Steven Schumacher is backing Aaron Collins to continue providing goals for Wanderers’ top six push.
The Welshman endured an off-day at Reading on Saturday, missing big chances in both halves as the Whites missed out on a chance to climb into the play-off spots for the first time since October.
But the new head coach is confident he will bounce back quickly and add to the 15 goals he has already collected this season.
“Listen, we back him 100 per cent, we rely on him,” Schumacher said. “Yes, in the form that Aaron has been in you’d have expected him to score but these things happen. Mistakes happen and you learn from them.
“I think the one in the first half which deflected off their defender, he probably had a bit more time than he realised and the goalkeeper has made the save.
“He had time to take an extra step and get a cleaner contact on it but he tried to hit it quickly with a bit of a toe poke.
“The second one where he’s gone through, yeah, you expect him to score that one, but look, we’re all human, you pick yourself back up and make sure you score the next one. He’s an important player for us.”
Schumacher brought his full squad together for the first full training session at Lostock yesterday having trimmed numbers down with the sales of Randell Williams and Scott Arfield on transfer deadline day.
He was also joined by assistant coach Mark Hughes and assistant head coach Richie Kyle, who were officially appointed on Friday.
Looking forward to a clear run-up to Saturday’s home game against Crawley, the Whites head coach remained positive about the squad he has inherited.
“This is a good group of players and there is quality there,” he said. “Having a clear week now to prepare for Saturday is really important because there was only so much information that we could put into the players in the 24 hours we had before the (Reading) game.
“As I have said before, the way that the team has been used to playing isn’t too dissimilar to the way that I like to play anyway, so I know that these players are capable of doing what I need them to do and playing in the style I want them to play.
“The result wasn’t what we wanted, obviously, but there were a lot of things I liked and things that we can build on now going to the weekend.”
Meanwhile, former Bolton goalkeeper and goalkeeping coach, Matt Gilks, has joined League One rivals Barnsley.
The former Scotland international was in the dugout at Oakwell on Saturday for the goalless draw against Burton Albion.
Gilks had left the club along with Ian Evatt, Peter Atherton, Steven Crainey and Lewis Duckmanton but has found a quick route back into the game.
Evatt remains 4/1 third favourite with the bookmakers to take the vacant Carlisle United job but former Northampton Town boss Jon Brady has now been backed in to 2/5 with BetVictor.
