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Wanderers feel they can cope with whatever is thrown at them this weekend when they look to continue a magnificent run at promotion rivals Wycombe.
Having hit five goals in their previous two games, Ian Evatt has warned his players they will have to roll up their sleeves on Saturday against another side in ominous form.
League One’s most aerially dominant team, Wycombe have won their last four consecutive league games to move on to the fringe of the top six.
Gareth Ainsworth’s awkward side have managed to steamroll the likes of Derby, Oxford and Peterborough in recent weeks as they look to return to the play-offs for the second year running.
“It has been part of our progression that we know how deal better with that type of team and those types of games,” Evatt told The Bolton News.
“We are an athletic team ourselves – and we know it will be a tough game Saturday, Wycombe are in really good form as well.
“I keep talking about processes, but so long as we concentrate on sticking to what makes us a good team and perform well, then I think we will be a handful for a lot of teams.”
Wanderers have conceded just one goal in their last five games, home or away, and Evatt feels his squad has discovered an extra level of aggression since the turn of the year.
“I think that is when we are at our best – playing with energy and intensity, with and without the ball. They are a pleasure to watch,” he said.
“When we don’t press like we mean it, or run like we mean it, it just doesn’t work. That applies to runs in possession to make space for someone else, making a run to get the ball yourself, who is pressing the ball and when, we have to be flat-out.
“When we can do all that we are a difficult side to manage. We have got some really good athletes in there who can cause teams problems.”
The last time a Bolton side scored five in back-to-back games was 1995, in 5-1 home victories against Charlton and Wolves. As spectacular as the last two results were, Evatt knows his team will also need to grind out ‘uglier’ points if they are to keep themselves in the promotion mix.
“Whatever way it is, we need find a way to tackle it,” he said.
“Set plays can be a difference maker, as can taking your chances in the way we have over the past couple of games. Five goals back to back, people might be surprised by that, but we have seen all season that we have created a similar number of chances, we just haven’t taken them in the past. Now the floodgates have opened a little bit.
“It won’t always be like that. The 1-0 graft and grind against Cheltenham counts for the same number of points as this last two games. It is only three points.
“We will have to win in different ways for the remainder of the season and I am happy with that. I love what I have seen the last couple of games but I also enjoyed the nitty gritty against Cheltenham as well.
“We have become a team and a squad that are addicted to winning. The players are really hungry and as long as that stays the same and we don’t get too ahead of ourselves then I think we still have more to come.”
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