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Darren Pratley is sick to death of playing catch up at Wanderers – but the midfielder is quite prepared to dig in his heels once again if it means escaping the bottom three.
For the third successive season the Whites find themselves looking up on the promotion battle, only this time the league table tells us the situation is more serious than it has been before.
Even compared to last season’s record-breaking poor start, Wanderers find themselves a point behind schedule at the end of October, having played two games more.
Friday’s defeat at Norwich grounded a few individuals who were perhaps getting carried away with the improvements made since Neil Lennon succeeded Dougie Freedman three weeks ago – but Pratley is one of those characters whose feet remain exclusively of terra firma.
“I do find myself thinking ‘what if we got a good start, would it mean we’d be challenging at the end?’ he told The Bolton News. “But it doesn’t do you any good.
“You’ve got to look at where you are, and right now we’re in the bottom three. There’s no point setting any other target at the moment because until we’re out of it, we’re in a relegation battle.”
It is hard not to root for the Londoner, who has had to work harder than most to find his place at Wanderers.
Often the scapegoat for fans, occasionally managers in the past, but almost always the one turned to when a shift is needed.
Pratley has rarely been able to call himself a first-team regular in two-and-a-half years with Bolton but, once again, Lennon has been quick to identify his graft, installing him on the left side of midfield for the majority of his first four games in charge.
“I’m just doing a job for the team – but being out on the pitch is the main thing,” he said.
“If I’m on the pitch I’ll play anywhere, it doesn’t really worry me.
“If you’re not getting the chance, or you’re playing one game and waiting five games to play the next it’s no good for any player. It doesn’t do you any favours for your confidence.
“All I can do is keep my head down and if I’m asked to play wide left, I’ll do it.”
Although his chances became limited under Freedman, Pratley does not want his comments to be interpreted as a sly dig at the previous regime.
“I think we’re playing with more confidence, more freedom under the new gaffer,” he said. “But I don’t like to blame former managers when someone else comes in.
“We’ve had a lift just like Owen Coyle and Dougie Freedman before him – but they tried their best and for whatever reason it didn’t work out.
“This manager has come in with a lot of experience of winning and someone you don’t want to get on the wrong side of.
“We’re playing better football for longer – I hope that’s enough to get us out of this position.”
If this is a time for players to roll up their sleeves and fight, it’s a safe bet that Pratley will be at the front of the queue – and the former Swansea City man admits the team might have to learn to cope with disappointments like defeat at Norwich.
“Football is ups and downs, it’s not always going to be perfect,” he said. “No-one plays the perfect game, even the great players.
“We’ll have to take some of the bad moments and deal with them. We get a chance to put things right against Cardiff.”
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For the third successive season the Whites find themselves looking up on the promotion battle, only this time the league table tells us the situation is more serious than it has been before.
Even compared to last season’s record-breaking poor start, Wanderers find themselves a point behind schedule at the end of October, having played two games more.
Friday’s defeat at Norwich grounded a few individuals who were perhaps getting carried away with the improvements made since Neil Lennon succeeded Dougie Freedman three weeks ago – but Pratley is one of those characters whose feet remain exclusively of terra firma.
“I do find myself thinking ‘what if we got a good start, would it mean we’d be challenging at the end?’ he told The Bolton News. “But it doesn’t do you any good.
“You’ve got to look at where you are, and right now we’re in the bottom three. There’s no point setting any other target at the moment because until we’re out of it, we’re in a relegation battle.”
It is hard not to root for the Londoner, who has had to work harder than most to find his place at Wanderers.
Often the scapegoat for fans, occasionally managers in the past, but almost always the one turned to when a shift is needed.
Pratley has rarely been able to call himself a first-team regular in two-and-a-half years with Bolton but, once again, Lennon has been quick to identify his graft, installing him on the left side of midfield for the majority of his first four games in charge.
“I’m just doing a job for the team – but being out on the pitch is the main thing,” he said.
“If I’m on the pitch I’ll play anywhere, it doesn’t really worry me.
“If you’re not getting the chance, or you’re playing one game and waiting five games to play the next it’s no good for any player. It doesn’t do you any favours for your confidence.
“All I can do is keep my head down and if I’m asked to play wide left, I’ll do it.”
Although his chances became limited under Freedman, Pratley does not want his comments to be interpreted as a sly dig at the previous regime.
“I think we’re playing with more confidence, more freedom under the new gaffer,” he said. “But I don’t like to blame former managers when someone else comes in.
“We’ve had a lift just like Owen Coyle and Dougie Freedman before him – but they tried their best and for whatever reason it didn’t work out.
“This manager has come in with a lot of experience of winning and someone you don’t want to get on the wrong side of.
“We’re playing better football for longer – I hope that’s enough to get us out of this position.”
If this is a time for players to roll up their sleeves and fight, it’s a safe bet that Pratley will be at the front of the queue – and the former Swansea City man admits the team might have to learn to cope with disappointments like defeat at Norwich.
“Football is ups and downs, it’s not always going to be perfect,” he said. “No-one plays the perfect game, even the great players.
“We’ll have to take some of the bad moments and deal with them. We get a chance to put things right against Cardiff.”
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