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Mark Beevers can’t wait to get stuck into Stoke City and finish the pre-season off in style.
Wanderers host Mark Hughes’s Premier League Potters tomorrow looking for a performance which will set the right tone for the Championship kick-off against Leeds United.
Beevers reckons the quality of opposition will bring the best out of Phil Parkinson’s side and give fans an excuse to get excited about the season ahead.
“It’s always good to play against the big boys,” he told The Bolton News. “You know any Premier League side is going to be packed with quality players and they’re the type I want to test myself against. I think everyone in the dressing room will be thinking the same.
“It’s a good game to see us into the real business and Leeds United. It’s a chance for us to say ‘we’re up for this’ in front of our own fans.
“I think we need to produce a response (from the Fleetwood game) and put things together a bit better than we have.”
Stoke were the last team Wanderers played in the Premier League five years ago but were humbled 5-0 on their last visit to Bolton.
Peter Crouch is the only survivor of that day likely to figure for the Potters, while David Wheater and Darren Pratley should start for the Whites.
Beevers expects a difficult afternoon against a side he feels has evolved from the one Wanderers knew back in their top flight days.
“Stoke are a team who have adapted to different systems over the last couple of years, I think they have moved on from the team they once were,” he said.
“They have lots of players who can get on the ball with quality and run at you, and of course we all know there are a few big lads around if they want to go direct as well.
“I think that side of the game we’ll be fine with – because we’ve got physicality and height in our team too.
“But we’ll want to put in a performance and show we can cause them some problems too.”
Parkinson could give fit-again Filipe Morais his first football of the summer after the winger returned to training following a knee injury.
Harry Brockbank is also expected to return to the squad after illness ruled him out of the Stockport game.
Source
Wanderers host Mark Hughes’s Premier League Potters tomorrow looking for a performance which will set the right tone for the Championship kick-off against Leeds United.
Beevers reckons the quality of opposition will bring the best out of Phil Parkinson’s side and give fans an excuse to get excited about the season ahead.
“It’s always good to play against the big boys,” he told The Bolton News. “You know any Premier League side is going to be packed with quality players and they’re the type I want to test myself against. I think everyone in the dressing room will be thinking the same.
“It’s a good game to see us into the real business and Leeds United. It’s a chance for us to say ‘we’re up for this’ in front of our own fans.
“I think we need to produce a response (from the Fleetwood game) and put things together a bit better than we have.”
Stoke were the last team Wanderers played in the Premier League five years ago but were humbled 5-0 on their last visit to Bolton.
Peter Crouch is the only survivor of that day likely to figure for the Potters, while David Wheater and Darren Pratley should start for the Whites.
Beevers expects a difficult afternoon against a side he feels has evolved from the one Wanderers knew back in their top flight days.
“Stoke are a team who have adapted to different systems over the last couple of years, I think they have moved on from the team they once were,” he said.
“They have lots of players who can get on the ball with quality and run at you, and of course we all know there are a few big lads around if they want to go direct as well.
“I think that side of the game we’ll be fine with – because we’ve got physicality and height in our team too.
“But we’ll want to put in a performance and show we can cause them some problems too.”
Parkinson could give fit-again Filipe Morais his first football of the summer after the winger returned to training following a knee injury.
Harry Brockbank is also expected to return to the squad after illness ruled him out of the Stockport game.
Source
