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Winter is coming – and Randell Williams believes it will prove a big test of Wanderers’ promotion credentials.
Ian Evatt’s side resume the League One chase against Northampton Town this weekend before heading on the road to face Wycombe and Charlton Athletic next week.
Defeat against Carlisle United last time out leaves Bolton with some ground to make up on the top two, at a time of years which has proven tricky in the recent past.
Including their two October games this season, Wanderers have won seven of 22 outings in this calendar month since Evatt took charge.
Williams hopes the chance to rest up for a few days last week, alongside the return of a few players from injury and suspension, will provide the team with some fresh impetus.
“That mental reset is sometimes important – it isn’t always that you are physically tired but sometimes there are lads who are away from families who might just need a few days,” he said. “You have to make sure you use the breaks well and then come back stronger and hungrier to get results.
“You look ahead and it is a testing run of games, plenty away from home. This time of year we know they might not be pretty.
“It gets cold, it gets wet, but that is where you have to be mentally prepared. We want to get promotion this season, and whether that is playing nice flowing football or rolling your sleeves up and playing ugly, it is something you have got to decide when you are on the pitch.
“Whatever it requires, we have to deal with it.
“It doesn’t really matter how you win. Of course, we want to do it ‘our way’ playing football but sometimes the game just doesn’t allow it.”
While recent wins against Port Vale and Stevenage hinted at a more resilient streak in Bolton’s make-up this season, the result against Carlisle has clearly shaken confidence amongst the fanbase.
Williams maintains, however, that the core squad which came through from last season’s unsuccessful play-off semi-final is now more experienced, and thus better equipped to deal with a promotion push.
Proving that, he says, will only be possible by improving consistency which has been shown over the course of the opening 11 games.
“We had a lot of signings last season and there were periods where that showed a bit,” he said.
“We added a few more in the summer but I think we’re on the same page. We have a desire in the squad to get to where we want to be.
“That group that came through from last season, I think it has improved, whether people disagree is up to them. That is credit to the manager and his coaching staff, obviously, but it is down to us now to be getting results to make sure there are no doubts.”
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