NO team in League One has scored more stoppage time goals than Bolton Wanderers – and Steven Schumacher believes that says a lot about the group of players he hopes to take to promotion in League One.
The Whites have recovered 17 points this season beyond the 90th minute, including five league wins against Huddersfield Town, Cardiff City, Rotherham, Leyton Orient and Burton Albion.
You would have to be brave person to leave a Bolton game before the final whistle this season, and Schumacher is happy to see the trend continue, so long as the points column keeps ticking over.
“It’s an incredible number of goals, really, and it shows you the ability, the quality and the energy that the lads have got,” he said.
“It also shows the desire of the whole group as well to keep going to the very end.
“Games of football are difficult. They last 100 minutes these days, so you've got to go right until the final whistle.”
Questions were asked of the mood within the Wanderers squad at the turn of the year, when form had wobbled over the Christmas period. Carrying a handful of players who saw little chance of first team football, some of the grumbling looked like it may affect the club’s chase for Championship football.
Schumacher has been able to steady the ship, however, moving several players out in the January window and earning some hard-fought wins despite admitting that his team were not playing at their best.
With plans to add more quality after the arrival of Corey Blackett-Taylor, Rob Apter and Ruben Rodrigues, he is now confident that character can push the club in the right direction.
“The biggest thing for me is the players are trying,” he said. “They are not giving up, they keep going until the final whistle, and as long as they keep doing that, they'll have no complaints from me. As long as they keep believing, because I believe in them, then we'll be fine with it.
“In this league in particular, especially this season, there isn't anybody that's really consistent with performances.
“Lincoln lately have been on an unbelievable run, they play in a style that they don't make many mistakes because of the way they play. Cardiff have got really good players for the level, so they've been the two most consistent, but we're not far behind, we're in touch.
“As long as the effort is there and the players try, it’s fine.
“We are going to make mistakes, I make mistakes, we pick the wrong team every now and again, make the wrong substitutions, it happens, but we're all trying to win, so that's all we can ask for.”
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