Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher has called on his side to ‘go one better’ as they prepare to host League One table toppers Birmingham City tomorrow night.
The 40-year-old has managed to turn things around during his short stint at the Toughsheet Community Stadium. Having replaced Ian Evatt at the end of January, the former Stoke City boss has delivered three wins and a draw from his five league games in charge, taking the Trotters back to the fringes of the play-offs.
They churned out a hard-fought 0-0 draw with automatic promotion contenders Wrexham at the weekend in a game which wasn’t easy on the eye. It was a far cry from his previous fixtures, with the three wins prior to that game generating a staggering 15 goals.
Tomorrow’s clash with the Blues will provide Schumacher with his sternest test yet. Chris Davies’ team are undefeated in league action since November and extended their lead at the top with a 1-0 win over second-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Saturday.
Schumacher Hoping To Continue Good Form
Birmingham are a team which keep on grinding out results. They now sit 12 points clear having played a game less than the chasing pack. Despite that, Schumacher is relishing the opportunity to host the best team in the division and build on an ‘ugly’ display at the weekend. Speaking to The Bolton News, he said:
“Look, it is going to be a tough game and they are the best team in the league currently, they are sitting at the top of the league, being strong, it’ll be a big test.
“But what we’ll do is go for it, give it our all, because that’s what we’re about.
“It’ll be a good atmosphere, there’ll be loads of fans in there, and we need to make sure that we get the stadium rocking, because it can’t be an easy game for them.
“It should give them a bit of confidence (the result against Wrexham). We’ll definitely play better than that football-wise, but if we continue to battle like that and scrap and do the ugly side of the game, then that’s OK too.”
Writer’s View
This is a potentialy huge game for Bolton. A victory could see them move into the play-off positions for the first time since October, but they will be the underdogs despite having home advantage. Still, Birmingham have a healthy cushion at the top now and are also looking forward to the EFL Trophy final next month, so could be forgiven for taking the foot off the pefdal somewhat. It will be an intruiging encounter at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
