Bolton Wanderers are in desperate need of three points as they travel to Ipswich Town and manager Dougie Freedman insists his side can end their winless run on Saturday.
Wanderers have failed to win in the Championship since Boxing Day and now find themselves just four points from the relegation zone.
Freedman though believes his side have the mental strength to pick themselves up and recover from the two defeats they’ve suffered in the past seven days.
“I won’t go into a corner and back down, we are going to pick ourselves up and get on with it,” Freedman told BBC Sport after the Trotters defeat to Queens Park Rangers on Monday night.
“It will change: you can’t keep playing the way we have been for it not to.”
Last weekend the Trotters were knocked out of the FA Cup at home to Premier League strugglers Cardiff City and Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Loftus Road has left them in a precarious position.
Freedman though believes his side have been unlucky over the past few games and is determined they will get their just reward this weekend at Portman Road.
“There has been full commitment, great energy, good football at times and someone will take the opportunity and we will win a game convincingly.
“I strongly believe if we take the lead, we will hold on easily, it is just about getting that first goal which is costing us results.”
Ipswich could be the perfect place for Bolton to turn things around as the Trotters have won five of the last seven meetings at Portman Road.
The Tractor Boys have also been in a poor vain of form only managing to win once in their last eight games.
Despite this Mick McCarthy’s men are still in seventh place only four points off a play-off place making a victory here a very tough task for the Trotters.
McCarthy though like Freedman is feeling the heat from his own fans and the former Republic Ireland manager had some choice words for his critics in midweek.
When asked if some people would be frustrated with their 1-1 draw with Leeds United on Tuesday he responded by saying: “Some people can f**k off.”
Either way this is a must win game for both sides and they will both be helped by no fresh injury concerns.
In fact the game could see Ipswich give a full debut to Frazer Richardson while Bolton may give a first start to loan signing Lukas Jutkiewicz.
Image courtesy of BWFC Official via YouTube, with thanks.
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