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The end of the season is drawing nearer but Wanderers will certainly not be putting their flip flops on, according to Ian Evatt.
The Whites are 11 points off the top six with eight games still to play and Evatt is keen to keep the pressure on the sides above them.
Evatt reckons his side are capable of winning all eight of their remaining fixtures and insists that is what they are targeting.
“Well we’re certainly not going to put our flip flops on and go on holiday. We’ve still got things to play for,” said the Bolton boss.
“We look like we’re out of it at the moment but this team is capable of winning eight straight games, there is no doubt about that and that has to be our target.
“Now whether that’s achievable or not I don’t know, but we’re going to be doing our best to try and do that.
“If we can, it gives us maybe an opportunity but it’s going to take a monumental effort, there’s no doubt about that.”
Evatt admits he is desperate for success and refuses to rule out Wanderers’ chances of making a late promotion push.
But he insists the club is still in a healthy position going into next season should they fail to make the top six.
He added: “We’re professional people in a professional industry, so we have to remain professional at all times and that means giving our 100 per cent for this football club every single day, not just matchdays.
“That’s the bare minimum and we’ll do that to the best of our abilities. Our target is to win eight straight games but there’s accountability.
“We have high standards and if you don’t get up to those standards, you get told. That’s the kind of environment we’ve created.
“It’s a good environment, we’re happy with it. There’s still improvement to come but there’s been some good signs. We’re not where we want to be, of course we’re not, but we’ve still achieved a lot this season for a newly promoted team.
“What we’ve done is given ourselves better and more stable foundations to build for the future. That’s what we wanted to do and achieve.
“I’m the worst one for wanting success right now. I’m used to success and you go back through my playing record and my managerial record, I’ve had a lot of promotions, a lot of success.
“So this season we want to achieve that and we still feel we can, but it’s going to take a huge effort and this team and this squad is capable of doing it.”
It’s been a difficult week for Gethin Jones following the funeral of his mother, Karen Jones, who passed away after a battle with Motor Neurone Disease.
But Evatt is proud of how the squad has come together to support Jones and his family in an awful situation.
“I think this week I’ve seen what I wanted to see from the players on a non-football setting,” said the Bolton chief.
“What I’ve seen is a huge amount of togetherness, a huge amount of team spirit and that’s what makes me extremely proud. We can talk about football and details and training grounds as much as we want.
“But fundamentally we’re a team, we’re a club and what’s made me most proud this week in particular is the support we’ve given to one of our own and the togetherness we’ve all shown.
“Some things are bigger than football and this week it kind of feels like one of those weeks.”
Next up for Wanderers is tomorrow’s trip to Crewe, who currently find themselves at the foot of the League One table.
Evatt is hopeful his side’s quality will make the difference at the Mornflake Stadium but admits it won’t be easy.
“I think we’re going to see a team that are fighting for their lives. It’s got ever so tight at the bottom of this division,” he added.
“Thankfully we’re not involved in that fight because at one stage it could have gone that way.
“But I expect to see a team that are going to give it absolutely everything to try and stay in this division, so we have to match that effort and desire and then hopefully our quality will take over.”
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