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Keith Hill has applauded the attitude of the players in his dressing room at Wanderers – but concedes the group are “not good enough” to achieve consistent results.
Saturday’s draw against Accrington broke a run of five successive defeats for Bolton, who remain a massive 21 points from safety with 12 games remaining.
The club is gearing up to be playing in the league’s bottom tier for only the second time in its history, and the first for 32 years.
Hill is happy with the levels of professionalism he is getting from the squad but admits the season run-in will most likely be a difficult process.
Reflecting on the job, the Wanderers boss believes quality and not effort will ultimately be the team’s downfall.
“I have been involved in football since the age of 16 and I’m 50, and it’s hard, really hard,” he said.
“I can’t explain it and one day I will be able to, when the dust settles in the summer and I come out of it. I will be able to assess and evaluate.
“But while you are in it you are not exactly every day crisis managing but you are, to a certain degree, managing in a crisis.
“It isn’t going to get any easier in the remaining 12 games but I have got a dressing room full of fighters. Sometimes we are not good enough but I don’t think you should criticise people for not being good enough.
“People keep saying look at the team-sheet, name-wise, but it’s about performances and fitness.
“I haven’t had one player who has said ‘I don’t want to play, I’m injured’. They have been desperate to play and get out there, and there is a bravery to that. But I think when the dust settles and 12 games have passed then there will be a real opportunity to reflect.”
Wanderers have sampled victory just once in their last 13 games but Hill believes recent performances – most notably that against Accrington – showed an improvement.
“I was happy with the attacking intent (against Accrington),” he said. “We need the defensive responsibility in midfield and we need the attacking responsibility – and I think we got the balance right there.
“We didn’t get the finishing touch but we created opportunities, had corner kicks, and some good entries into the final third, so I was relatively pleased with how we started and finished the first half.
“Second half was always going to be difficult because I could see them making changes but the players stood up to the task.”
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Saturday’s draw against Accrington broke a run of five successive defeats for Bolton, who remain a massive 21 points from safety with 12 games remaining.
The club is gearing up to be playing in the league’s bottom tier for only the second time in its history, and the first for 32 years.
Hill is happy with the levels of professionalism he is getting from the squad but admits the season run-in will most likely be a difficult process.
Reflecting on the job, the Wanderers boss believes quality and not effort will ultimately be the team’s downfall.
“I have been involved in football since the age of 16 and I’m 50, and it’s hard, really hard,” he said.
“I can’t explain it and one day I will be able to, when the dust settles in the summer and I come out of it. I will be able to assess and evaluate.
“But while you are in it you are not exactly every day crisis managing but you are, to a certain degree, managing in a crisis.
“It isn’t going to get any easier in the remaining 12 games but I have got a dressing room full of fighters. Sometimes we are not good enough but I don’t think you should criticise people for not being good enough.
“People keep saying look at the team-sheet, name-wise, but it’s about performances and fitness.
“I haven’t had one player who has said ‘I don’t want to play, I’m injured’. They have been desperate to play and get out there, and there is a bravery to that. But I think when the dust settles and 12 games have passed then there will be a real opportunity to reflect.”
Wanderers have sampled victory just once in their last 13 games but Hill believes recent performances – most notably that against Accrington – showed an improvement.
“I was happy with the attacking intent (against Accrington),” he said. “We need the defensive responsibility in midfield and we need the attacking responsibility – and I think we got the balance right there.
“We didn’t get the finishing touch but we created opportunities, had corner kicks, and some good entries into the final third, so I was relatively pleased with how we started and finished the first half.
“Second half was always going to be difficult because I could see them making changes but the players stood up to the task.”
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