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Wanderers interim boss Jimmy Phillips says finding the missing link from midfield to attack has proven difficult without his more creative players.
As he prepares to pick the team for a fourth time at Derby today, Phillips admits his the lack of a threat in possession going forward has been a huge frustration since he took the reins.
Wanderers have scored just once in three games under Phillips and that was from the penalty spot in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old hopes things can change at the iPro Stadium this afternoon but concedes it is a juggling act finding supporting acts for youthful front two Zach Clough and Kaiyne Woolery with playmakers Wellington Silva and Mark Davies doubts and Liam Feeney out on loan at Ipswich for the rest of the campaign.
Phillips told The Bolton News: “Without the attack minded midfielders like Liam Feeney, who is no longer with us, Wellington out injured and Mark Davies touch and go, we are asking players who are maybe more defence-minded to break forward.
“We played Josh Vela in advance of the midfield on Tuesday.
“We had seen Brentford play and realised Alan McCormack started a lot of their attacks so it was an attempt to try and close them down higher up the field.
“He did to a degree and that’s why Brentford went long but we failed to cope with that.
“It’s about trying to find the right balance.”
With two 21-year-olds furthest forward, Wanderers do have pace in abundance if they can find a link from midfield to attack.
And Phillips has been pleased with the efforts of Clough and Woolery – with the former playing in a different role in recent weeks.
Phillips said: “We have Kaiyne and Zach as our two main attacking players and the focal point of our attacks.
“Zach had most of our attempts on goal on his own at Brentford.
“He has been very professional. We have asked him to play in a different position to where he was earlier in the season.
“He is a bright young player who has adapted quite well in a positional sense.
“Kaiyne has also done well and won the penalty at Brentford.
“There were questions about me taking him off late on but he was looking a bit tired in some of his play on the ball towards the end I felt.
“While we have that threat in attack, there are goals in the team.
“But we have to look to build team performances until the end of the season by being difficult to beat and then looking to build from there going forward.”
Clough and Woolery were two of five starters aged 21 or under in midweek and with Rob Holding returning to the squad tomorrow, the average age is again likely to be under 24 at Derby tomorrow.
And another youngster will rejoin the fold for next week’s home game against Middlesbrough with Oscar Threlkeld’s loan at League Two high-flyers Plymouth Argyle ending after their clash with Wimbledon today.
Phillips is looking to add the 21-year-old to his ranks for the final five matches and, being another player he has watched progress through the academy ranks, he is hopeful Threlkeld will have benefited from his loan spell in the south west.
Phillips added: “Oscar is due back at the club next week
“He’s had a good spell at Plymouth and will now obviously be looking to see what will happen with his future at Bolton.
“He has been able to go out and get some regular football at a good level. It’s important nowadays that younger players are able to go and play senior football.
“The under-21 league isn’t something that prepares the younger players for league football.
“For Oscar to come back with that experience of being out on loan will have been extremely beneficial in his development.
“We have given one or two youngsters a chance recently.
“But in the six games we have left, we have three games against sides in the top six and in those games we will look to use as much experience as we possibly can.”
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As he prepares to pick the team for a fourth time at Derby today, Phillips admits his the lack of a threat in possession going forward has been a huge frustration since he took the reins.
Wanderers have scored just once in three games under Phillips and that was from the penalty spot in the 3-1 defeat at Brentford on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old hopes things can change at the iPro Stadium this afternoon but concedes it is a juggling act finding supporting acts for youthful front two Zach Clough and Kaiyne Woolery with playmakers Wellington Silva and Mark Davies doubts and Liam Feeney out on loan at Ipswich for the rest of the campaign.
Phillips told The Bolton News: “Without the attack minded midfielders like Liam Feeney, who is no longer with us, Wellington out injured and Mark Davies touch and go, we are asking players who are maybe more defence-minded to break forward.
“We played Josh Vela in advance of the midfield on Tuesday.
“We had seen Brentford play and realised Alan McCormack started a lot of their attacks so it was an attempt to try and close them down higher up the field.
“He did to a degree and that’s why Brentford went long but we failed to cope with that.
“It’s about trying to find the right balance.”
With two 21-year-olds furthest forward, Wanderers do have pace in abundance if they can find a link from midfield to attack.
And Phillips has been pleased with the efforts of Clough and Woolery – with the former playing in a different role in recent weeks.
Phillips said: “We have Kaiyne and Zach as our two main attacking players and the focal point of our attacks.
“Zach had most of our attempts on goal on his own at Brentford.
“He has been very professional. We have asked him to play in a different position to where he was earlier in the season.
“He is a bright young player who has adapted quite well in a positional sense.
“Kaiyne has also done well and won the penalty at Brentford.
“There were questions about me taking him off late on but he was looking a bit tired in some of his play on the ball towards the end I felt.
“While we have that threat in attack, there are goals in the team.
“But we have to look to build team performances until the end of the season by being difficult to beat and then looking to build from there going forward.”
Clough and Woolery were two of five starters aged 21 or under in midweek and with Rob Holding returning to the squad tomorrow, the average age is again likely to be under 24 at Derby tomorrow.
And another youngster will rejoin the fold for next week’s home game against Middlesbrough with Oscar Threlkeld’s loan at League Two high-flyers Plymouth Argyle ending after their clash with Wimbledon today.
Phillips is looking to add the 21-year-old to his ranks for the final five matches and, being another player he has watched progress through the academy ranks, he is hopeful Threlkeld will have benefited from his loan spell in the south west.
Phillips added: “Oscar is due back at the club next week
“He’s had a good spell at Plymouth and will now obviously be looking to see what will happen with his future at Bolton.
“He has been able to go out and get some regular football at a good level. It’s important nowadays that younger players are able to go and play senior football.
“The under-21 league isn’t something that prepares the younger players for league football.
“For Oscar to come back with that experience of being out on loan will have been extremely beneficial in his development.
“We have given one or two youngsters a chance recently.
“But in the six games we have left, we have three games against sides in the top six and in those games we will look to use as much experience as we possibly can.”
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