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STEVE Parkin says Wanderers must face their away day demons head-on if they are going to survive in the Championship.
The Whites travel to QPR this afternoon with just one win at Sheffield United to show from their 15 league games on the road this season – the worst record in the division.
Defeat at Cardiff City on Tuesday night was Bolton’s ninth of the campaign but after playing nine of the top 10 teams in the league, assistant boss Parkin believes there is nothing to fear from the remaining trips.
“Let’s embrace it,” he told The Bolton News. “Look over the next five or six weeks and there are some cracking fixtures. We have got to face up to the fact quite a few of them are going to be away from home.
“We need to find a way of getting more points and replicating the kind of performance we had at Sheffield United, where we won. And I think we have the players to do that at QPR, it is just about getting those key moments right.
“You need to have the work-rate, the shape of the team, the solidity bob on – and we did that at Bramall Lane. They ran out of ideas against us.
“But we can’t just sit about talking about it, we have to do it again.”
Wanderers captain Darren Pratley has travelled to Loftus Road today after recovering from a fractured leg in just six weeks and a decision will be taken this morning on whether he starts the game.
The midfielder could add some of the physicality missing in Tuesday night’s defeat, after which Parkin was required to issue a rare warning to the dressing room.
“We had to have a good chat with the lads over a few things we were disappointed with, and in all seriousness, we haven’t had to do that for the last few months,” he said.
“We reiterated to the boys that this is the business end of the season. What happens in both boxes is very important.
“Physically, we were second best at Cardiff and that isn’t us. So while I don’t think it’s a major cause for concern, it needed pointing out.
“This is a great week, three cracking games, and the lads know where they have to improve against a QPR team I think is evolving into playing a different way, particularly if Matt Smith is playing. It will be a battle.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16029742.Parkin_calls_on_Wanderers_to__embrace__pressure_of_relegation_fight/
The Whites travel to QPR this afternoon with just one win at Sheffield United to show from their 15 league games on the road this season – the worst record in the division.
Defeat at Cardiff City on Tuesday night was Bolton’s ninth of the campaign but after playing nine of the top 10 teams in the league, assistant boss Parkin believes there is nothing to fear from the remaining trips.
“Let’s embrace it,” he told The Bolton News. “Look over the next five or six weeks and there are some cracking fixtures. We have got to face up to the fact quite a few of them are going to be away from home.
“We need to find a way of getting more points and replicating the kind of performance we had at Sheffield United, where we won. And I think we have the players to do that at QPR, it is just about getting those key moments right.
“You need to have the work-rate, the shape of the team, the solidity bob on – and we did that at Bramall Lane. They ran out of ideas against us.
“But we can’t just sit about talking about it, we have to do it again.”
Wanderers captain Darren Pratley has travelled to Loftus Road today after recovering from a fractured leg in just six weeks and a decision will be taken this morning on whether he starts the game.
The midfielder could add some of the physicality missing in Tuesday night’s defeat, after which Parkin was required to issue a rare warning to the dressing room.
“We had to have a good chat with the lads over a few things we were disappointed with, and in all seriousness, we haven’t had to do that for the last few months,” he said.
“We reiterated to the boys that this is the business end of the season. What happens in both boxes is very important.
“Physically, we were second best at Cardiff and that isn’t us. So while I don’t think it’s a major cause for concern, it needed pointing out.
“This is a great week, three cracking games, and the lads know where they have to improve against a QPR team I think is evolving into playing a different way, particularly if Matt Smith is playing. It will be a battle.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/16029742.Parkin_calls_on_Wanderers_to__embrace__pressure_of_relegation_fight/