IF Jimmy Phillips can leave one lasting impression from his time as interim boss, then ridding Wanderers of the country’s worst away record would be a great start.

The last time travelling fans were really given something to cheer about, Craig Davies was fearlessly leading the line up front, flanked by wily veteran Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Both were on the scoresheet in the South Wales Easter sunshine but 23 away games later the Bolton team making the same journey pales in comparison.

Gone are the classy touches of Tim Ream and Barry Bannan or the explosive pace of Saidy Janko – so much has changed in just 12 short months.

In fact, Josh Vela and Emile Heskey are the only two survivors from the starting 11 on April 6, 2015, likely to make Phillips’ starting line-up this afternoon.

Wanderers are still some way short of beating their all-time record of 36, set between 1948 and 1950, but the statistic is not one Phillips and his coaching staff would wish to pass on.

“We have two chances left to correct it,” said the interim boss, with a trip to Fulham’s Craven Cottage to come on the final day of the season.

“I’d like to think that whatever happens next season what has happened this year will have no lasting effect.

“Yes, it’s a relegated club. But we’re hoping there will be enough changes made to freshen the place up.

“A lot might hang on the pre-season where the players become fitter, stronger than potentially they are now and then they are ready to hit the ground running when League One starts.

“A change of personnel can bring about a different personality in the place.

“It’s up to the ownership to decide who they think has got the right mentality to take the club forward.”

The environment at Wanderers is certainly very different from the last time Phillips was at the helm.

Owen Coyle’s time had come to an end early in the season and after lifting the mood with a win against Bristol City Phillips was being touted as a strong contender for the job himself.

Despite being promised by Phil Gartside he would get longer to prove himself, Phillips admitted on handing over the reins to Dougie Freedman that his appetite for first-team management had been whetted.

And he insists his most recent experience has not put him off the idea altogether.

“It hasn’t scarred me but it has certainly thrown up a completely different set of challenges,” he said.

“Last time the squad had a really good balance to it. I brought Kevin Davies and Martin Petrov to a team that already had Chung-Yong Lee on the right, Chris Eagles as a shadow striker and Mark Davies and Jay Spearing sat in front of the back four.

“It was just a case of shuffling the back four around. For me, seven or eight of them picked themselves.

“This time there is a major imbalance. There are limitations with the players and the number of positions they can play.

“The biggest difference is the lack of pace in this group compared with the last one.

“It was the end of September and there was still a lot of optimism around. This time it’s with a group with a season of turmoil behind them.

“Look at Oscar Threlkeld the other night. He had a great game but has just come from a group of players who had been fighting in the play-off places and for automatic promotion. That has given him a different mental approach compared to some of the ones who have been here all season.”

Having secured the first point of his tenure in a bore draw against Charlton on Tuesday night, Phillips is keen not to bow out this season on such a low note.

“It was definitely not a game for the purists,” he said. “It was a poor performance but defensively we got a clean sheet and it will be interesting to see, if we can name a similar back four, whether they can stand up to what will be a stiffer test for them at Cardiff.

“I would imagine it’ll be a great game for our younger players to play in.”

Cardiff have an outside shot of making the play-offs, with manager Russell Slade insisting it is still something at which to be aimed.

“I think we’ve got to concentrate on ourselves and not worry about spoiling someone else’s situation,” Phillips said.