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Ian Evatt knows full well his 'Wanderers 2.0’ will face their biggest test yet at Oxford on Saturday.
Still confident his side can push higher in the table and threaten those clubs currently in the top six, the Bolton boss accepts this weekend could be a litmus test for his lofty ambitions.
Karl Robinson’s Oxford were beaten at the UniBol earlier this season but have hovered almost exclusively in the play-off places since October.
January signings and the return of some key players from injury has added an air of confidence to the Whites camp but Evatt knows his team will have to get results against the promotion favourites to claw back an 11-point deficit on the top six.
“We want to hunt down the teams above us and we are aware that there is quite a gap to those teams,” he said. “So for this type of game we have to make sure we gain points on the teams ahead of us, and that predominantly means beating them.
“We have got most of them yet to play. Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth at home. We have got our eye on what is to come.
“But for now, we know full well that Oxford is a very, very tough game.
“They have got a good home record and they score loads of goals, so we have to be full tilt and ready to go.”
Wanderers face two away games in succession, with a trip to Burton to follow on Tuesday, and two very different types of opponents.
Oxford are one of the league’s most accomplished in possession, ranking third for overall average possession and fourth for pass accuracy.
Bolton’s own style has been tweaked lately, with the addition of Dion Charles, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Co allowing them to mix up their passing game as the situation dictates, and having found a way to win against Charlton on Tuesday night, Evatt hopes his side can figure things out again this week.
“We have two completely different games, totally different settings,” he said. “For Oxford, Karl’s an excellent manager and his teams are always attacking.
“We know what we are coming up against and we need to make sure we play really well.
“Funnily enough when I watched the game back from Tuesday, we weren’t as bad as I thought we were on the night. We were actually a bit better than that and I thought we were a bit better than them (Charlton).
“I thought vice versa immediately afterwards, but it’s interesting what you see when you watch it back with no emotions, so there are still lots of things we can be better at.
“Oxford is a big game. We are trying to chase those clubs ahead of us down and they will feel if they beat us, they tick us off so it is a big game.”
Asked where his side can improve on their performance against Charlton, Evatt added: “I didn’t feel like we dominated the ball like we can do.
“I thought there was too many transitions. I didn’t feel like our press was as energetic all over the pitch as it has been, and I thought it was a very even game.
“Having watched it back, we dominated the first half, we had very few opportunities, and likewise in the second half really. It was only when we scored, they had a bit of pressure towards the end. But other than that, I thought we managed them quite comfortably.
“Yes, we weren’t our energetic, expansive, attractive selves, but we found a way to win the game when we weren’t quite at our best which is a positive sign as well.”
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