Sam Ricketts is backing Bolton to give their supporters a welcome dose of Christmas cheer.
The Welsh defender believes the Trotters are close to setting out on a winning gallop up the Championship table, having lost just once since Dougie Freedman took over the managerial reins from Owen Coyle at the Reebok Stadium, but too many of those fixtures have ended in draws.
"It's frustrating because the level we're playing at is good enough to win games," Ricketts told the club's official website.
"I think our performances are improving all the time, and the consistency of those performances is getting better too."
Ricketts is adamant that Bolton, currently 18th and seven points adrift of sixth-placed Watford, can make a Christmas and New Year surge towards the play-off places.
"We should be looking to win every game in this division, that's the mentality we have to have," he said.
"There's no reason why we can't beat anyone in this league so any game that we play and we don't win, we'll look at it afterwards as a disappointment.
"We need to start keeping clean sheets. If you're not conceding, or just conceding one, you're always in the game.
"Unfortunately at the moment we're conceding too many. We are having to score two or three to win the game, which is difficult. I don't think that confidence is the issue. I think we're very close to putting a very good run of form together."
The Whites gained a creditable 2-2 draw at cross-Pennine rivals Huddersfield last Saturday.
However, Ricketts and his team-mates were disappointed not to take all three points from the John Smith's Stadium, as they conceded a late leveller from the Terriers.
"The performance was very good, I think we dominated the second half," said Ricketts.
"It was just disappointing to concede a late goal, to leave us with another draw when we did enough to win the game."
Alex's famed academy has produced a number of top-flight players over the years, with Nick Powell and Ashley Westwood the latest to join their ranks with moves to Manchester United and Aston Villa over the summer.
As the countdown to the January transfer window begins, the club are braced for further moves on their most valuable assets, but boss Steve Davis says no enquiries are on the table for the likes of England Under-19 international Max Clayton or skipper Luke Murphy.
"I've had no enquiries about any of our players," Davis said.
"Whether that comes in January or not, we'll wait and see. It's hard to judge at Crewe because there's always a lot of people watching the players.
"If you go back a couple of months there's 30 scouts; if you go back the last couple of weeks there's 30-odd scouts. So you can't judge the reasons why they're there. They're not always looking at ours, they're looking at others.
"I get a scouting list every game. You normally get an idea (of interest) because you have certain scouts coming, then at the very end you get the manager or assistant manager. So you know that club's becoming closer.
"At the moment, nobody's phoned me or the chairman up. The chairman speaks to me straight away if there's any enquiries about any players. There's been nothing up to now and I hope it stays that way."
