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Phil Parkinson has told Wanderers they must prepare to be “horrible” if they want to keep a winning run going at Millwall.
Protecting a record of three straight victories and three consecutive clean sheets is the aim at The Den tomorrow night.
Despite being one of football’s famously inhospitable arenas, the Whites have only lost once on their last five visits to Bermondsey – a result which famously cost Owen Coyle his job in 2013.
Wanderers could get themselves back into the top two depending on results elsewhere but the edict from the coaching staff as the team travelled to the capital yesterday was to carry on where they had left off against Oldham.
“Saturday was a good team performance, a work ethic right through the side that we have got to follow up on Tuesday night,” Parkinson told The Bolton News.
“I’m looking forward to this test. I’ve seen teams go to Millwall in the wrong frame of mind and be two or three-nil down after 30 minutes. The place can very quickly get on top of you.
“It’s a mental test at The Den. I’m sure we can stand up to it but going down there on a cold Tuesday night will tell me a lot.
“We need solid characters, seven out of 10 every week, who when we put our head on the pillow the night before a game know exactly what we are going to get from them. Andy Taylor, David Wheater, Jay Spearing – players like that have been terrific for us just recently.
“At Millwall you need to roll your sleeves up, do all those horrible things you have to do in football to grind out a win away from home, then I’m confident I’ve got quality in this team to produce a moment or two.”
Parkinson only has one fitness concern ahead of the game, with Tom Thorpe still struggling to overcome a virus which has swept around the camp at Lostock of late. Derik Osede – who replaced him at the weekend in the second half – may be drafted in.
“We’ll monitor him closely for the next 24 hours,” Parkinson said. “It’s that virus we’ve had around for a few weeks now.”
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Protecting a record of three straight victories and three consecutive clean sheets is the aim at The Den tomorrow night.
Despite being one of football’s famously inhospitable arenas, the Whites have only lost once on their last five visits to Bermondsey – a result which famously cost Owen Coyle his job in 2013.
Wanderers could get themselves back into the top two depending on results elsewhere but the edict from the coaching staff as the team travelled to the capital yesterday was to carry on where they had left off against Oldham.
“Saturday was a good team performance, a work ethic right through the side that we have got to follow up on Tuesday night,” Parkinson told The Bolton News.
“I’m looking forward to this test. I’ve seen teams go to Millwall in the wrong frame of mind and be two or three-nil down after 30 minutes. The place can very quickly get on top of you.
“It’s a mental test at The Den. I’m sure we can stand up to it but going down there on a cold Tuesday night will tell me a lot.
“We need solid characters, seven out of 10 every week, who when we put our head on the pillow the night before a game know exactly what we are going to get from them. Andy Taylor, David Wheater, Jay Spearing – players like that have been terrific for us just recently.
“At Millwall you need to roll your sleeves up, do all those horrible things you have to do in football to grind out a win away from home, then I’m confident I’ve got quality in this team to produce a moment or two.”
Parkinson only has one fitness concern ahead of the game, with Tom Thorpe still struggling to overcome a virus which has swept around the camp at Lostock of late. Derik Osede – who replaced him at the weekend in the second half – may be drafted in.
“We’ll monitor him closely for the next 24 hours,” Parkinson said. “It’s that virus we’ve had around for a few weeks now.”
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