IAN Evatt wants to achieve “equilibrium” with Wanderers after the peaks and troughs of the last few months.

Bolton have won six out of their league eight league games to push their way into the top six, rescuing what had been deemed a poor start to the campaign.

Evatt’s own future became a matter of much debate across the fanbase after poor results against Exeter City and Huddersfield Town, coming off the back of May’s play-off final defeat.

With form now stabilised he is keen to lead by example, keeping his squad focussed and avoiding any sense of over-excitement which could send fortunes in the opposite direction.

“It works both ways – we all can’t over-react to defeats or with good performances,” he said. “We have to maintain a level of stability and some sort of equilibrium, and that’s everyone.

“It’s my job as the leader of this team to make sure it happens, from within the dressing room and on the outside.

“We are nowhere near where we want to be at the moment but we are going to work extremely hard to get there.”

Though this weekend will be about FA Cup football, Wanderers have one more league game before the international break against Stockport County – a side that has been beaten just twice in their first 13 matches since promotion, and which has spent most of its time in the top six.

Evatt hopes his side can keep themselves on a roll.

“We know confidence and momentum in football is an enigma, really,” he said. “It is so hard to build and it can leave you so quickly, so we can’t take this for granted.

“We have suffered sometimes this season but we have responded in what I believe is the correct way. We want to get our fans believing in us again and I think we’re on the road to doing that now.

“Yes, there will be bumps, there always will be. How we overcome them is what will define us as a team.”