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Darren Pratley has hit back at suggestion there was not enough leadership in the dressing room as Wanderers slipped towards relegation this season.
The Whites skipper, who came in for heavy criticism from fans for his own performances in the last few months, has defended his role in the group.
Pratley knows recruitment will be vital in the summer to form a squad capable of handling the extra workload of League One but believes it is too simple to claim the current crop of players “lack leaders”.
Pratley said: “I hear people say we need characters and leaders – but when we got relegated from the Premier League we had people like Paul Robinson in there, people with a lot of character, so it becomes something people just say.
“Every time you get relegated people will question whether there is enough leadership. When things are going well, things like that don’t come up.
“We do need new players and hopefully some of them can come in and add a bit more bite.
“But it isn’t that simple. We have been relegated for a lot of different reasons.”
Although the club claims it does not need to move on all of its highest-earning players this summer, Pratley has reportedly attracted interest from local rivals Wigan Athletic.
The midfielder met with management staff this week to talk about pre-season preparations and schedules but has not yet been told he is surplus to requirement.
“Everyone is aware they (the ownership) want some people out but I haven’t spoken to them yet,” he said. “I have got two years left, so until someone tells me otherwise, I am here pre-season.”
Pratley has experience of League One with Brentford earlier in his career and has already warned Wanderers of the dangers of a “double drop” relegation.
But the 31-year-old, who has made more than 160 appearances for the Whites since arriving on a free transfer in the days of Owen Coyle, insists the club will go into next season with their eyes wide open. More importantly, he believes Wanderers will be gunning for promotion.
“It’s going to be hard, and I think we know that,” he said. “It’ll be a cup final for anyone who comes to the Macron.
“They’ll want a result, they’ll want to express themselves, everyone’s going to be thinking ‘big Bolton’ and want to beat us.
“There’s no rest, no international breaks, the Football League Trophy, it is going to be really, really tough.
“As the team who got relegated people naturally expect you to be up there so there’s a target on your head from the start.
“Wigan only just managed it, Sheffield United have been down there for ages, Leeds United were down there for ages and there are local teams who would like nothing better than to beat Bolton.
“But if we stick together and get the right lads in, the right manager in, we can go straight back up.”
Source
The Whites skipper, who came in for heavy criticism from fans for his own performances in the last few months, has defended his role in the group.
Pratley knows recruitment will be vital in the summer to form a squad capable of handling the extra workload of League One but believes it is too simple to claim the current crop of players “lack leaders”.
Pratley said: “I hear people say we need characters and leaders – but when we got relegated from the Premier League we had people like Paul Robinson in there, people with a lot of character, so it becomes something people just say.
“Every time you get relegated people will question whether there is enough leadership. When things are going well, things like that don’t come up.
“We do need new players and hopefully some of them can come in and add a bit more bite.
“But it isn’t that simple. We have been relegated for a lot of different reasons.”
Although the club claims it does not need to move on all of its highest-earning players this summer, Pratley has reportedly attracted interest from local rivals Wigan Athletic.
The midfielder met with management staff this week to talk about pre-season preparations and schedules but has not yet been told he is surplus to requirement.
“Everyone is aware they (the ownership) want some people out but I haven’t spoken to them yet,” he said. “I have got two years left, so until someone tells me otherwise, I am here pre-season.”
Pratley has experience of League One with Brentford earlier in his career and has already warned Wanderers of the dangers of a “double drop” relegation.
But the 31-year-old, who has made more than 160 appearances for the Whites since arriving on a free transfer in the days of Owen Coyle, insists the club will go into next season with their eyes wide open. More importantly, he believes Wanderers will be gunning for promotion.
“It’s going to be hard, and I think we know that,” he said. “It’ll be a cup final for anyone who comes to the Macron.
“They’ll want a result, they’ll want to express themselves, everyone’s going to be thinking ‘big Bolton’ and want to beat us.
“There’s no rest, no international breaks, the Football League Trophy, it is going to be really, really tough.
“As the team who got relegated people naturally expect you to be up there so there’s a target on your head from the start.
“Wigan only just managed it, Sheffield United have been down there for ages, Leeds United were down there for ages and there are local teams who would like nothing better than to beat Bolton.
“But if we stick together and get the right lads in, the right manager in, we can go straight back up.”
Source
