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Saturday’s play-off tie against Barnsley is heading towards a sell-out - and Ricardo Santos insists the fans can make a big difference.
Wanderers have already passed 22,000 ticket sales for the highly anticipated fixture and the South Stand lower tier will be open to home supporters, which was also the case for the recent Family Day game against Cambridge.
Santos is eager to make their home advantage count in the first leg and get off to a quick start against Michael Duff’s side, who are aiming to make an immediate return to the Championship after finishing fourth in the League One table.
“Playing at home, we always want to dominate possession and win games,” he told The Bolton News.
“The fans will help us with that, making the stadium loud. Hopefully, we will hear them on Saturday being loud as usual and we can have a fast start.
“I don’t think some people actually realise how much it helps the boys.
“There have been games where we were 1-0 up and chasing the next goal. We might have comfortable possession but we still need it to be loud to get the next goal, and the fans do that.
“They help us a lot, even when we are behind. It is always good to have them on our side and that is the reward you get for being at a big club. Hopefully, we can give it back to them and win these next two games.”
Last month, Santos lifted the Papa Johns Trophy following a memorable 4-0 win against Plymouth at Wembley.
It was a day to remember for the Bolton skipper, but he wasn’t a fan of the number of steps the squad had to climb after an intense 90 minutes.
“I might need a lift next time,” he laughed. “It just caught me by surprise, I didn’t actually know how high you had to go up. I was tired and I had blood blisters after the game. I would do it again though!”
The stakes are high in the play-offs but Santos believes the squad can take a lot from their success in the cup.
The 27-year-old wants to “embrace” the occasion and hopes they can play with freedom despite what is on the line.
“We have got the experience now of playing in front of 70,000 fans,” he continued. “Playing in front of 30,000, we shouldn’t go in our shells.
“We should just play with confidence, embrace it and enjoy the game. I think when we enjoy it and play our football, we are a hard team to play against. Hopefully, we can do that.”
The towering centre-back returned to action during the 3-2 win against Bristol Rovers last weekend, playing the opening 45 minutes.
It was skipper’s first appearance since Wembley due to a thigh injury, and he is thrilled to be back in the thick of the action.
“Me and the gaffer spoke, he didn’t want me to go into the play-offs without having any minutes to blow off the cobwebs,” Santos recalled.
“It was a weird type of game because we wanted to finish as strong as possible, but I didn’t want to over-do it and get injured again. It was good to get 45 minutes.”
Wanderers have already faced Barnsley three times this season, although Santos missed the 3-0 win at Oakwell due to illness.
“They are a good side, you can’t just think you are going to roll up and win,” he stated. “They are very organised and the next two games won’t be easy.
“But I don’t think any team wants to play us when we are in our best form. If we can play like that, I hope it will be a good day for us.
“We are a dangerous side when we are on our game and we need to be the best version of ourselves. If we can do that, I think we will be okay.”
It has been a demanding season for the Whites, with their cup run adding to an already hectic schedule at times.
But Santos insists the squad is in a good place heading into the play-offs and hopes they can maintain their strong form, having lost just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions during the business end of the campaign.
“We rested a few people for the win at Bristol Rovers,” he added. “Everyone is positive and we have had a good week of training so far. It is looking promising.”
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