IAN Evatt has explained the rationale behind his late striker switches.

On just two occasions this season, a player starting the game up front for Bolton has managed to see out 90 minutes.

Dan Nlundulu completed the entirety of the 4-0 home defeat to Wigan Athletic in August, while Dion Charles finished the 3-1 home defeat to Carlisle United.

Otherwise, Wanderers have brought on reinforcements from the bench in the final 20-30 minutes of the game – a policy which has not always met with unanimous approval from the supporters.

Discussing the way his team has approached their defensive work this season, Evatt believes they have improved against teams who play direct football, which had often been viewed as an Achilles heel.

“I think we have brought in personnel who are better at coping with that type of thing and also I think we have improved, our mentality is better now,” he told The Bolton News.

“There are different ways to defend. People perceive going backwards as being safe but I think the higher we can be, the more pressure we can get on the ball, the more aggressive we can be and keep the ball far away from our goal, the better, especially for defenders. All it takes is one first contact, a deflection, and the ball can drop to one of theirs and it is in the back of your net.

“We want to defend as high up the pitch as we possibly can and that is why the role of our strikers is so vital, it is not just about scoring goals, and the work those two put in is incredible.

“People will probably say ‘why do the strikers always come off?’ It is because they are absolutely shattered. I can see with my own eyes they are tiring and also the data from their GPS vest tells us that they are starting to drop off. That can cause us problems, so that is the reason we try and get fresh energy at the top of the pitch.”

At time of writing, Wanderers have conceded 18 goals. Last season, they did not reach that total until January 21 and a 2-1 defeat at Derby County.

But the number of shots the Whites allow on their goal remains low, with only Oxford United and Lincoln City conceding fewer in open play.

Evatt remains confident in his team’s defending.

“When there have been small mistakes, I feel like we have been punished for them. If you look at the XG, chances and shots against us, what we are actually conceding, I think it is favourable,” he said.

“We think that if we can continue, plus add some improvement to our box defending in particular, we will be OK. Our defending on transitions was a lot different when Rico was out of the team, he just gives us a completely different dynamic and helps hugely.

“It is something we are always trying to work on, there are always aspects we can improve on, but fundamentally if we have the ball the opposition can’t score. We just need to manage the ball better.”

Shrewsbury Town, managed by ex-Wanderers midfielder Matt Taylor, host Wanderers on Tuesday night, having scored just seven goals in their first 15 games this season.

One of League One’s most direct teams under Steve Cotteril last season – and set piece specialists to boot – the Shrews retain the same sort of physical threat.

But Evatt has spotted tactical signs that Taylor is attempting to put his own stamp on the team.

“He has only just got the job and you can’t change everything straight away,” he said. “You have to prioritise and make small changes, especially in-season, it is not an easy thing to do.

“You can see them trying to add different aspects to the game but fundamentally it is still a back three, they still have the same dynamics. We just have to go there and cope with everything they throw at us but more importantly, on top of it, add something to the game.”