Dougie Freedman & Tim Ream bemoan Bolton mentality

When is the last time Bolton Wanderers won two games in a row, you ask? Follow me, right this way. The last time that the aforementioned rare phenomenon occurred was in March of 2012, last season. Bolton were deeply in a relegation battle and needed vital wins against their rivals to boost survival hopes (obviously, it didn't work out). March 10, 24, and 31, Bolton Wanderers managed to do just that though as they beat Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, in that order, in a row.

Since then, it just hasn't happened. Good performances have become false starts as Bolton have failed to string any sort of winning run together. At most, they have managed four points from two games rather than the needed six. Why that is happening is unknown to defender Tim Ream as he told the Bolton News:

"We are getting the performances, we are getting the chances and apart from the Peterborough game, we have knuckled down defensively.

"For some reason or other we can't put two wins together and that's the monkey on our back, right now.

"We are putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to try and get that second win in a row to put a string of games together. But it's not happening for us.

"In order to get a streak going you need to win more than one game and it's one of those things everyone knows.

"It's not been discussed but we know if we are to start moving up the table we have got to put some wins together."

Meanwhile, an incensed Dougie Freedman told the Bolton News that the club has a "losing mentality" that it needs to shed:

"I feel I have inherited a bunch of players that need to start learning what winning and losing really is. There have been too many defeats here over the last three or four years.

"We have got to change the mentality around the place and that's not just Tyrone, it's everyone. Sometimes you need to see games out, call it a draw and head home.

Dougie's absolutely right. Over the last three-and-a-half seasons, Bolton Wanderers have lost 67 games (10 thus far this season and 22, 16, and 19 in the seasons before that). That's 67 games out of 140 games. That's 47.8% of the games that Bolton Wanderers have played.

"Let's not hold punches here - there are many things that need to change and on the pitch is one of them.

"We have got to start learning that when we control a game like we did today that clean sheets are vital.

"I think we have got to understand the division we are in and what it takes.

"The attitude of several individuals has got to be one of seeing these games out.

"You can't just play in spells, you need consistency, and that will come with results."