Without a win on the road since beating Wigan Athletic in April, the Bolton boss identified a few areas that require improvement during a team meeting held at the end of last week, at what was the start of a new 10-game block in League One.
By his own admission, Schumacher is keen to “avoid drama” as he tries to bed down his new-look team and establish a positive run of results.
Saturday’s home victory against Peterborough pushed Bolton to within striking distance of the play-off positions for the first time this season, and to make that leap, Schumacher reckons his side could use a touch more ruthlessness in front of goal.
“We spoke to the players and they understand, but we haven’t scored the first goal once away from home,” he said.
“So that’s an issue. And that’s in all of the games that we’ve played, so if you look back at them, Stockport away, we were brilliant for the first 45 minutes, should have been ahead, but didn’t score.
“Barnsley away, we weren’t brilliant for the first 45 minutes, but we started the second half well and from their first attack conceded a goal.
“Then Blackpool away, the same, we were excellent for 20 minutes, they didn’t get out of their own half. First attack, we conceded.
“Same in the next two after that, Leyton Orient, Northampton, again, we should have been ahead, we didn’t score, we conceded. So, the importance of scoring the first goal is there for everyone to see.
“The players understand that. I don’t think there’s anything to ‘fix’. You’ve just got to keep playing well, but you’ve got to find a way to win.”
The Whites are one of only four teams in the division who have yet to score first away from home, the others being Reading, Wycombe and Blackpool.
Schumacher commended his side’s defending against Peterborough and could have a decision to make at right-back if Josh Dacres-Cogley returns to challenge Cyrus Christie for his spot.
Finding the first goal, he reasoned, could be the trick to ending the club’s wait for an away win.
“Everybody who’s involved in football understands the importance of that. It’s not easy to come from behind, certainly away from home.
“It’s more difficult because teams can protect the lead and do what they feel is required to get the result that they need.
“But it’s something that we need to think about. And the way I can keep expressing it is that we need to be more clinical, because it’s not like we haven’t had chances in any of them five away games.
“We’ve had big chances in all of them. We’ve been a better team in the majority of them, in my opinion. But we haven’t got the points that we need, so we’re there, we’re aware of it.
“But again, like I always say, I won’t get overly concerned about something that doesn’t need to be a big drama.”