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It has been a case of ‘back to school’ right across Bolton this week and it hasn’t differed at Wanderers.
Phil Parkinson is in no doubt as to where his team need to learn their lesson after a disappointing start to life back in the Championship, nor that his players can improve on a points yield of two from five games thus far.
It took Wanderers until mid-November, and their 17th game, to ship 10 goals in League One last season but the organisation and defensive resolve which had become such a hallmark has deserted them at crucial stages in the last few weeks.
While Parkinson is keen to put the 4-0 hammering at Hull City in the past, he began this week by standing in front of his class and laying down a few reminders of what will be expected in the weeks to come.
“I sense the lads know what they need to do,” he told The Bolton News.
“We had a meeting with the lads yesterday (Monday) about one or two things we needed to do going forward in the next run of games. It’s a busy month September and let’s not beat around the bush, the goal conceded column has got to get a lot better.
“If we give teams an easy start as we did against Hull, or in the first half against Leeds United, then we are going to find it tough in this division.
“We’ve done some good training over the last week and been able to sort out a few minor issues with injuries and I think we’re getting there.”
Parkinson has been able to bring David Wheater and Sammy Ameobi back into training but has had to largely do without Jem Karacan and Will Buckley, who are both still feeling the effects of injuries picked up before the international break.
Andy Taylor and Dorian Dervite have also had treatment on minor injuries but are back in full swing, the former preparing to play his 400th career game against his former club.
Josh Cullen has also been away with the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s, who stayed over in Turkey en route to the Azerbaijan capital of Baku, some 5,000km away from home turf in Dublin. The West Ham midfielder will be assessed when he returns to the Wanderers camp on Friday to see whether he can figure from the start at the weekend.
Thanks to injuries and internationals, Parkinson won’t know exactly what squad he has to play with at the present moment but he has worked hard to ensure those definitely available know standards must improve.
A team meeting held on Monday before training underlined that the manager expects his players to get back down to basics as quickly as possible.
“We’ve created an identity since we came to the club about being hard to beat, solid, hard-working but we’ve strayed a little bit away from that in some of the games. I know we can do better,” he said.
“In patches I think we have shown what we are about but it needs to be a lot more consistent and we don’t want to get left behind.
“I think we have let things that have gone against us on the pitch affect us too much and that has got to stop.
“We have had a break now to go away and think about things, work a few things out, but now I need everyone back and ready to go.”
Wanderers get back up and running with back-to-back home games against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, the first two of seven games in 21 days.
The Macron proved to be a difficult place to score for opponents last season but Leeds, Derby and even Sheffield Wednesday have found the going rather too easy for Parkinson’s liking.
The nervousness from the stands has often translated on to the pitch but the Whites boss is looking for his team to cope better with the pressures.
“We need to find that steeliness about our play again to respond to situations, not dwell or mope around if something goes wrong,” he said. “I think a couple of times we have been caught feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves but as I’ve said before, it’s about staying in the game at times.
“We have got to be the best we can be. We have got to go into this next run of matches ready to make a better impression.”
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Phil Parkinson is in no doubt as to where his team need to learn their lesson after a disappointing start to life back in the Championship, nor that his players can improve on a points yield of two from five games thus far.
It took Wanderers until mid-November, and their 17th game, to ship 10 goals in League One last season but the organisation and defensive resolve which had become such a hallmark has deserted them at crucial stages in the last few weeks.
While Parkinson is keen to put the 4-0 hammering at Hull City in the past, he began this week by standing in front of his class and laying down a few reminders of what will be expected in the weeks to come.
“I sense the lads know what they need to do,” he told The Bolton News.
“We had a meeting with the lads yesterday (Monday) about one or two things we needed to do going forward in the next run of games. It’s a busy month September and let’s not beat around the bush, the goal conceded column has got to get a lot better.
“If we give teams an easy start as we did against Hull, or in the first half against Leeds United, then we are going to find it tough in this division.
“We’ve done some good training over the last week and been able to sort out a few minor issues with injuries and I think we’re getting there.”
Parkinson has been able to bring David Wheater and Sammy Ameobi back into training but has had to largely do without Jem Karacan and Will Buckley, who are both still feeling the effects of injuries picked up before the international break.
Andy Taylor and Dorian Dervite have also had treatment on minor injuries but are back in full swing, the former preparing to play his 400th career game against his former club.
Josh Cullen has also been away with the Republic of Ireland’s Under-21s, who stayed over in Turkey en route to the Azerbaijan capital of Baku, some 5,000km away from home turf in Dublin. The West Ham midfielder will be assessed when he returns to the Wanderers camp on Friday to see whether he can figure from the start at the weekend.
Thanks to injuries and internationals, Parkinson won’t know exactly what squad he has to play with at the present moment but he has worked hard to ensure those definitely available know standards must improve.
A team meeting held on Monday before training underlined that the manager expects his players to get back down to basics as quickly as possible.
“We’ve created an identity since we came to the club about being hard to beat, solid, hard-working but we’ve strayed a little bit away from that in some of the games. I know we can do better,” he said.
“In patches I think we have shown what we are about but it needs to be a lot more consistent and we don’t want to get left behind.
“I think we have let things that have gone against us on the pitch affect us too much and that has got to stop.
“We have had a break now to go away and think about things, work a few things out, but now I need everyone back and ready to go.”
Wanderers get back up and running with back-to-back home games against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United, the first two of seven games in 21 days.
The Macron proved to be a difficult place to score for opponents last season but Leeds, Derby and even Sheffield Wednesday have found the going rather too easy for Parkinson’s liking.
The nervousness from the stands has often translated on to the pitch but the Whites boss is looking for his team to cope better with the pressures.
“We need to find that steeliness about our play again to respond to situations, not dwell or mope around if something goes wrong,” he said. “I think a couple of times we have been caught feeling a little bit sorry for ourselves but as I’ve said before, it’s about staying in the game at times.
“We have got to be the best we can be. We have got to go into this next run of matches ready to make a better impression.”
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