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Phil Parkinson is backing his players to deliver when it really matters.
The Bolton boss feels his players have the right mentality to cope with pressure which has steadily built around tonight’s survival scrap against Reading.
Already well-tuned to the realities of life in a relegation battle, Parkinson feels his team have an advantage over the Royals more expensively-assembled squad.
“We have got to make it like a cup tie,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t think we’re too far away if you look at the West Brom and Bristol games, the way we have been playing, but we have got to step up to the plate. We have to pick a team with character to handle the situation.
“Reading have been one of the bigger spenders when you look at the players they brought in and the wage bill down there. They have invested a lot and a couple of years they were in the play-off final – they might be looking around now and wondering how they ended up in the bottom three.
“Our job is to make sure they are still in there on Tuesday night.”
Although he played down the link, Parkinson was one of the names considered by Reading when they looked for a new manager to succeed Paul Clement in November.
The man who got the job was Portuguese coach Jose Gomes, who has been able to add several new players in the transfer window – and Nélson Oliveira, Emiliano Martínez and Matt Miazgaare are in line to make their debuts against the Whites.
“They have got some good technical players and have added four or five,” Parkinson said. “Some have already made their debut but it will be interesting how many are used. We pretty much know the system they will play but we’ll be ready for it.
“After the weekend it’s a huge game and we can’t hide away from it.
“We played Rotherham in a game of similar magnitude and came up trumps. Now we need to do it again.”
Wanderers have struggled for goals this season but Parkinson has seen some improvement in their approach play which gives his reason for optimism.
The likes of Craig Noone and Pawel Olkowski have improved the number of crosses reaching the penalty area and the Bolton boss hopes that will soon translate into points.
“Since the Rotherham game our delivery in the box has been better. We are looking more threatening in the wider areas and getting more balls into the danger zone,” he said.
“We put some terrific crosses in against West Brom and the other night, so we came out of those two games having as many opportunities as the opposition.”
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The Bolton boss feels his players have the right mentality to cope with pressure which has steadily built around tonight’s survival scrap against Reading.
Already well-tuned to the realities of life in a relegation battle, Parkinson feels his team have an advantage over the Royals more expensively-assembled squad.
“We have got to make it like a cup tie,” he told The Bolton News. “I don’t think we’re too far away if you look at the West Brom and Bristol games, the way we have been playing, but we have got to step up to the plate. We have to pick a team with character to handle the situation.
“Reading have been one of the bigger spenders when you look at the players they brought in and the wage bill down there. They have invested a lot and a couple of years they were in the play-off final – they might be looking around now and wondering how they ended up in the bottom three.
“Our job is to make sure they are still in there on Tuesday night.”
Although he played down the link, Parkinson was one of the names considered by Reading when they looked for a new manager to succeed Paul Clement in November.
The man who got the job was Portuguese coach Jose Gomes, who has been able to add several new players in the transfer window – and Nélson Oliveira, Emiliano Martínez and Matt Miazgaare are in line to make their debuts against the Whites.
“They have got some good technical players and have added four or five,” Parkinson said. “Some have already made their debut but it will be interesting how many are used. We pretty much know the system they will play but we’ll be ready for it.
“After the weekend it’s a huge game and we can’t hide away from it.
“We played Rotherham in a game of similar magnitude and came up trumps. Now we need to do it again.”
Wanderers have struggled for goals this season but Parkinson has seen some improvement in their approach play which gives his reason for optimism.
The likes of Craig Noone and Pawel Olkowski have improved the number of crosses reaching the penalty area and the Bolton boss hopes that will soon translate into points.
“Since the Rotherham game our delivery in the box has been better. We are looking more threatening in the wider areas and getting more balls into the danger zone,” he said.
“We put some terrific crosses in against West Brom and the other night, so we came out of those two games having as many opportunities as the opposition.”
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