Post-game quotes from the manager as Wanderers fight out draw in final pre-season outing
Manager Phil Parkinson spoke to the club’s website following his side’s 0-0 draw with Preston North End in Wanderers' final pre-season fixture on Saturday.
In an even contest at Macron Stadium, Darren Pratley had two goals disallowed for offside as the two sides cancelled each other out for the majority.
And with just a week to go until Bolton's League One opener against Sheffield United, Parkinson covered the following points when assessing the game after the final whistle...
On Wanderers’ performance against the Lilywhites…
We’re pleased with the result. Preston are a good side and had an excellent first year in the Championship last season.
It was a tough game for us. The array of talent they had on the bench shows the strength of their squad, but we coped well with that and the lads can take a lot of positives from it.
I was pleased with a lot of aspects of our play. We were very disciplined and committed to the way we went about the job today.
It’s the last work-out before we go into the season and generally I’m pleased with how we have performed.
On keeping a clean sheet and the performance of his defence…
We got a clean sheet which is good for the confidence for both the defenders and Mark Howard in goal.
Frazer Richardson is a player I know well. He hasn’t played as much football as the others so we’re only ever going to play him a certain amount of the game.
David Wheater looked fitter and Mark Beevers was excellent today. Dean Moxey is also getting stronger all the time.
The back four were good and clean sheets are important. You need a strong base to go and win football games and we had that today.
On the goalkeeping situation…
We’ve got good competition with Ben, Mark, and young Will Jaaskelainen. Those three are all driving each other on in training along with Lee Butler, our goalkeeping coach, which is really good to see.
The good thing from my point of view, certainly with the two senior ones, they’re all very good goalkeepers.
We’re going to have some tough decisions to make but that is what we want. It’s an indication of when you get competition in positions, it drives people onto new levels and that is what we want.
On the trialists in the squad at present…
We’ll sit down as staff and we’ve got some big decisions to make over this week heading into the new season.
The lads who have been in on trial have been very professional. We now have got to mould the squad to what we need to start the season.
On his first pre-season as Bolton Wanderers manager…
It’s been very good. The lads have been excellent with their attitude and discipline. The general desire in the training ground from the lads who were here last year is to put things right - to rebuild reputations as individuals and the club’s reputation.
I’ve sensed that since my first week here. The new lads have integrated well. It always takes a bit of time but they have all settled and I am pleased with them.
If we can add to it, because we need to as we know we’re not strong enough, then hopefully we will be a strong force to contend with this season.
And finally, on team selection heading into the Trotters' League One opener against Sheffield United...
There is a number of core players who are very strong candidates to start next week, but there is still some thinking to do.
I trust all the lads who are in the squad to play. All the players we’ve got signed up can do a job for the team and play a role.
Come the start of the season when the games come thick and fast, the team will change around quite a bit for that reason.
We have a group of players who are all good enough to play and a best XI will emerge as the season progresses.
We’re pleased with the lads that we’ve got but are hopeful we can add to it.