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Ben Amos admits nerves are having a detrimental effect on Wanderers’ campaign so far.
Despite keeping his fifth clean sheet of the season, the goalkeeper’s mood was one of frustration rather than satisfaction as he spoke after the final whistle on Saturday.
Amos branded the Whites’ first-half performance as “edgy” and concedes that desperation to climb away from the bottom three is making it difficult to find any consistency.
The 25-year-old stopper says he is enjoying life as first choice at the Macron Stadium but feels the international break could be a good time for the squad to slow down and collect their thoughts.
“Of course I’m frustrated like anyone else about how things have gone on the pitch for us,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t want to be at the bottom of the league and I hope no-one else does either. The manager certainly doesn’t.
“That means there is a lot of frustration around and I think that has been one of our main problems – we’re not relaxed.
“We’re edgy and nervous. We all need to come together and calm down.
“There are plenty more points to play for. We go away now for the international break and it’s important we work hard to pick up some wins when we get back.”
Amos has been the one continuous presence in an ever-changing back line for Wanderers this season, with Neil Lennon using six different right-backs alone in the opening 17 games in league and cup.
The keeper has been relatively pleased with the defending in front of him but says it has been a challenge to get familiarity with his team-mates.
“I’ve had five clean sheets – about one in three, which is decent,” he said. “We can build on that.
“But it’s difficult when the personnel changes in front of you.
“You start to understand each other, recognise traits of that player. Some players are bigger communicators than others.
“Having the continuity makes it easier but the lads who have come in have given their best. All we can really do is try to adapt.
“Different players deal with different situations in different ways. Hopefully we can get some continuity and build from there.”
Another aspect of life at Wanderers these days is a steadily growing international influence.
Amos has played behind Spanish-speaking Jose Manuel Casado, Italian-speaking Francesco Pisano, Frenchmen Prince-Desire Gouano and Dorian Dervite – whose English skills are first class.
While a challenge at times, not least in a first-half mix-up with Prince that saw the ball bounce off the crossbar, Amos is confident things can improve soon.
“I don’t think it’s automatic for some of the players at the moment,” he reasoned. “They understand certain buzz words but then in the heat of the moment, stressful situation, some of them struggle a bit.
“I’d imagine that would improve the more games they play.
“All we can do is be assertive and try to help them out.”
Although a missed opportunity to claw some serious ground back on the teams above them in the table, Wanderers are a point closer to safety despite having dropped to second bottom in the Championship table.
Amos remained disappointed that his clean sheet was not accompanied with a second win of the season.
“We started the game very nervously and that’s as a result of a few games going against us of late but once we got over that hump we dominated in the second half, and obviously had the penalty, which was unfortunate.
“Another clean sheet is a bonus but we just need the goals. As soon as we get one, we get a few.
“The whole team is disappointed. We felt we should have won the game.
“We need to work hard in the international break and pick up some wins. It’s as simple as that.”
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Despite keeping his fifth clean sheet of the season, the goalkeeper’s mood was one of frustration rather than satisfaction as he spoke after the final whistle on Saturday.
Amos branded the Whites’ first-half performance as “edgy” and concedes that desperation to climb away from the bottom three is making it difficult to find any consistency.
The 25-year-old stopper says he is enjoying life as first choice at the Macron Stadium but feels the international break could be a good time for the squad to slow down and collect their thoughts.
“Of course I’m frustrated like anyone else about how things have gone on the pitch for us,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t want to be at the bottom of the league and I hope no-one else does either. The manager certainly doesn’t.
“That means there is a lot of frustration around and I think that has been one of our main problems – we’re not relaxed.
“We’re edgy and nervous. We all need to come together and calm down.
“There are plenty more points to play for. We go away now for the international break and it’s important we work hard to pick up some wins when we get back.”
Amos has been the one continuous presence in an ever-changing back line for Wanderers this season, with Neil Lennon using six different right-backs alone in the opening 17 games in league and cup.
The keeper has been relatively pleased with the defending in front of him but says it has been a challenge to get familiarity with his team-mates.
“I’ve had five clean sheets – about one in three, which is decent,” he said. “We can build on that.
“But it’s difficult when the personnel changes in front of you.
“You start to understand each other, recognise traits of that player. Some players are bigger communicators than others.
“Having the continuity makes it easier but the lads who have come in have given their best. All we can really do is try to adapt.
“Different players deal with different situations in different ways. Hopefully we can get some continuity and build from there.”
Another aspect of life at Wanderers these days is a steadily growing international influence.
Amos has played behind Spanish-speaking Jose Manuel Casado, Italian-speaking Francesco Pisano, Frenchmen Prince-Desire Gouano and Dorian Dervite – whose English skills are first class.
While a challenge at times, not least in a first-half mix-up with Prince that saw the ball bounce off the crossbar, Amos is confident things can improve soon.
“I don’t think it’s automatic for some of the players at the moment,” he reasoned. “They understand certain buzz words but then in the heat of the moment, stressful situation, some of them struggle a bit.
“I’d imagine that would improve the more games they play.
“All we can do is be assertive and try to help them out.”
Although a missed opportunity to claw some serious ground back on the teams above them in the table, Wanderers are a point closer to safety despite having dropped to second bottom in the Championship table.
Amos remained disappointed that his clean sheet was not accompanied with a second win of the season.
“We started the game very nervously and that’s as a result of a few games going against us of late but once we got over that hump we dominated in the second half, and obviously had the penalty, which was unfortunate.
“Another clean sheet is a bonus but we just need the goals. As soon as we get one, we get a few.
“The whole team is disappointed. We felt we should have won the game.
“We need to work hard in the international break and pick up some wins. It’s as simple as that.”
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