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Ian Evatt admits his Wanderers side has developed a serious winter freeze problem.
For the second successive year, Bolton have seen performances dip at this time of year when the quality of pitch deteriorates and the wintry weather sets in.
Tuesday’s disappointing wet and wild defeat at Fleetwood had echoes of another waterlogged night in Plymouth a few weeks earlier.
And with more rain and wind on the way at Accrington on Saturday, the Whites boss says his players have a point to prove to those who are labelling his side a “soft touch”.
“Poor performances seem to have cropped up in the same conditions, so we have to look at that,” he told The Bolton News. “Even going back to last year, the first half against Carlisle, we got away with it at Mansfield after going two down there, so it is definitely something we need to address.
“It is challenging to play the way we want in windy conditions, or with a pitch that isn’t so good, but we have to adapt and overcome. We haven’t done that well enough, I agree.
“Conditions aren’t going to get any better, so how do we progress and improve and get stronger in that type of place?”
Wanderers have lost on their only two visits to Accrington and will be without suspended skipper Ricardo Santos but Evatt believes his players will rally against the criticism they received post-Fleetwood to show they are no pushovers.
“Sharon told me the last time we want there we lost 7-1, so there is a score to settle,” he said.
“We need to make sure we are a lot better than that. But I think we will get a reaction from the players because they were distraught on Tuesday night, we all were.
“We have faced heavy criticism, me more than most, but we are man enough to take it.
“Some of it is deserved, some of it is not so. We have to keep our composure, keep our calm, and make sure we prove some of those doubters wrong again.
“Rico will be a huge miss no matter who we play against but against Accrington someone of his size will be severely missed because they are a big, physical side.
“We have to find a different way of dealing with that threat. For us, it is about attitude and application and then hopefully some of our more technical stuff will take over but you have to roll your sleeves up first.”
Having built last season’s promotion run on defensive resolve and tight victories, Wanderers have found clean sheets harder to come by in League One.
“We have tactically changed a little bit to try and create and score more – and sometimes that has worked, sometimes it hasn’t – but I think our xG and chances we have created has been strong. In the whole division I think chance creation from open play is second to Rotherham but it is the sturdiness we haven’t had,” Evatt said.
“Last season we played with the double pivot in midfield, this season we have played with the one and two eights. That has worked on occasions, sometimes it hasn’t.
“With the personnel available we haven’t really had a chance to go back, but we might in the future.
“We all need the appetite to defend, especially in poor conditions. Tuesday was a frustrating one because sometimes it is mind over matter, it is not about technique or formation, it is just about digging in and wanting it more.
“From someone who was a big ogre of a centre half, who used to tackle, fight and kick people it hurts me more than anything to be labelled a soft touch because I don’t think we are.”
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