley playing a laser ball, about forty yards landing on teammates foot. Two passes later Bolton miss an open goal.
When we're getting promoted in May, we'll look back merely at Morley (allow it) as a lovely boy who played a small role in our beautiful promotion.
Rather than the absolute critical piece.
Ironically we were supposed to be playing Rotherham today of course.
Some decent work from Rotherham to re-schedule to still get a Saturday game in.
This is what I took from the article...
'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.'
Imagine going from Blooms to this:
https://x.com/jimthewanderer1/status/1878107841300406390?s=46&t=MXj_dXc6l_z44oHP077XZQ
He has to decide if he's a genius and the only one who can lead them to glory, or whether the manager makes no difference. He can't have it both ways.
Bizarre - he basically says it is only down to the players, and has nothing to do with him. Surely that means changing him out for a cheap traffic cone would actually be a good move, seeing as management has nothing to do with performance?
Another one here: https://x.com/BOLTONFMSPORT/status/1878108395690926576?t=992kYXSn4H3vfeNzrsUGGA&s=19
What a tool.
Different set of pressures at a club like Bolton of course.
Good lord he is a prize tool isn't he.
No wonder the players aren't performing if that is how he talks about them and refers to them.
Such a shame Morley signed such a long term deal there. But at least he's playing. The worst outcome would have been them setting a mad fee yet benching him for the rest of the season, meaning everyone loses.
But there's other players so we move on.
4/6 for the Luton job (not Bayo)
Aaron Morley's instagram profile picture is still him in a Wycombe kit. Reading into things deeply, if you were that committed to your current club, you'd change that straight away (or be advised to by someone).
He’ll be in the famous quarters wearing 28 by the end of the month. The ‘deafening silence’ is giving me too much hope.