Ian Evatt on Bolton Wanderers trio on the verge of suspension

WANDERERS boss Ian Evatt believes referees have become stricter in recent years ahead of his side’s clash with Sheffield Wednesday.

MJ Williams, Gethin Jones and Ricardo Santos are all on four yellow cards, just one away from a one-match suspension.

With eight games remaining until the cut-off point, Evatt doesn’t want his players walking on eggshells.

The Bolton boss has suggested an appeal system similar to the one used for red cards could benefit the sport.

“We don’t want them to miss any games but people need to tackle,” he said. “The physical nature of the game has changed over the years and what I would have deemed a good tackle five years ago is now a yellow card offence. It is the nature of the beast.  

“I think perhaps the authorities need to look at it. You receive a yellow card for very little now, in my opinion, and we don’t want to see players missing games through suspension. 

“Maybe even an appeal system on yellow cards? It matters, so should we be examining if a referee has got a yellow card wrong? At the moment you can only appeal a red. I would certainly like to appeal my Rotherham one.  

“I don’t want them to fear it because the moment they do, that split-second decision making might affect their judgement on a tackle and we can’t have that.  

“We will have to adapt and overcome regardless of how many cards they are on.”

Saturday’s game is the start of a tricky run of fixtures for the Whites but Evatt believes his side can rise to the occasion.

“Obviously we’ll look no further than Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday. We know we’ve got some difficult games this month, but it starts with Sheffield Wednesday and that’ll be a huge challenge for us.

“But what we have seen from this group while we’ve been together is that we thrive on these big challenges and these big stages.

“Hopefully we’ll go there and attack and play our way and that’s good enough for three points.”

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