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Ian Evatt wants Wanderers fans to make the difference in Saturday’s heavyweight clash against Sheffield Wednesday.
More than 5,000 travelling supporters have already snapped up tickets for the away end – and Bolton have confirmed sales have already topped 20,000 overall, ensuring it will be one of the top 10 attendances the club has ever had at this level of football.
There are even whispers that the UniBol could welcome its biggest league crowd since the Whites dropped out of the Premier League - currently 24,844 on the final day of the 2012/13 season against Evatt’s old club Blackpool.
The Wanderers boss has called on home fans to try and give his side an edge as they look to maintain an unbeaten start to the campaign.
“It’ll be tough, they have recruited well and they have players with experience of being successful in this division. They are a strong and powerful team, really powerful, and they have quality in there as well like little Baz (Barry Bannan) who I played with at Blackpool.
“They will have a big away following but I hope we can get as many fans in here as possible to out-sing them. We talk about those marginal gains, having that noise will help us.”
Wednesday are one of the favourites for promotion to the Championship and suffered their first defeat of the season on Tuesday night when they were beaten 2-0 at Peterborough United.
Evatt is wary of the reaction, and the fact his side will have to withstand another physical test.
“They will be smarting after Tuesday but no doubt Darren (Moore) will get a reaction out of them,” he said.
“I think they have recruited really well. They have signed some big, powerful, strong boys who had success in this division last season – Michael Smith, Michael Ihiekwe.
“They added players in the middle of the pitch – Will Vaulks, Tyreeq Bakinson. Big, strong, powerful players.
“Darren is a great guy and one of the good guys in football, I think a lot of him. It is going to be a really tough game but we have to be the best version of ourselves and play to our standard and our level. If we do that, we give ourselves a chance.”
Wednesday old boy Kieran Lee will be hoping to keep his place in the middle of midfield having impressed in the midweek victory against Morecambe.
Although cast aside by the Owls a couple of years ago, the 34-year-old is still returning the sort of numbers which make him an important part of the side, says Evatt.
“Kieran never stops,” he said. “His fitness data is off the charts. He is a quiet, quiet lad but when he speaks people listen and he’s really funny with it.
“Technically he is a very good player. He knows what is required and he is a great example to learn from.”
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