Shrewsbury boss Gareth Ainsworth admits it is hard to know what to expect from Wanderers this weekend.
Steven Schumacher has taken charge of three games since taking over as head coach, and Bolton has shown versatility in various tactical configurations.
But Ainsworth feels his Salop team can make it “tough” for the Whites this Saturday, building on their previous League One form.
“It’s difficult because he’s played in a variety of formations,” he told the club’s broadcasters. “At Plymouth, he had a distinct real identity.
“He is a terrific guy; we’re all in the LMA (League Managers Association) together, and all the managers talk. There is little enmity between managers, and we all pull for one another when we are not at work.
“When we return to work, we sometimes compete with one another. He’ll understand that all I want is the points on Saturday, and we’ll make it difficult.
“But I know they’ve got some great players. They have recruited a large number of players in recent years and have paid a high price for them, which is understandable. They are a former Premier League club with a large fanbase and significant resources.
“But Shrewsbury Town is not an easy place to visit. We’ll make things difficult for them, and you never know what will happen.
Shrewsbury come into the game in good spirits, having taken seven points from their last three games as they look to pull off a stunning escape.
After nearly three consecutive triumphs, Ainsworth’s side had to settle for a point at Reading on Tuesday night, with Joel Pereira saving a penalty kick from John Marquis.
“The last three games, seven points, we would have taken that,” the head coach said. “It was a fantastic performance; I thought we were the better team.
“I’m constantly focused on performance; winning is a byproduct of everything we do. We could have had higher quality in the final third, without a doubt, and we will improve on it.
“But working on it is far superior to working on conceding a lot of goals and improving our defensive strength.
“We started neglecting going forward a little bit because we were trying to be solid, and now we are getting the package where hopefully people are seeing what I bring.”
Leo Castledine has missed the last few games due to injury, and Ainsworth insists the Chelsea loanee will not be pushed back.
“It is great that the boys are performing so well, we can just give him that little bit of time,” he told me. “Sometimes, as a young man, we just have to yank him off the team.
“It’s remarkable how many games they play at such a young age. I know him well, and I know his father quite well. Let him recover; he played a lot of games in one spell.
“With Chelsea and my medical staff, he is in very good care, and I am confident we will see Leo soon. But it’s nice that there isn’t any utter desperation right now.”
Leave a Reply