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Wanderers might be happy to put some distance between themselves and the Macron as they seek to extend their unbeaten run.
Phil Parkinson’s side will cover 800 miles of motorway playing at Fulham tomorrow, followed by another road trip to Sunderland three days later.
The Whites have managed to find some form with four points from their last two games and talk aboard the team coach heading to the capital will centre on what it will take to close a five-point gap to safety, possibly as early as Tuesday night.
But assistant boss Steve Parkin believes the intimidation factor once associated with long away days is now a thing of the past. In short, Wanderers might actually be happier on their travels.
“It has crept in the last four or five seasons,” he told The Bolton News. “When I started managing it was a one point home win on the old pools coupon. But now, whether it’s the pressure from supporters that has changed or social media, players are more anxious and they don’t play with the freedom they do away from home.
“When we were growing up there was quite an apprehension playing away from home but I don’t really see that any more. They are just as comfortable and maybe even give a little bit more.
“We always transfer to the players that they should maybe expect the referee to give the opposition a bit more, or to expect the crowd to be on your back, expect the home team to start quickly.
“Even at the top level it’s not a given any more.”
Parkin’s theory is backed up in West London, where the talk this season has centred on Fulham’s inability to capitalise on games at Craven Cottage.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s men have won just once on home soil this season in seven attempts in league and cup, drawing four times.
At a ground at which Wanderers have not won a league game in 25 years, Parkin is happy to take any encouragement he can get.
“I think the reason teams have started to struggle more at home boils down to the pressure on the individual players,” he said. “It isn’t necessarily tactical because, using us as an example, we might decide to press one week or drop off the next, depending on who you are playing but certainly I think the lads play with a shade more freedom.
“The other thing is that the longer a game goes on without the home team scoring the greater the pressure becomes. It creeps into the players, the supporters and even the management. We have found that at home as well.
“Hopefully we can take advantage of that at the weekend.”
Another criticism levelled at Fulham this season has been their ability to cope with physical teams.
No team, for example, have won fewer aerial balls than Fulham in the Championship this season. And given Wanderers’ recent improvement on that front, Parkin hopes it is an area they can exploit.
“There’s no getting around it, we’re a big, powerful team,” he said. “We were last season and we want to be this season.
“We’ve come up against teams who are just as big, if not bigger, in the early part of the season. But as the saying goes it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog.
“We say to our lads in both boxes that just because you’re tall and big it doesn’t mean it’ll just happen. You have to be committed, you have to be prepared to lose a tooth or get a cut eye. I think we have got players like that.
“We’ve got a good habit of locking the ball in the box, as we saw last weekend when Gaz Madine got a great header and Darren Pratley scored his goal reacting before anyone else. It’s not always just a free header.”
Green shoots of recovery have started to emerge for Wanderers after a dreadful start but Parkin has seen plenty of reason for optimism in the last few games.
“I think, for whatever reason, the intensity of our defending wasn’t quite there at the start of the season,” he said. “Over the last few weeks there have been blocks, tackles, clearances off the line or six yard box. Point of fact was Mark Beevers against Sheffield Wednesday, a block on the line and then reaction to the second ball. To get points at this level they are key things that we have to get right.”
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Phil Parkinson’s side will cover 800 miles of motorway playing at Fulham tomorrow, followed by another road trip to Sunderland three days later.
The Whites have managed to find some form with four points from their last two games and talk aboard the team coach heading to the capital will centre on what it will take to close a five-point gap to safety, possibly as early as Tuesday night.
But assistant boss Steve Parkin believes the intimidation factor once associated with long away days is now a thing of the past. In short, Wanderers might actually be happier on their travels.
“It has crept in the last four or five seasons,” he told The Bolton News. “When I started managing it was a one point home win on the old pools coupon. But now, whether it’s the pressure from supporters that has changed or social media, players are more anxious and they don’t play with the freedom they do away from home.
“When we were growing up there was quite an apprehension playing away from home but I don’t really see that any more. They are just as comfortable and maybe even give a little bit more.
“We always transfer to the players that they should maybe expect the referee to give the opposition a bit more, or to expect the crowd to be on your back, expect the home team to start quickly.
“Even at the top level it’s not a given any more.”
Parkin’s theory is backed up in West London, where the talk this season has centred on Fulham’s inability to capitalise on games at Craven Cottage.
Slavisa Jokanovic’s men have won just once on home soil this season in seven attempts in league and cup, drawing four times.
At a ground at which Wanderers have not won a league game in 25 years, Parkin is happy to take any encouragement he can get.
“I think the reason teams have started to struggle more at home boils down to the pressure on the individual players,” he said. “It isn’t necessarily tactical because, using us as an example, we might decide to press one week or drop off the next, depending on who you are playing but certainly I think the lads play with a shade more freedom.
“The other thing is that the longer a game goes on without the home team scoring the greater the pressure becomes. It creeps into the players, the supporters and even the management. We have found that at home as well.
“Hopefully we can take advantage of that at the weekend.”
Another criticism levelled at Fulham this season has been their ability to cope with physical teams.
No team, for example, have won fewer aerial balls than Fulham in the Championship this season. And given Wanderers’ recent improvement on that front, Parkin hopes it is an area they can exploit.
“There’s no getting around it, we’re a big, powerful team,” he said. “We were last season and we want to be this season.
“We’ve come up against teams who are just as big, if not bigger, in the early part of the season. But as the saying goes it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the fight in the dog.
“We say to our lads in both boxes that just because you’re tall and big it doesn’t mean it’ll just happen. You have to be committed, you have to be prepared to lose a tooth or get a cut eye. I think we have got players like that.
“We’ve got a good habit of locking the ball in the box, as we saw last weekend when Gaz Madine got a great header and Darren Pratley scored his goal reacting before anyone else. It’s not always just a free header.”
Green shoots of recovery have started to emerge for Wanderers after a dreadful start but Parkin has seen plenty of reason for optimism in the last few games.
“I think, for whatever reason, the intensity of our defending wasn’t quite there at the start of the season,” he said. “Over the last few weeks there have been blocks, tackles, clearances off the line or six yard box. Point of fact was Mark Beevers against Sheffield Wednesday, a block on the line and then reaction to the second ball. To get points at this level they are key things that we have to get right.”
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