Ian Evatt is confident in his players’ ability to handle pressure as his in-form team attempts to maintain its momentum, writes Pete Oliver.
Wanderers travel to Bristol Rovers on Saturday in pursuit of their ninth win in 13 League One outings.
Despite some criticism, Evatt’s guys have closed the gap on the top six and are now firmly in the pursuing pack.
And, following a comeback victory against Mansfield Town in midweek, the boss is preparing his team for another weekend in the spotlight as they aim for their fifth away win of the season at Bristol Rovers.
“We are having a good run. Twenty-six points from 12 games is a respectable return, but we’re looking for more,” said Evatt, who won his 126th game as Bolton manager.
“We understand there is pressure, and that pressure will not go away anytime soon, so we must be prepared to perform under that scrutiny and strain. So far, we’ve been successful, and we need to keep it up for the game on Saturday.
“That is the nature of our industry and the club we are at. We are constantly under scrutiny and immense strain, and we must be able to cope and deal with it.
“But, as I’ve mentioned to the players, that may be a great benefit. Resilience, or how to deal with adversity, is extremely important in today’s society.
“We’ve demonstrated that we can do so, which will benefit the players in both football and life in the future. We’ll keep working hard to do the best we can amid the pressure and scrutiny we’re all facing.”
Wanderers began a huge December with three late goals to defeat the Stags on Tuesday night, making it five victories and a draw in their previous six games at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
“In terms of the league table on league standings we’re not where we want to be but we are bang there and bang in touch.”
Huddersfield (in the Vertu Trophy) and local rivals Wigan Athletic are next up at home, but first the Wanderers will look to add to their points tally on the road against a Rovers side that has only won one of their last six league games, but with manager Matt Taylor back in charge after a leave of absence for family reasons.
“In terms of the league table and league standings, we’re not where we want to be, but we’re bang there and bang in touch,” added Evatt, who will have captain George Thomason back from suspension but will have to assess midfield colleague Josh Sheehan, who has undergone a scan for a possible hamstring injury.
“We understand we haven’t played our best football yet. We’ve played some good football. We’ve done that in games in spurts, but not consistently enough for my liking thus far, which I see as a plus because if we can get to those levels more frequently, we’ll continue to win games because we’ve proven we can. We are currently winning games, and we must maintain this momentum.
“We’ve won eight of the last twelve, which is a really respectable record. Our attitude is currently focused on the next game versus Bristol Rovers.
“We understand they had a poor result on Tuesday. Wounded animals are often the most dangerous, so we expect a reaction, especially in front of their own fans, and we must be prepared to do everything possible to secure another crucial three points.”
Watch the complete pre-match chat with the manager and hear from ever-present wing-back Josh Dacres-Cogley on Wanderers TV.