Bolton Wanderers fan column - tactical tweaks, Collins hopes

There have been a few comments from Bolton boss Ian Evatt since the end of last season, mainly regarding a period of reflection as to what went wrong, what needs to improve and what he and the club need to do to go one better this year.

It feels like this is all we mention or talk about but ever since Oxford United did a number on Bolton at Wembley, it has been a tough hurdle to overcome. Maybe the inquest will never truly be settled? But at some point it has to be put to bed.

The three signings made so far this summer - Chris Forino, Luke Southwood and Klaidi Lolos - have seemed like encouraging moves on paper, with the idea to challenge to start either immediately or at some point.

Lolos especially is intriguing because of his ability to play in a number of positions, and that is important because Evatt has referred to his versatility. Reading between the lines, the aim this year probably will not involve reinventing the wheel too much, but Evatt knows that there will be a time that his tactical approach needs to differ.

Continuing to look at the names Bolton have been linked with this week, Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong has been mentioned as someone who could potentially move to the Toughsheet Stadium. Now, it may seem hard to fathom that Evatt would consider splashing the cash on a winger, but maybe this is the first step on the road to potentially looking at different ways to set up his team.

Maybe Armstrong will be brought in to play as a wing back, but even if that the initial idea, the ability to change to a 4-3-3, for example, and play him and Aaron Collins either side of Dion Charles is a prospect that will excite Bolton fans.

Then there is the news that veteran midfielder Scott Arfield is on the verge of signing, which seems to be more concrete at this time. He is 35 years old, but it represents a tried and tested option and will add some much needed experience and grit to a midfield that badly needs it.

Again, the versatility aspect is there as he can play out wide, but you would think that the main aim is to play him centrally. It may not seem like an ‘Evatt signing’ as such, but the shift in approach is clear. The gaffer must realise and appreciate that whilst the midfield has a lot of talent, a big bruiser is needed to make this team more streetwise, for lack of a better term.

It is an interesting name but even at his age, Arfield probably walks into most teams, if not all, at League One level and could probably still do a job at a level above.

Evatt’s Plan A works most of the time, but for Bolton to go one better this year, there needs to be contingency plans put in place should they struggle to break down certain teams.

Versatility and the ability to adapt will be huge for Bolton. Maybe just maybe it will also help Evatt evolve at the same time.

Can Bolton overcome the mid-block?

by Harry Crosland

Wanderers were frustrated at Wembley (Image: Camerasport)

There was once a time when many opposition managers, preparing to play Ian Evatt’s technical and possession-based Bolton, would set their side up to defend extremely deep - with their players firmly behind the ball. This tasked the Wanderers with breaking down a stubborn low-block resolutely defending the final third, leaving them with precious little space to attack near the opposition’s goal.

Last season, however, saw a noticeable shift in the tactical set-up deployed by our League One opponents. Managers of other clubs identified that, while the low-block had been an irritation, Bolton normally found a way to overcome it. Often, the Whites would score late in the game, as the opposition physically faltered as a result of seeing little of the ball.

Rather than this ultra-conservative approach, many of our 2023/2024 opponents operated with a higher defensive line, with the forward players not committing themselves too aggressively when closing down the Bolton defenders in possession. In effect, this enables the forwards, midfielders and defenders to be tightly packed in the middle third of the pitch, minimising space to suffocate technical midfielders, who are left with very little room to pull the strings.

This tactic has been used to nullify the influence of the Wanderers’ midfield playmakers and make games feel less like an 'attack-v-defence' exercise. With less room to be creative in key midfield areas, the mid-block has proved problematic for Evatt’s Whites, particularly in the infamous play-off final against Oxford. While the manager loves his team to exert control, this match exemplified how an opposition’s compact, aggressive midfield area can provoke an increased feeling of chaos, preventing prolonged spells of attacking pressure.

As well as its protective qualities defensively, the mid-block has caused Bolton several problems on transition, with the short distances between opposition players enabling slick and well-connected counter attacks.

Evatt’s idol Pep Guardiola, whose playing style is a major source of inspiration for the manager, has found himself similarly foiled by this tactical set-up on occasion. Arguably the most noticeable example was City’s 1-0 defeat at Villa Park last campaign – a match in which Unai Emery’s characteristic mid-block allowed his side to out-play the champions to win their 14th consecutive home league game.

Can the Whites find a solution to a tactic that has frustrated one of the most relentless sides in English football history? To overcome the mid-block, the most obvious solution is to exploit its weaknesses – increased space in behind, coupled with a limited press on the Wanderers backline. This gives Bolton’s more technical defenders, such as Ricardo Santos, ample opportunity to pick out long passes that bypass the squeezed midfield, finding a runner beyond the opposition defenders. Victor Adeboyejo’s second of three goals against Fleetwood Town in August 2023 provides an illustrative example of the merits of this approach.

While it may go against the instincts of Evatt’s penchant for possession, utilising the athleticism of Bolton’s pacier players, through the occasional raking pass, can help break the mould when thwarted by a difficult mid-block. In an upcoming season where the Wanderers will often expect to face this tactical set-up, finding the answers to the questions it poses could be a decisive advantage.

Bold predictions for 2024/25

by Lee Sidebotham

There’s nothing I love more than being back in the stands, catching up with mates I haven’t seen since last season.

No doubt we’ll all have our own opinions on last year, and what will happen this time. And knowing us, we will all almost definitely be wrong. But with pre-season friendlies around the corner, I think now is a good time to start thinking about some of those predictions for the year.

We have all seen the League One line-up for this year. It’s going to be a tough one. And with transfer rumours regarding Charles running wild, it may be about to become a whole lot tougher. However, I think a lot of people are sleeping on our current strike options, including one Aaron Collins. For me, he’s proved he can do it all up-front and is a top-class finisher way beyond League One.

I don’t think it’s too far-fetched to say he will be in the running for League One Player of the Year for the second time, pipping Alfie May, who will no doubt be up there again, this time for Birmingham.

Every few years our youth set-up manages to nurture a youngster perfectly to fit into our first team. Zach Clough in 2015. Luca Connell in 2019. I think this season we’ll see some of the B Team step up and break into the matchday squad come the end of the season.

Luke Matheson could already prove to be great cover at wing-back after some of last season’s run-outs. Nelson Khumbeni had a solid run at Morecambe at the back end of last season and I can see him getting some starts early in the EFL Trophy this year. He could easily go one step further and get on the team sheet if he proves himself.

Then there’s Conor Carty. The Irish league is no walk in the park, but Conor proved he could hack it during his time at St Patrick’s last year at just 22. This year the B Team will prove the plan is working.

One player we’ve crucially missed is George Johnston. I think Ricardo Santos missed him more than just about anyone.

From statistically the second best defence in 2022/23, to a questionable one last year. They could just never seem to settle while he was gone. But this year I think he will be back with a bang. We will have the best defence in the league. And Jono will be in the League One Team of the Year.

Wigan and Blackpool are games that instantly come to mind where he was missed. We had no grit or determination in any of those ties. Ian Evatt made this clear and admitted we didn’t prepare enough, and we need to do more. And I believe him.

My final prediction, we beat both, combined over home and away legs, anyway. For our promotion and our dignity we simply must!

A positive spin on the strike force

by Chris McKeown

Collins had a big impact at the back end of last season (Image: Camerasport)

The coming season awaits and with each day as we get closer to the opening friendly, expectations will start to rise.

My personal hopes and realistic ambitions are currently not aligned. Transfers need to be completed, Ian Evatt and his team need to get their tactics and plans across to the squad and we need to get through to the first match at Leyton Orient unscathed with a full quota to choose from.

That being said, here’s my view on what could make us a team that can get over the line.

Two seasons ago our defence was the immovable object. Last season we gave the opposition a few more chances to enable us to be a more unstoppable force, and yes we scored more freely but it was sporadic and definitely not evenly distributed across the matches.

This time we need to find the magic formula, the balance between holding firm and attack.

My belief is Aaron Collins can be the key player, the cog that makes the forward line come together. He has had half a season to adjust to our play and adapted well, finishing the season in form.

He can both drift through the lines and play in the front central role, link up and is able to score from anywhere with a powerful shot in the locker.

With the proven record of Charles alongside him, it could potentially be a lethal partnership, given the time to gel, and be a major contributor to success.

That added with Victor Adeboyejo offering a different style and capable of scoring enough to come in and fight for a spot, is very promising.

Add to this to our new signing  Klaidi Lolos, now the  ‘unknown threat,' who seemingly has versatility and looks capable of scoring his fair share too.

So that brings us to Dan Nlundulu, who has been a bit of an enigma so far. It must be said that it took him a while to get going but he looked to be finding both confidence and, crucially, the back of the net, just before a very unfortunate injury. I think his celebration of his goal against Exeter shows just how much it means to him. I genuinely hope we see that smile on his face more regularly this season. Yes, he needs to find that consistency and I for one hope he can find it here.

So that’s my positive spin on the strike-force of next season. I think with a couple of additions there is enough talent and goals to cause opponents issues

That’s the theory, anyhow. Get it right and it could secure a place in the Championship.

Southgate out, Evatt in?

by Becca Ashworth

Back in 2020, surrounded by Three Lions, I was a lone wolf. It wasn’t that I didn’t support England. Rather, I had no faith in Southgate to deliver the success that the England team deserved. 

For much of Euro 2024 and the run-up to the tournament, I’ve felt a reluctant sense of vindication. Growing discontent confirmed my scepticism about the England manager. Nationwide fans of the Three Lions were ready to pounce and make Southgate their pray. I was no longer a lone wolf, but part of the pride.

It’s no coincidence that criticism of Southgate echoes the criticism given to Evatt. Their styles of play are frequently compared: watching the languorous pace of England at times felt as though we were still watching the playoff final – as if the Wanderers’ play had been so slow that the game itself continued months later.

Against Slovakia, I was listening on the radio. I had no interest in watching England’s slow and painful death. I was punished for this decision: in the shocking final moments, I scrambled for the television remote. Fumbling with the buttons, I felt unfaithful, as plastic as the remote in my hands. I had to confront my doubts towards Southgate against my unwavering support of Evatt.

Southgate has demonstrated a skill that Evatt has yet to prove to his doubters: flexibility. This was hinted early: the player selections gave caps to unfamiliar faces and old favourites were dropped. Like Evatt, Southgate’s favouritism was brought into scrutiny and, despite a lingering (and familiar) reluctance to bring substitutions on – a risk that almost cost England subsequent games against Switzerland and the Netherlands – he has admittedly granted players the opportunity to leave their footprint in England’s success. Watkins’ goal on Wednesday (his first in a major international tournament), Southgate’s flexibility mimicked a gazelle, leaping to safety from his predators.

Unlike a gazelle, however, Southgate hasn’t merely run from criticism. He has tackled it head on. Back in 2020, I peeked at the penalties through gaps in my fingers, before my head finally collapsed in my hands. My doubts were cemented when a 19-year-old Saka stepped up. He was too young. Admittedly exceptional already, the pressure of the occasion would nonetheless affect any teenager. Last Saturday, calm and collected, Saka hit the back of the net to put the cherry on top of a man-of-the-match performance. He was part of a flawless display of penalties that highlighted Southgate’s growth from previous mistakes/

Evatt has an opportunity to mirror Southgate now. The initial signs are promising: the overwhelming attitude in the Wanderers camp seems to be intent on addressing ‘what went wrong’. I hope Evatt is watching Southgate’s redemption arc and planning something similar. If I can’t vindicate my doubts in Southgate, I’d like to instead vindicate my faith in Evatt.