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David Wheater is confident Wanderers won’t be found wanting at the business end of the season again.
A veteran of the dismal 2015/16 campaign which saw the Whites take a record low 30 points from 46 games, the big defender sees a different breed of player alongside him in the dressing room in the current survival scrap.
Phil Parkinson’s side have recovered from a poor start to escape the bottom three, currently sitting 21st and a point clear of Burton Albion.
And while Wheater is content to see safety be the sum of Wanderers’ ambition between now and May, he feels this squad is better-prepared for what lies ahead, starting with the visit of Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town on Saturday.
“We’ve proved to ourselves we can get points off the so-called better clubs,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t think there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind that we can do this. We’re stronger than last time.
“We’d have traded this position in the first couple of months of the season when we didn’t pick up results for a while.
“There’s more experience in this team – probably only Jedi (Antonee Robinson) at left-back who hasn’t done this before – so we’ll keep going, keep plugging away.
“Anything above the relegation zone we’d take and then go again next year.”
One of the keys to survival, in Wheater’s estimation, is keeping hold of team-mate Gary Madine.
Wanderers have effectively put a ‘not for sale’ sign on their nine-goal striker, who has been attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs.
Wheater reckons Madine can block out the speculation and continue his fine recent form at the Macron this weekend.
“He’s a big character around the place and our number one striking option at the moment,” he said.
“I don’t think players think about all that stuff and what’s going on behind the scenes when you go out there.
“He is playing well and he won’t let any of this play on his mind. Hopefully he keeps getting that attention because we want him to score goals for us.”
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A veteran of the dismal 2015/16 campaign which saw the Whites take a record low 30 points from 46 games, the big defender sees a different breed of player alongside him in the dressing room in the current survival scrap.
Phil Parkinson’s side have recovered from a poor start to escape the bottom three, currently sitting 21st and a point clear of Burton Albion.
And while Wheater is content to see safety be the sum of Wanderers’ ambition between now and May, he feels this squad is better-prepared for what lies ahead, starting with the visit of Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town on Saturday.
“We’ve proved to ourselves we can get points off the so-called better clubs,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t think there’s any doubt in anyone’s mind that we can do this. We’re stronger than last time.
“We’d have traded this position in the first couple of months of the season when we didn’t pick up results for a while.
“There’s more experience in this team – probably only Jedi (Antonee Robinson) at left-back who hasn’t done this before – so we’ll keep going, keep plugging away.
“Anything above the relegation zone we’d take and then go again next year.”
One of the keys to survival, in Wheater’s estimation, is keeping hold of team-mate Gary Madine.
Wanderers have effectively put a ‘not for sale’ sign on their nine-goal striker, who has been attracting interest from a number of Championship clubs.
Wheater reckons Madine can block out the speculation and continue his fine recent form at the Macron this weekend.
“He’s a big character around the place and our number one striking option at the moment,” he said.
“I don’t think players think about all that stuff and what’s going on behind the scenes when you go out there.
“He is playing well and he won’t let any of this play on his mind. Hopefully he keeps getting that attention because we want him to score goals for us.”
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