Bolton Wanderers take on Fleetwood Town this weekend aiming to pick up three points on the road.
Wanderers make the trip to the Fylde Coast this weekend seeking three points against Fleetwood Town. The Whites sit seventh in the table and just outside the play-offs on goal difference in a tight battle in the top half of the standings.
Scott Brown's Fleetwood meanwhile sit 16th in the table and are eight points clear of the drop zone. They are unbeaten in their last four league games and will be aiming to extend that run when they take on Wanderers.
READ MORE: Bolton team news on Bodvarsson, John & Lee ahead of Fleetwood as Bakayoko absence explained
Ahead of the game, Wanderers boss Ian Evatt spoke to the press and here's a transcript of what he had to say to broadcasters ahead of the trip to Highbury.
What’s the roll call?
“We’ve had a bit of illness in camp this week to be honest, so one or two are still suffering with that. Amadou is away with Sierra Leone. Other than that, all good.”
Fleetwood away is not a great memory from last season…
“No and this weather kind of brings it back! Let’s hope the forecast is better for Saturday, I haven’t looked at it but one hopes it’s better than what it is today.
“It’s just another one of those games isn’t it and it’s another one of those games that we need to improve on from last year. I’ve seen the signs that we are getting better in managing these games and the second half against Accrington definitely and versus Cambridge, we managed the game extremely well. We’ll go there and do the best we can.”
How do you go about fixing the lack of goals?
“It’s a really good conversation because I’ve literally just been on the phone with Chris Markham and we’ve been discussing our perceived lack of creating chances and lack of creativity.
“That’s not the case. You look at the stats, you look at the data, we are hugely underachieving with our xG. It’s as simple as that and not just as a team, but as individuals as well.
“We have to have faith that it’s going to turn and when it does and a striker takes responsibility and gets on a scoring run and the team starts scoring the chances that we are creating, then someone is going to be on the end of a bit of a walloping.
“But until then we have to keep working hard on our game as we have done this week, and strive for improvement.”
Strikers do lose form - is that difficult for managers to get their head around?
“No because it’s probably the most difficult part of football is putting the ball in the back of the net. That’s why they get all the money. That comes from an ex-centre back who was always a bit aggrieved at the amount of money that strikers get compared to defenders!
“I think what’s important to remember, and I’ve said this a lot, we’ve got League One footballers, so they’re not going to be the finished article. They’re going to have highs and lows, they’re going to have inconsistencies. If they were the finished article, they wouldn’t be playing in League One and they wouldn’t be here, so we have to constantly work with these players, try to improve them, try to make them more consistent.
“Everybody wants goalscorers don’t they and you just can’t find them, so we believe we’ve got some good ones but they have to start scoring, it’s as simple as that.”
In complete contrast, you’ve got the best defensive record in the division…
“It’s really strange because if I was ever to hazard a guess as to what my teams would be like, it would probably be higher with goalscoring and conceding a lot more. That isn’t down to the fact that we’re more defensive this season or we’re doing things differently.
“It’s just we’re controlling and managing games better with our possession. We tightened up a little bit at the back. We’re not conceding as many silly goals, even though I still feel aggrieved with the ones we’ve conceded to be honest.
“I think there’s room for improvement still there and I still think there’s huge amounts of improvement to come at the top end of the pitch, but you can only go off data and statistics at this time and our xG and our creativity isn’t bad - in fact it’s really good, especially from open play.
“We have to stick to our beliefs, stick to our guns, keep working hard and hopefully these goals start going in because we are certainly creating the opportunities to score more goals.”
Has it been difficult on occasions this season to stick to your guns in terms of method of play?
“No, it’s never difficult because we are what we are and I am what I am and that’s what I believe. If I don’t truly believe in it and am really quick to change, then how am I going to get anyone else to believe in it.
“That method has had a lot of success in the four years I’ve been a manager. We’re going to stick to it, we just need to be better with what we do in and out of possession, simple as that. Keep working hard, keep striving for improvement, stay hungry and I’m seeing improvements.
“I genuinely believe that we’re probably eight points short from where we should be with the chances we’ve missed and the games that we’ve had, but I guess there’s many teams that can say that. For us now it’s just head down, keep working hard and keep picking up points.”
How much has the illness affected training?
“It’s not affected the main part of training, but it has affected our numbers because we have had a few off this week with illness. Illness comes and goes in winter, especially given the viruses that are around at the moment.
"We just have to manage them when they come and make sure the players are fit, well and healthy to recover as quickly as they can and be back in the building to train, and they can’t give it to the other players.”
Are you pleased with the progress away from home despite the recent ‘blip’?
“What do you class as a blip, because the last four games we have got eight points, which is two points a game and gets you promotion. I feel like I am always fighting against this attitude of blip and negativity, and to be honest it really annoys me.
"Unless we stick together and unless we believe in each other for the long-term, we are not going to achieve anything. This perceived blip or this perceived negative attitude around the place just doesn’t help anybody. I think we just need to stay confident and keep believing. It’s a long, old season and no prizes are given out in November.”
How important is it to stay positive and have faith that things will come good?
“Football is always subjective and people always say that data and statistics can be manipulated to however you want them to look, and part of that is true. But also we have to look at ourselves and our xG - which is a big part of football now - and our chance creation.
"There is a lack of goals, but the perceived lack of creativity is just simply not the case. We are creating as many good opportunities as most teams in this league, we are just not taking them so there lies the issue. Hopefully, the hard work on the training pitch will eventually put it right, players will find confidence and those goals will start to go in.”
Do you still have to keep rotating the strikers due to their high pressing?
“Pressing is just part of football now so I don’t buy into this, ‘if they are pressing too much, they don’t have any energy left to score goals’. Football is a physical game and you are expected to press out of possession, you are expected to score in possession.
"It is so topical because everyone moans, ‘you can’t press from the front with Cristiano (Ronaldo),’ or ‘you can’t press with Harry Kane’. These players can press and they have got the energy to press. Also, their job is to score goals. It is just football, it hasn’t changed.
"You have a responsibility in possession and out of possession. Whatever that may be, that is down to the coach, the philosophy, the identity. But every team has a structure and a responsibility in and out of possession.”
Kyle Dempsey is suspended but MJ Williams is back available. How will that affect the midfield dynamic?
“Obviously, we lost Demps last week. I think the team got more cards than Clintons, so it is frustrating. But again we have got a good enough squad to manage Demps’ loss. I thought he was excellent actually, I thought he played really well. But again, there lies an opportunity for someone else to stake a claim and keep the shirt.”
Fleetwood have been shown more bookings than any other team in the league. Does that surprise you considering Scott Brown was a robust midfielder?
“Browny was a very robust, aggressive player. He was a very good player. I didn’t realise they had got the most cards this season, but I know they are a difficult team to play against and certainly a difficult team to beat. I think they have only lost four games all season and they have drawn a lot.
"We know it is going to be a challenging game. They are always good at home so we need to make sure we pay at the levels I know we can get to. I saw glimpses of a return to form last week.
"I thought we had more consistent good spells in that game, especially away from home at a difficult place to go. So let’s build on those moments, those flickers, this week and try to have them more consistently, and try to get the right result.”
How keen are the squad to make up for what happened there last season?
“It is my birthday on Saturday so I am hoping that the players perform very well for my birthday. That would be very kind of them to give me a nice birthday gift with three points!”
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