WANDERERS must have a ‘nothing to lose’ attitude in their final seven games to snatch an unlikely automatic promotion spot, says Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.

The Icelander stepped out of a disappointed dressing room on Saturday to send a message to supporters that all was not lost.

Defeat against Derby County means Bolton will need someone to slip up in the remaining seven games and improve their own points return to make the top two.

But Bodvarsson insists fan should not be downbeat, as pressure has been lifted somewhat for the Whites as they go into the final stretch.

“I know how much this means to the community and to the Bolton fans and the club,” he said. “It is what it is now. We are not up there, we are not where we want to be, but it is close.

“Right now we have to have the attitude where there are seven games go, let’s do it, man. Let’s go and give it absolutely everything because if people don’t think we can do it, let’s show them.

“It is almost a nothing to lose attitude, as silly as that sounds. The pressure is always on the top, we have to embrace it and go into the game with a smile on our face, get the crowd going, make sure our fans keep believing, and see where it takes us to the last game of the season.”

Ian Evatt said at the weekend that his team’s performance at the weekend was one of the best he had seen in nearly four years at the club.

Nevertheless, Bolton left Pride Park empty handed, and now have a four-point gap to reel in if they want to avoid the uncertainty of the play-offs.

“I left the game on a positive and I feel like a lot of the lads are still positive,” Bodvarsson said. “It was flat in the dressing room after the game but there was still a sign of encouragement in there for everyone to keep going because there is a lot to play for.

“It is so important to keep the momentum going. You can’t dwell in the past, I know, but we played well. It didn’t fall for us. They scored from the only chance they got from a set piece and we can’t afford to let that affect us. As painful a loss as that is, we have to get past it.

“You look at the performance and it is good. Yes, we have to be more clinical, yes, we need to stop conceding silly goals, but the process is there.”

Bodvarsson feels the international break has come at a good time – both for the club, and for him personally.

“I’ll be staying close to my family – my missus is pregnant and not finding any comfortable positions at the moment, she is very patient at times,” he smiled. “I am just going to stay close to my family, enjoy a little break and then regroup.”