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Phil Parkinson says he is looking for balance when looking at his available options in the Wanderers squad for this weekend’s derby.
The Bolton boss made no excuses for a below-par performance against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, admitting his players had lacked both energy and quality in a game that appeared there for the taking.
The result had been the mirror opposite of a gritty victory against Millwall a few days earlier, which looked to have breathed some fresh life into the Whites’ survival ambitions.
No ground was lost on the night, as Wigan and Reading both lost. But with the games ticking down and an international break soon upon him, Parkinson knows there is a heavy pressure on him to get the team-sheet right when he hands it to the match officials at the DW Stadium.
“We will have to think long and hard about any changes we can make,” he told The Bolton News. “We need to pick a side that is ready to run themselves into the ground against Wigan. Everyone knows it’s the international break afterwards, so we can’t leave anything out there.
“We need energy but we also need that bit of quality as well. Sometimes when there is that bit of fatigue the concentration levels are not quite there. I think there were some sloppy moments against Sheffield Wednesday which we have to eradicate going into the Wigan game.”
Wanderers will be in the bottom three no matter what during the international break and after wins for Rotherham and Millwall on Wednesday night can only close the gap to four points in the best-case scenario. Defeat could conversely leave them 10 points behind.
The break will give Parkinson and his players a chance to gather their thoughts and patch up some of the minor injuries that have accumulated in the last few weeks.
“It’s going to be a case of planning that fortnight out and making sure we get the right levels of training,” he said. “Some of the lads are carrying bumps and bruises, which you get at this stage of the season, so we will need to get those patched up.
“Some will need rest, some will need injections, and we need to make sure that everyone will be ready to give us that final push.”
Meanwhile, Wanderers took a look at Portuguese youngsters Leandro Tipote and Alonso Rodrigues in the Under-23s’ 2-1 victory against QPR on Wednesday night.
The excellent Eddie Brown handed Bolton the lead just before half time but the Londoners equalised through Adrian Mesias quickly after the restart.
Joe Muscat curled a second for Wanderers on the hour and Harry Brockbank hit the bar late on for David Lee’s side.
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The Bolton boss made no excuses for a below-par performance against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night, admitting his players had lacked both energy and quality in a game that appeared there for the taking.
The result had been the mirror opposite of a gritty victory against Millwall a few days earlier, which looked to have breathed some fresh life into the Whites’ survival ambitions.
No ground was lost on the night, as Wigan and Reading both lost. But with the games ticking down and an international break soon upon him, Parkinson knows there is a heavy pressure on him to get the team-sheet right when he hands it to the match officials at the DW Stadium.
“We will have to think long and hard about any changes we can make,” he told The Bolton News. “We need to pick a side that is ready to run themselves into the ground against Wigan. Everyone knows it’s the international break afterwards, so we can’t leave anything out there.
“We need energy but we also need that bit of quality as well. Sometimes when there is that bit of fatigue the concentration levels are not quite there. I think there were some sloppy moments against Sheffield Wednesday which we have to eradicate going into the Wigan game.”
Wanderers will be in the bottom three no matter what during the international break and after wins for Rotherham and Millwall on Wednesday night can only close the gap to four points in the best-case scenario. Defeat could conversely leave them 10 points behind.
The break will give Parkinson and his players a chance to gather their thoughts and patch up some of the minor injuries that have accumulated in the last few weeks.
“It’s going to be a case of planning that fortnight out and making sure we get the right levels of training,” he said. “Some of the lads are carrying bumps and bruises, which you get at this stage of the season, so we will need to get those patched up.
“Some will need rest, some will need injections, and we need to make sure that everyone will be ready to give us that final push.”
Meanwhile, Wanderers took a look at Portuguese youngsters Leandro Tipote and Alonso Rodrigues in the Under-23s’ 2-1 victory against QPR on Wednesday night.
The excellent Eddie Brown handed Bolton the lead just before half time but the Londoners equalised through Adrian Mesias quickly after the restart.
Joe Muscat curled a second for Wanderers on the hour and Harry Brockbank hit the bar late on for David Lee’s side.
Source