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Jason Lowe hasn’t stepped foot out of the trenches since walking through the door at Bolton.
The club captain, who signed in a summer of disquiet under Phil Parkinson in the Championship and remained in situ through the most disruptive 12 months in Wanderers’ history, has rarely had opportunity to take off his tin hat and enjoy the view.
Lowe’s second season has been difficult for entirely different reasons – playing catch-up on a 12-point penalty imposed by the EFL, he was one of only a small handful of senior players who started the season at Wycombe.
Since that sunny day at Adams Park a total of 40 team-mates have played alongside him this season. No other club in the EFL with the exception of League Two Stevenage have used more.
The upheaval has done little to help Bolton. In the midst of what is now officially the worst start to a calendar year in the club’s long history a run of six successive defeats have seen a sudden and pronounced sea change in the opinion of many supporters, sections of whom are now proposing a change of manager is the only way forward.
Lowe has himself run the gauntlet of criticism at times in his career with Wanderers but the midfielder believes Keith Hill should not be held entirely culpable for the recent run of poor form.
“At every football club – he’s the boss and that’s the job. You are the number one,” he told The Bolton News. “But it’s not one man’s responsibility to get results. Out there against Blackpool you are looking at a winning goal that should have been defended better. He couldn’t do anything about that.
“There’s criticism going to be thrown at the gaffer, at us, and we have to embrace it. You have to accept there is frustration among supporters but I think we’re as frustrated as anyone.
“I think when you are on a run like we are on now, everyone gets criticism.
“There’s no singling out within the dressing room. We are together.
“As players and staff we have to try and change things. There’s no use complaining about it.
“The difference is that only we can turn it around. We have to be big and strong enough, play with courage in the next game, if we are going to do that.”
Coming into view, Accrington Stanley, the team who trounced Wanderers 7-1 back in November at a time when escaping relegation still seemed entirely possible.
While a touch of local flavour may help liven up the atmosphere at the UniBol tomorrow, Lowe knows only a positive result will help ease the pressure which appears to be building at a rapid rate around his manager.
“It’s another Lancashire derby for us and a big game,” he said. “I am sure there will be a good atmosphere.
“From a league perspective, I think we do have a bit of a score to settle from last time.
“We will be up for it, as ready and prepared as we can be to put in a better performance.
“It’s very difficult when you are on a run like we’re on and there’s a points deficit – you are fighting every day to try and focus on there being some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.
“At the moment we can only really focus on what we can control, what’s here, and that’s the next training session and preparing for Accrington Stanley. The rest will take care of itself in the end.”
Lowe is also trying to ignore his own contractual future for the time being.
One of many senior players who will become free agents in the summer, he would not be drawn on the possibility of extending his stay to a third campaign – almost certainly in League Two.
“I can’t really worry about that right now – it’s for other people to control,” he said.
“As a player you are in the dressing room and you’re working with the gaffer and the staff trying to come up with a plan to win games. That is my job.
“If I am distracted by what is happening elsewhere or worrying about the aftermath then I don’t think I am doing my job to the best of my ability.”
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The club captain, who signed in a summer of disquiet under Phil Parkinson in the Championship and remained in situ through the most disruptive 12 months in Wanderers’ history, has rarely had opportunity to take off his tin hat and enjoy the view.
Lowe’s second season has been difficult for entirely different reasons – playing catch-up on a 12-point penalty imposed by the EFL, he was one of only a small handful of senior players who started the season at Wycombe.
Since that sunny day at Adams Park a total of 40 team-mates have played alongside him this season. No other club in the EFL with the exception of League Two Stevenage have used more.
The upheaval has done little to help Bolton. In the midst of what is now officially the worst start to a calendar year in the club’s long history a run of six successive defeats have seen a sudden and pronounced sea change in the opinion of many supporters, sections of whom are now proposing a change of manager is the only way forward.
Lowe has himself run the gauntlet of criticism at times in his career with Wanderers but the midfielder believes Keith Hill should not be held entirely culpable for the recent run of poor form.
“At every football club – he’s the boss and that’s the job. You are the number one,” he told The Bolton News. “But it’s not one man’s responsibility to get results. Out there against Blackpool you are looking at a winning goal that should have been defended better. He couldn’t do anything about that.
“There’s criticism going to be thrown at the gaffer, at us, and we have to embrace it. You have to accept there is frustration among supporters but I think we’re as frustrated as anyone.
“I think when you are on a run like we are on now, everyone gets criticism.
“There’s no singling out within the dressing room. We are together.
“As players and staff we have to try and change things. There’s no use complaining about it.
“The difference is that only we can turn it around. We have to be big and strong enough, play with courage in the next game, if we are going to do that.”
Coming into view, Accrington Stanley, the team who trounced Wanderers 7-1 back in November at a time when escaping relegation still seemed entirely possible.
While a touch of local flavour may help liven up the atmosphere at the UniBol tomorrow, Lowe knows only a positive result will help ease the pressure which appears to be building at a rapid rate around his manager.
“It’s another Lancashire derby for us and a big game,” he said. “I am sure there will be a good atmosphere.
“From a league perspective, I think we do have a bit of a score to settle from last time.
“We will be up for it, as ready and prepared as we can be to put in a better performance.
“It’s very difficult when you are on a run like we’re on and there’s a points deficit – you are fighting every day to try and focus on there being some sort of light at the end of the tunnel.
“At the moment we can only really focus on what we can control, what’s here, and that’s the next training session and preparing for Accrington Stanley. The rest will take care of itself in the end.”
Lowe is also trying to ignore his own contractual future for the time being.
One of many senior players who will become free agents in the summer, he would not be drawn on the possibility of extending his stay to a third campaign – almost certainly in League Two.
“I can’t really worry about that right now – it’s for other people to control,” he said.
“As a player you are in the dressing room and you’re working with the gaffer and the staff trying to come up with a plan to win games. That is my job.
“If I am distracted by what is happening elsewhere or worrying about the aftermath then I don’t think I am doing my job to the best of my ability.”
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