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Ian Evatt reckons there is “no need to be fearful” about life in League One.
The Wanderers boss remains cautious about a handful of his squad who have missed considerable chunks of pre-season through Covid absences and minor injuries.
But after rounding-up an unbeaten friendly schedule with a 2-2 draw against Blackburn Rovers at the Unibol, he remains optimistic that those who are lagging behind can catch up quickly.
“I still think the pleasing thing for me is that we have got room for improvement,” he said. “I think we are a slow burner.
“We haven’t pulled up any trees in pre-season but what we have done is gradually improved and gradually increased week on week with our fitness levels and our quality of play.”
Wanderers kick off their League One campaign at home against MK Dons this weekend, and Evatt feels the fans’ support could give some of his players an extra boost.
The team’s best pre-season performances have been reserved for Championship opposition this summer but with the likes of Ricardo Santos, Kieran Lee and Matt Gilks back in training today, the Bolton boss is upbeat about this weekend’s curtain raiser.
“I think a few of the players are running on empty now,” he said after the Blackburn game. “Lloyd Isgrove and George Johnston were cramping up at half-time but they’re trained one day and been off two weeks more or less. But I know that people are going to improve from that – and that the performance is a great point to start from.
“The two Championship teams we have played - we deserved to beat Preston, and we have played really well for an hour at least today and probably should have won the game. I am pleased with where we are at and we’re only going to improve from here.
“There is still loads more to come but if we are competing against the teams I have just mentioned and getting good results and good performances, then there is no reason to be fearful come the start of the season.”
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