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Ian Evatt is keen to bounce back from the recent defeats against Cheltenham and Forest Green and return to winning ways against Barnsley.
The Whites suffered back-to-back losses for only the second time this season, slipping out of the top six, although they do have a game in hand on some of the sides above them.
Evatt is well used to coming up against teams managed by Michael Duff and expects the Tykes to be “high intensity”.
But the Bolton chief maintains his belief in the squad and says they need to focus on their own game.
“They are a good team,” he said. “Michael has had a bit of a rebuild and I think they have lost a few players.
“They have also signed a few, and we know Michael’s teams are always high energy, high intensity. They know the style and structure they play with.
“It is about how we execute really and I think we need to concentrate and focus on ourselves and what we are trying to do to the opposition.
“If we can do that, I am always confident in our team. We just need to get back to winning ways really quickly and see what happens then.”
Duff left his position at Cheltenham over the summer to take charge at Barnsley after guiding the Robins to a respectable mid-table finish.
The former Burnley defender led the club to the League Two title in 2021, finishing just three points above the Whites.
Evatt added: “We know really well what Michael’s teams look like, we’ve faced them for the last two years.
“What I’ve seen of Barnsley - we do a lot of prep and due diligence and it’s very similar.
“Probably a little slight tactical tweak from Cheltenham, more 3-4-3 than 3-5-2, but we have a plan, we know what we need to do.”
The Whites created several good opportunities against Forest Green but were unable to get back on level terms.
Evatt is determined to keep confidence high in the Bolton squad and believes it is an important trait given their style of play.
He explained: “We were looking at the data against Forest Green and the amount of final third entries we had, the amount of box entries, shots, clear cut chances, xG [expected goals].
“It was all better than teams who had won three, four and five at Forest Green so there isn’t a lot wrong.
“It is just making sure we take those opportunities when we get them and staying calm, staying positive, staying together.
“I think that is what’s really important here. The way we play takes an immense amount of belief and confidence.
“Sometimes noise can hamper that confidence, and we have to make sure that we keep the players believing and confident because when we do and they are - like at home for instance – we have been excellent.”
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