Wheater in rallying call
6:30pm Friday 10th February 2012 in Sport By Marc Iles
DAVID Wheater reckons Wanderers got a wake-up call by finding themselves back in the bottom three last weekend.
Defeat at Norwich City dented the Whites’ recent improvement and the big centre half believes there now needs to be a change in attitude heading into tomorrow’s game with Wigan Athletic.
“We’re in it now and everyone knows it,” he said. “You shouldn’t need a reminder but there it is in black and white.
“We’ve got to look at every game like we did Arsenal or Liverpool and not take the so-called lower teams for granted.
“If we go in with that kind of approach we’ll be fine and get the points we need.”
Having played in North East derbies for Middlesbrough against Newcastle and Sunderland, Wheater relishes this kind of occasion.
“It’s different because there are only three teams up there, and in Bolton there seems to be a local game every other week,” he said.
“This is probably the most local one to us and there are bragging rights at stake for the fans. Most importantly, though, they are one of the teams around us and we need the points.
“I like these kind of games though. They are tough but they are great to play in.”
Last weekend’s wintry weather presented major problems for players and fans alike travelling back to the North West, and with more snow forecast, Wheater is happy that this weekend’s match will be a local affair.
“I’ve never known anywhere like Bolton, where it rains so much,” he joked. “Coming from the North East, though, this is tropical weather.
“Last weekend was a nightmare. We flew home but it was delayed, then we were going to Liverpool, then we weren’t. In the end, I think we got home at the same time as the fans’ coaches.
“I got a lift home from Jussi Jaaskelainen. All he could talk about on the way home was how it didn’t cause this much of a problem in Finland.”
click2find
