Ian Evatt is expecting tough tests still to come for Bolton Wanderers in the coming weeks even now they have got a challenging start to the League One season out of the way.
Wanderers went into the international break in the top six and remain in the play-offs despite not being in action over the weekend. The clash against Portsmouth at Fratton Park was postponed due to call-ups within the squad.
Bolton have played nine games so far in their League One campaign and sit five points from the division's summit. They have had several challenging fixtures so far.
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Those have included trips to the likes of Ipswich Town and Plymouth Argyle, as well as hosting the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough United, Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers. Now there has been a reset with Wanderers hopeful their players away on international duty return unscathed.
Wanderers have eight games across October, beginning with hosting Lincoln City this weekend. There are then League One clashes on the road against Cheltenham Town, Forest Green Rovers and Accrington Stanley, as well as hosting Barnsley, Burton Albion and Oxford United, while there is also a Papa Johns Trophy clash against Leeds United's under-21s.
Though Wanderers have just come through a challenging start to the season, Evatt is under no illusions of the tests the upcoming tranche of games will present his side during the winter months. But he is confident Bolton now have the players in their squad to cope with the challenges they pose.
He said: “Just because I have highlighted some of the tough fixtures we had in the first 10 games doesn’t mean there are no tough ones for the next set, believe me. This division throws up different challenges. Even the season makes it a different mindset.
“I don’t worry about us going to Ipswich, MK Dons away. I think it suits us. The issues in the past have been the challenging scenarios, winter is coming fast, and we have tried to learn from those mistakes in the past. We think we have personnel that can cope with those conditions now.
“The best thing I saw from the game at MK was the noise. The demands put on each other by the players was incredible. They demanded from each other and understood what was needed, it was like having 11 coaches on the pitch.
“In the past we have had players who have looked after number one and that was it. But once you start trying to help yourself and your team-mates then the team becomes a different animal. And maybe because I could hear them, it was a quiet stadium, I really thought this was happening the right way."
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