WANDERERS can send a shockwave around League One with victory at high-flying Sunderland on Saturday, says MJ Williams.

Ian Evatt’s men, still smarting from defeat against Rotherham, travel to the Stadium of Light with plans to get straight back into the winning groove.

The Whites have found themselves frustrated by deep-lying defences in recent weeks but Williams believes this weekend’s game will be more like the toe-to-toe battle they experienced at Ipswich, which will give Bolton’s attack another chance to shine.

“I think it will be a great game to go out and express ourselves,” he told The Bolton News.

“It’s a big stadium, usually a good atmosphere with loads of fans as well, and we’ll hopefully have a fair few there as well.

“It is a good one to concentrate on now and show how good we really are, make a statement.

“We are gutted about the Rotherham game but there’s a chance to turn it around, and with Charlton on Tuesday, we can get back on a roll pretty quickly.”

Both Sunderland and Bolton made nine signings in the summer – but whereas the Wearsiders have a new look to their side this term, Evatt has chosen to keep faith with many of the players who helped his side to promotion from League Two.

Williams believes the continuity has proven advantageous since the club returned to the third tier.

“We have pretty much the same team as last year – Sheehan has come in, and a couple of others, but it has given us confidence because we know our game inside out,” he said.

“I think performances have gone up a level too on last season, which had to be the case.

“All of us love playing together so I think that will be a big thing now to the end of the season, it can help us get up there.”

Williams also reckons Evatt has struck the right balance in midfield, with his own more defensive skills complimented by Antoni Sarcevic’s industry and Josh Sheehan’s creativity.

“All three of us are very different players but we know the game inside out and put a shift in for each other,” he said. “If I press, I know Sarce or Sheens are going to fill in, and we know where each other are on the pitch.

“I love playing with them, and the other lads like Kieran Lee, who probably hasn’t played as much as he’d liked this season. When they come in, we know their game, it doesn’t affect it.”

Having competed in League One and Two last season, Williams believes there has been a general upturn in the quality this time around.

“There are big clubs around and I feel like there are a lot of Championship standard players who have dropped down to this level now.

“You can tell that technically, players are much, much better now.

“I honestly believe that since the season started we have been great so far. Teams are giving us respect, they know what we can do. If they bank up then we have to find ways to get the goals we need.

“The quality has definitely gone up and whereas there used to be half a dozen clubs that you might have thought ‘we can get a result there’ now it’s a lot harder. You saw Cambridge go to Portsmouth and get a result. Even the teams from League Two are showing how good we are.”