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Ian Evatt is gearing up for “a big month” at Wanderers, starting with Saturday’s clash with Charlton Athletic at the UniBol.
The Whites are currently 10th in the League One table, having taken eight points from their opening six matches despite a tricky start on paper.
And Evatt is keen to build on Tuesday night’s 4-1 win against Crewe Alexandra in the Papa John’s Trophy.
But the Bolton boss knows it will not be easy against Charlton, who have had a promising start under new boss Ben Garner.
The Addicks are currently in eighth place and have already racked up wins against Plymouth Argyle and Derby County.
“We have done a lot of good things so far this season,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “We have done some bad things as well, but they have been isolated incidents more than performances really.
“[We need to] just strip those back and get those out, and make sure we continue to keep improving with our performances.
“I don’t think we have got anywhere near where we can yet, and that is a scary thought with some of the things we have done – Wycombe at home for instance.
“The Salford and Crewe games, we have really turned it on at times. I thought at Plymouth we were excellent apart from both boxes.
“I still think there is loads more to come from this group of players. Hopefully, we will continue to improve and see that.”
Wanderers did the double against Charlton last season, including a memorable 4-1 victory at the Valley.
But Evatt expects a slightly different type of game against the Addicks this time around, who have “a lot of threats”.
He added: “They try and dominate possession and they build from the back. They back each other and trust each other on the ball.
“I think they have got a lot of threats, especially in the wide areas and with the pace. It is going to be a tough game.
“A tactical game, but a tough game for both teams and hopefully we will be on the better side of those moments we have been speaking about.”
The fixture list isn’t about to get any easier, with matches against MK Dons, Peterborough United and Portsmouth also on the horizon.
“[Deadline Day] can be a bit of a side show and we are trying to prevent it from happening that way,” said Evatt.
“It is an important game for us. We have got a big month coming up, some difficult games. [It has been] a really tough start.
“I said all along that I think after the start we have had by the end of September, if we are anywhere in the top 10 we are well poised for a big push. That remains the case.”
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