DARREN Pratley senses belief around Bolton that the club will soon start climbing the Championship table.
Wanderers have two tough away trips on the horizon, starting at Fulham’s Craven Cottage this Saturday and moving on to a Halloween showdown with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
But while those road trips may have inspired a feeling of dread a few weeks ago, the club skipper reckons positive results against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR have put a whole new perspective on them.
“I’m not on social media so I don’t read into all that sort of stuff but I can only sense on a match-day what fans are feeling,” he told The Bolton News. “When we beat Sheffield Wednesday you could sense people picked up and even walking around the town people were saying ‘good win’ and normally in the Championship when you’ve won one game in 11 or 12 you just wouldn’t get that.
“It seems to be a much more positive place at the moment. Fans know what the score will be this season, they know it’s going to be hard work.”
This weekend’s opponents Fulham were among the favourites for promotion from the Championship before a ball was kicked but things have not gone entirely to plan for Slavisa Jokanovic’s men.
Defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday left them 10th in the table and former Fulham trainee Pratley sees no reason why Wanderers cannot upset the odds.
“In this league you can’t guess results,” he said. “We’ll lose some, we’ll draw some but so long as we stick together and keep our heads, we’ll be fine.”
Meanwhile, Wanderers plan to take a closer look at Belgian teenager Che Krabbendam on trial.
The young midfielder was once on the books of Anderlecht and has been trying to secure an English club, trialling with the likes of West Ham United and Brighton.
The chase is continuing for Victor Adeboyejo, who is currently playing in Chelsea’s youth team.
The Whites are looking to land the former Leyton Orient striker ahead of a cluster of other clubs in the Championship and League One, including Barnsley and Portsmouth.
Adeboyejo featured for the Chelsea development squad against West Ham on Sunday, playing 67 minutes.
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