Bolton Wanderers five-match winning streak came to an end last weekend at home to Brighton though handily Saturday is the perfect opportunity to get back on track away at struggling Yeovil Town.
However, manager Dougie Freedman is wary that despite being second bottom of the Championship, Yeovil will provide stern opposition especially after they held Bolton to a 1-1 draw at the Reebok in September.
Freedman is especially concerned about the Glovers’ 9,665 seater Huish Park stadium, by someway the smallest in the Championship, as the Scot believes the compactness of the ground will create a pressure cooker atmosphere.
“I’ve been to Huish Park as a player and it’s a small ground where the fans get right behind the team win, lose or draw,” Freedman told his weekly press conference.
“That’s a big ally for them and if we are not on top of our game you can slip up down there.”
Yeovil have had a remarkable journey over the last ten years, going from the conference all the way to English football’s second tier and Freedman puts that down to the Somerset club’s manager Gary Johnson.
“Gary Johnson knows what he is doing, he has been a manager for a long time and knows exactly how to get the best of his players.”
Freedman wants his players to return to the form they showed before their defeat to Brighton last Saturday and will be boosted by the return of Mark Davies, back after illness.
“We need to make sure that we are at the top of our game, physically and mentally.
“We need to be very professional, look at their weaknesses and their strengths and approach it in a way I believe we can win the game.”
Bolton have only played at Huish Park once back in 2004 when the Trotters ran out 2-0 winners in a League Cup game.
The Trotters will be hoping for a similar performance this weekend as Freedman hopes his side’s decent away form this season will aid them on this tricky trip down to the West Country.
“Our away form and results this season has mostly been good, we need to keep that up against Yeovil.”
Main image courtesy of BBC via YouTube, with thanks.
