IAN Evatt is pondering what to do next with Dan Nlundulu as the January transfer window approaches.
The former Southampton striker has been on loan with tonight’s opponents Cambridge United this season and will be unable to face his parent club at the Abbey Stadium.
Bolton have the option of calling him back in January and either adding him to their own squad or sending him out on loan elsewhere. And Evatt reckons both scenarios are still a possibility with the transfer window just five weeks away.
“We know Dan has got all of the attributes, a lot of tools in the box, it is just bringing them all out,” he told The Bolton News.
“We are having conversations all the time and we haven’t yet made a definitive decision.
“We will monitor him now and see what is best for Dan, best for us, and together we will come to the right call.
“We have used the analogy before that he has all ingredients, it just finding the right recipe. And I think one of the things he needed most is regular football, which he has been getting at Cambridge.
“We have had some good reports and what I have seen of him there has been pretty good as well. We have also had some more interest in him for the January window already, so it shows that people of sitting up and taking notice of him.
“But the door is not shut for him here at Bolton Wanderers for him, we still think he can play a part for us here. It is just about getting him in the place and space for him to be challenging for a place in our team.
“Obviously he can’t play against us on Tuesday night, but I really hope he can kick on and help Cambridge take points off our direct opponents.”
Wanderers have won seven of their last 10 games in the league, with only Wycombe taking more points during that time, yet the pressure on Evatt and his players has been palpable in recent weeks.
For the first time in nine months Bolton fought back from a goal down to take all three points at the weekend, which Evatt feels could be an important psychological hurdle against a club who has also shown some improvement under Garry Monk in recent weeks.
“They have a manager who has good experience across the board and they have figured out a way of getting some results,” he said of tonight’s clash.
“It will be a tough game, it always is when we go there, but fingers crossed we can perform to the levels we did in the second half against Blackpool because if we do, we have a good chance of winning the game.
“I have talked to the players about this, but sometimes it isn’t really about the opponent. Of course, we respect them, do our diligence, give the players the information they need in and out of possession, but sometimes the biggest opponent is ourselves.
“Psychologically and mentally, we need to put ourselves into the right space and get to the right levels. If we do, teams can find it hard to stop us.”
