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Andy Lonergan is not sweating over Adam Bogdan’s impending return from injury.
The Wanderers keeper, who has been in imperious form since taking on the gloves seven games ago, knows he will soon be challenged for a place in Dougie Freedman’s side by the returning Hungarian.
But Lonergan has his sights fixed firmly on maintaining an impressive record in goal in this weekend’s derby at Wigan, which has seen him concede just four goals during his run in the team.
Speaking to The Bolton News, the 30-year-old stopper was relaxed about potential rivalry for the number one spot.
“What will be, will be,” he said. “He (Bogdan) is a great mate of mine and we support each other so all that won’t change, no matter what happens.
“Of course I want to stay in the team but if not, then I’ll have to address that if it happens.
“I’m happy with how it is going but I’ve always known what I can do, given the opportunity.
“It’s been great and the lads in front of me have been excellent. It was the same for me last season – I think I conceded three (goals) in five (games).
“I’d like to think I’m bringing a bit of experience to the team and hopefully that is showing.”
Wanderers go into Sunday’s game in a better frame of mind after victory over Doncaster followed successive defeats.
Lonergan believes the response to those results should stand the side in good stead as they look to achieve some consistency over the festive period.
“When you are playing so many games in a week, you take six or seven points and all of a sudden you are going up, but you lose a couple and it’s all doom and gloom,” he added.
“We got three points out of nine and suddenly it was a crisis.
“I personally think we should have won all three games but we didn’t, we have to deal with that now and it helped that we got that win at weekend to set us up for Wigan now.
“I’m looking at QPR, Leicester and maybe Reading putting in a push, and I know Burnley have been up there, but there hasn’t been anyone really getting that consistency.”
By his own admission, Lonergan has been protected well by a team now looking much more defensively organised than they were earlier in the season - but the two goals that have snuck past him in the last three games still nag at the back of his mind.
“The goal against Huddersfield, to be honest, was ridiculous,” he said. “The guy got the ball and looked at me, and I could see in his eyes that it was going right in the top corner. I knew as soon as it set off.
“The penalty against Middlesbrough I was disappointed with because I didn’t think there was any way they were going to score.
“I took that worse than the Huddersfield goal.”
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The Wanderers keeper, who has been in imperious form since taking on the gloves seven games ago, knows he will soon be challenged for a place in Dougie Freedman’s side by the returning Hungarian.
But Lonergan has his sights fixed firmly on maintaining an impressive record in goal in this weekend’s derby at Wigan, which has seen him concede just four goals during his run in the team.
Speaking to The Bolton News, the 30-year-old stopper was relaxed about potential rivalry for the number one spot.
“What will be, will be,” he said. “He (Bogdan) is a great mate of mine and we support each other so all that won’t change, no matter what happens.
“Of course I want to stay in the team but if not, then I’ll have to address that if it happens.
“I’m happy with how it is going but I’ve always known what I can do, given the opportunity.
“It’s been great and the lads in front of me have been excellent. It was the same for me last season – I think I conceded three (goals) in five (games).
“I’d like to think I’m bringing a bit of experience to the team and hopefully that is showing.”
Wanderers go into Sunday’s game in a better frame of mind after victory over Doncaster followed successive defeats.
Lonergan believes the response to those results should stand the side in good stead as they look to achieve some consistency over the festive period.
“When you are playing so many games in a week, you take six or seven points and all of a sudden you are going up, but you lose a couple and it’s all doom and gloom,” he added.
“We got three points out of nine and suddenly it was a crisis.
“I personally think we should have won all three games but we didn’t, we have to deal with that now and it helped that we got that win at weekend to set us up for Wigan now.
“I’m looking at QPR, Leicester and maybe Reading putting in a push, and I know Burnley have been up there, but there hasn’t been anyone really getting that consistency.”
By his own admission, Lonergan has been protected well by a team now looking much more defensively organised than they were earlier in the season - but the two goals that have snuck past him in the last three games still nag at the back of his mind.
“The goal against Huddersfield, to be honest, was ridiculous,” he said. “The guy got the ball and looked at me, and I could see in his eyes that it was going right in the top corner. I knew as soon as it set off.
“The penalty against Middlesbrough I was disappointed with because I didn’t think there was any way they were going to score.
“I took that worse than the Huddersfield goal.”
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