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Phil Parkinson reckons it will only be a matter of time before Adam Le Fondre opens his goal account for Wanderers again.
The striker was dropped to the bench for Tuesday night’s draw against Bristol Rovers and has yet to hit the target in six outings since returning to the club on loan from Cardiff City at the end of last month.
Fans’ favourite Le Fondre topped the goal charts in his last spell with the Whites but has found the going tougher this time around.
Parkinson has faith the 30-year-old’s fortunes will soon change.
“He’s working hard to get something going,” he told The Bolton News. “At Bramall Lane, that cross Dean Moxey put in was inches away from him.
“It was probably the cross of the game and had Alfie had size 10s as opposed to size eights then he would have got on the end of it.
“He is getting closer but he needs to keep working hard. It will come because he’s a good player.”
Parkinson insists he was justified starting Le Fondre on the bench against Bristol Rovers, with the striker still working towards full match fitness.
He had started just three games for Wigan Athletic this season prior to his arrival at the Macron Stadium, and just two more in a previous loan spell at Wolves during the whole of 2016.
Le Fondre has stated his intention to “kick-start” his career at Bolton but Parkinson says the careful approach will benefit the player in the long term.
“Going into the Bradford game we were going to leave him out and then Longy pulled his hamstring,” he said. “Sometimes you come in and play games quickly, sometimes you need a bit of a breather.
“I thought he looked fatigued when I brought him off at Sheffield United.
“He hasn’t started games for a long time and then he starts two of the toughest ones we’ve had all season. You have to have a bit of sympathy for him with that.
“Of course in the long run, having those games under his belt will be a huge benefit for him, and I am sure he will be ready when he is needed.”
Chris Long’s red card against Bristol Rovers means Le Fondre could get another shot against AFC Wimbledon as Parkinson goes back to the drawing board after a disappointing performance.
Both Josh Vela and Mark Beevers are one booking away from a two-match ban – and following Long’s indiscretion on Tuesday night, the Wanderers boss is wary that disciplinary problems are becoming an issue in his squad.
“I said to the lads after the game that we’ll take the point because we were so disjointed but we need to keep our discipline on the pitch,” he said.
“Two weeks ago Jay Spearing kicked the ball away and got booked, then Josh against Bristol Rovers. He was running his socks off, to be fair to him, but gave away three or four fouls. Then 10 seconds before the half time whistle goes he gets a needless booking.
“Longy was first game back since his injury and got a needless sending off. With everything else going on at the moment we don’t really need that but it sums us up. There is a bit of frustration that things are not going for us.
“We can’t afford to be like that. We need to make things happen, be better on the ball, and we have got a lot of thinking now before the weekend.”
Le Fondre is not the only player suffering for a lack of first team football. Keeper Mark Howard has struggled since his return from injury while Reece Wabara, who made his debut at right-back against Rovers, also had to make way in the second half.
“Win, lose or draw on Saturday I want to pick a team that can say it played better than it did against Bristol Rovers,” he said. “There is an element of rustiness right the way through the team.”
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The striker was dropped to the bench for Tuesday night’s draw against Bristol Rovers and has yet to hit the target in six outings since returning to the club on loan from Cardiff City at the end of last month.
Fans’ favourite Le Fondre topped the goal charts in his last spell with the Whites but has found the going tougher this time around.
Parkinson has faith the 30-year-old’s fortunes will soon change.
“He’s working hard to get something going,” he told The Bolton News. “At Bramall Lane, that cross Dean Moxey put in was inches away from him.
“It was probably the cross of the game and had Alfie had size 10s as opposed to size eights then he would have got on the end of it.
“He is getting closer but he needs to keep working hard. It will come because he’s a good player.”
Parkinson insists he was justified starting Le Fondre on the bench against Bristol Rovers, with the striker still working towards full match fitness.
He had started just three games for Wigan Athletic this season prior to his arrival at the Macron Stadium, and just two more in a previous loan spell at Wolves during the whole of 2016.
Le Fondre has stated his intention to “kick-start” his career at Bolton but Parkinson says the careful approach will benefit the player in the long term.
“Going into the Bradford game we were going to leave him out and then Longy pulled his hamstring,” he said. “Sometimes you come in and play games quickly, sometimes you need a bit of a breather.
“I thought he looked fatigued when I brought him off at Sheffield United.
“He hasn’t started games for a long time and then he starts two of the toughest ones we’ve had all season. You have to have a bit of sympathy for him with that.
“Of course in the long run, having those games under his belt will be a huge benefit for him, and I am sure he will be ready when he is needed.”
Chris Long’s red card against Bristol Rovers means Le Fondre could get another shot against AFC Wimbledon as Parkinson goes back to the drawing board after a disappointing performance.
Both Josh Vela and Mark Beevers are one booking away from a two-match ban – and following Long’s indiscretion on Tuesday night, the Wanderers boss is wary that disciplinary problems are becoming an issue in his squad.
“I said to the lads after the game that we’ll take the point because we were so disjointed but we need to keep our discipline on the pitch,” he said.
“Two weeks ago Jay Spearing kicked the ball away and got booked, then Josh against Bristol Rovers. He was running his socks off, to be fair to him, but gave away three or four fouls. Then 10 seconds before the half time whistle goes he gets a needless booking.
“Longy was first game back since his injury and got a needless sending off. With everything else going on at the moment we don’t really need that but it sums us up. There is a bit of frustration that things are not going for us.
“We can’t afford to be like that. We need to make things happen, be better on the ball, and we have got a lot of thinking now before the weekend.”
Le Fondre is not the only player suffering for a lack of first team football. Keeper Mark Howard has struggled since his return from injury while Reece Wabara, who made his debut at right-back against Rovers, also had to make way in the second half.
“Win, lose or draw on Saturday I want to pick a team that can say it played better than it did against Bristol Rovers,” he said. “There is an element of rustiness right the way through the team.”
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