Bolton Wanderers vice-captain Gethin Jones insists that he and his team mates are not looking at today's pre-season friendly against Watford as a training ground clash but as another opportunity to test themselves against Championship opposition.
Wanderers take on the Hornets this afternoon at the Championship side's London Colney training ground for a behind closed doors clash. It will be their fifth pre-season friendly ahead of the League One season beginning at the end of July.
The Whites haves beaten non-league opposition in the form of Longridge Town and Chorley, before drawing against Stockport County and losing narrowly to Wigan Athletic over the weekend. Charlie Wyke's penalty handed the Latics the win after Elias Kachunga's missed spot kick in a clash which Wanderers were the more dominant side over the course of 90 minutes.
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The game against the Hornets offers Bolton a second game against Championship opposition in the space of four days, following on from the weekend clash against the Latics. Like against Wigan, it will take place without fans in attendance and behind closed doors at a training ground.
But Jones insists that will not be on the mind of him and his team mates when playing this afternoon. Instead, they will embrace the chance of taking on another Championship side and the challenges it brings ahead of the start of the new League One season on July 30 on the road against Ipswich Town.
He said: “We are not looking at it as playing at a training ground or behind closed doors, for us it is a chance to play against a Championship side.
“We will have a short rest day, probably do more running because it’s pre-season, but we are excited to go down there and test ourselves again.
“Sometimes it is tough to get yourself motivated for that type of game but, listen, they (Wigan) are a rival team so we didn’t have that problem here. It will be the same for Watford on Tuesday because they are a big club with top players and we want to impress.
“When we wake up and come into the training ground it is generally to train, so you do need to switch on a bit, get ready for a game.
“The lads are good, we train hard and we work hard, but it can be difficult to get your mind on quickly.
"We all say when the fans are in the stadium that the intensity does lift 10-20 per cent because sometimes they do get on you when you are not playing so well. They also give you the support when you are doing well.
“Especially in these behind-closed-doors games, you have to lift the tempo yourself and the way we want to play – high-pressing, expansive football – that sometimes has to come from within.
“The gaffer is on the sidelines belting out instructions, we’re on the pitch shouting at each other to press, but when you have the fans screaming on the side as well it does give you the extra 10-20 per cent, I don’t know why."
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