Fanbase mood is hard to ignore,
by Liam Hatton
There is no denying the fact that once the 2024-25 season kicks off, the pressure will be on Ian Evatt and his Bolton Wanderers side right from the word go.
Failure to gain promotion last year in what was undoubtedly a much easier league will still be etched into the brains of most Bolton fans when they watch their team open the campaign against Leyton Orient.
Just look at the money Birmingham City are chucking around in the hopes of ensuring their stay in League One is a short one - last year’s top scorer Alfie May is on board, whilst they have made numerous big money signings from overseas. Not only that, but adding Marc Leonard to their squad from Brighton, who had an impressive spell on loan last year at Northampton, is another big pickup.
Throw into the mix the likes of Rotherham, Huddersfield, Peterborough, Charlton and a host of other teams, you then begin to understand that the task ahead of Bolton this year is not an enviable one.
It is not just the makeup of the division either, but you can smell the dread and impending doom on social media, especially amongst Wanderers fans. If there are not complaints about a lack of movement in the transfer window (forget the fact that these deals are complex to nail down and it is not like playing Football Manager), then some will complain that Sushma Snacks are not returning to the Fanzone and find a way to blame that on Neil Hart.
Ricardo Santos is deemed to be at fault for a goal in preseason against Middlesbrough - a good team in a league above - and suddenly he is public enemy number one again. The photographs and memes of him standing on the ball at Wembley will rear their ugly head, and then we wonder why he has not publicly spoken since that disaster of a team performance in May.
That is really where we are at right now, and I am not looking forward to the season at this point, but I think a lot of that comes down to what I know to be inevitable - If Bolton start slow, which is a very real possibility with a tough sled of games to kick-off the campaign, then the pitchforks will come out.
Evatt will say something in the media and it will be twisted. Santos will make a mistake and social media will run rampant with those memes once more.
Can a team really succeed if they are being set up for failure before the first whistle even blows? It feels like this could reach a breaking point way before Christmas, or who knows, maybe everything will go swimmingly.
This is not me saying that the fans are to blame for absolutely everything, because the squad has to do their part. But I look at a team like Birmingham - relegated, but with a rejuvenated fanbase and the optimism is through the roof.
For Bolton, a team that finished third last year, it seems like the sky is falling. Wembley was bad, but this is a new chapter. A chance to leave the past in the past and to move forward.
Right now, it seems like some fans are just waiting for an opportunity to pounce at the first mistake, and it cannot be like that. It just cannot.
Slow News Summer,
by Becca Ashworth.
Every fan knows the feeling: the last ball of the season is kicked and the country shudders to a halt.
Beyond football, this summer slumber is universal, an annual siesta marked by the Parliamentary break, the break-up of schools and increasingly bizarre news stories (seen any killer wasps lately?). It’s as if Britain, ill-equipped for summer temperatures, pauses all newsworthy activity and plays a season-long ad-break in the form of slow-news-summer.
As far as football is concerned, the silly season manifests in a literal ad-break – profiles, player breakdowns and price tags abound, as if the merits of signing quality players needed any advertisement. It’s a time of transfer rumours and rebuilding fantasy teams – our entertainment without regular matches. In Bolton, however, even this ad-break has trickled down to nothing – transfer rumours and speculation have largely fizzled out. All we need is an escaped panther loose at the Toughsheet and Bolton’s slow-news season will be officially underway.
Still, we’ve had Evatt’s reassurance that we’ve got ‘live bids’ in the works, we’re just waiting on players out in Europe. Today, news broke that we’ve made seven-figure bids over the summer window, a figure unimaginable just a few years back in Wanderers history. It’s hard to tell if this is just lip service – something to keep silly season at bay – but it is reassuring that the cogs of the club are still turning. That said, it’s all well and good saying bids are live, but I hope the bids are competitive for both the value of the players and the teams we’re competing with. I mean, I’ve been there, avoiding judgement at the charitable silent auction as I scribble down a £5 bid for a luxury getaway for two. Granted, I doubt Evatt is lowballing that much, but, like my village fête’s silent auction, transfers are a competitive market.
Speaking of fêtes, I see a lot of comparison to Birmingham, whose window is reminiscent of those people at the raffle – the ones whose names get called for every prize, while you crumple your tickets into your pocket. You are jealous of them, until you find what they paid for the tickets was more than the prizes were worth in the first place. Yes, Birmingham have got themselves some cracking players in this window, but they’ve spent an awful lot. Not to mention, like Rotherham, they’re rebuilding their squad entirely – things might not gel. Like the raffle, it’s easy to be jealous out of fear of missing out, but really, how much did you want that bath bomb set anyway? Not to mention, the last prize announced is always the grand one: it might be worth waiting out to see what Evatt has in store.
Takeaways from Middlesbrough and Chorley friendlies,
By Lee Sidebotham
After two long months, we are finally back on the road.
Travelling up to Bishop Auckland and Chorley this week has given me a new lease of life. It’s funny what football can do. Despite a mix of results from the two games, we certainly came away with lots of talking points and data I am sure Evatt will be happy with.
The match against Middlesbrough was not as bad as you might think. Don’t always believe the things you read on Twitter. We took a side pushing for Premier League football this season to 60 minutes with a weakened first team. I am sure many would agree there were many spells of the game where we were the better team.
It was only when changes were made and some of the Wanderers B Team squad were introduced that we started to open the door for easy chances. Sure, they’re not entirely to blame. Rico especially will be annoyed with himself about how the first goal was conceded.
The game only highlighted how badly we’re suffering on the injury front. You could argue it was our main downfall last year. Squad depth is without a doubt something we need to look at improving on before the season starts. And it’s fair to say the B Team aren’t quite there yet with helping us on that front.
It was interesting to see the 3-4-3 in action and it worked for the most part. Lolos looked impressive and I’m excited at what impact he can make this season. Adeboyejo also looked in great shape and ran rings around the Boro defence at times. Could he be our wildcard this year? He and Lolos caught the defence a few times on the press which was refreshing to see. Hopefully this can become a bigger part of our game this season. We just need to see some goals now. But be in no doubt our strike force looks set to pick up from where they left off last season.
Tuesday night was also a good run out and confidence booster. Chorley asked us some questions and we answered them, for the most part anyway. Our defence looked shaky at times. But you’d like to think its Evatt’s main improvement focus this season after last year, so let’s give it some time. Khumbeni was impressive when he came on and deserved his goal. He was rapid in attack and didn’t give the defence a break when they held the ball. Nlundulu looks to still be finding his feet in the new setup, but his effort cannot be faulted in these few games so far.
Overall, let’s not get carried away. We have had a lot of positives, and it is natural to have negatives this early. At the end of the day, it is better we find and address the holes in our game now, rather than later.
Can Bolton avoid a bleak midwinter?
by Harry Crosland
In a few months, as the weather becomes harsh and unforgiving, so does the challenge facing the Wanderers.
It is a time of year which has often proved problematic for Ian Evatt’s side, and from late October through to Boxing Day, Bolton face a significant upturn in the difficulty of their league opponents this season.
October 22 – Birmingham (Away)
Birmingham’s eyewatering financial outlay in this summer’s transfer window has landed them as favourites to win the league — anything but promotion would be a catastrophic failure given the reputation of the players they have recruited. Travelling to St. Andrews will be a daunting task for most this season, but can the Wanderers catch Birmingham cold before the newly-assembled team has had time to gel?
November 9 – Stockport (Away)
Back in November 2021, non-league Stockport County knocked the Whites out of the FA Cup. Memories of Antoni Sarcevic, Bolton captain just one month previously, dancing to the infamous chant reverberating around Edgeley Park brings a shudder to Bolton fans unfortunate enough to recall. Fast-forward three years, and Stockport’s successive promotions mean that the two sides are facing each other again, this time as League One peers. Charged by an undoubtedly raucous home atmosphere, the Hatters will pose a challenge Bolton are unlikely to overcome without showing the grit and resilience they have often been accused of lacking.
November 16 – Rotherham (Away)
The ball had hardly stopped rolling from the 23/24 campaign before Rotherham’s flurry of signings rang alarm bells throughout the league. The Millers have carved their niche as third-tier promotion specialists, aiming for the latest instalment in their yo-yo saga. While the Wanderers have worked hard to rid themselves of frailty to direct and physical opposition, Steve Evans’ Rotherham will expose any remnants of a soft centre. The international break, however, will likely see this fixture rearranged.
November 23 – Blackpool (Home)
Playing Blackpool in the league last campaign was a tale of opposites; George Thomasson wheeling away after crashing in a 25-yard rocket to seal a home win, contrasting starkly with the despair of a 4-1 collapse at Bloomfield Road. Which version of the Wanderers will we see in November?
December 14 – Wigan (Home)
Here we go again. The much-debated rivalry with the Latics has intensified greatly over the last few years. While once an intriguing new entrant to the Football League in the late 70s, Wigan have now competed in the same division as Bolton, or higher, for 13 out of the last 15 seasons. Recent showdowns have also made a mockery of the dismissive snobbery that still greets this fixture from some pockets of the Bolton faithful. It’s time to embrace the rivalry and get a much overdue win against our neighbours — doing so would be a major psychological boost for this squad, many members of which faced heavy backlash after damaging defeats to Wigan previously.
Following the Boxing Day clash vs Barnsley, Bolton will have navigated a gruelling run of fixtures – a spell which also includes matches against fellow 23/24 playoff contenders Peterborough, as well as potentially awkward trips to Bristol Rovers and Wycombe. Bolton should, however, sense an opportunity; coping well with this onslaught of challenges would go a long way to addressing the concerns about their mentality.
Don't forget the tin hats!
by Chris McKeown.
We are now well underway with pre-season preparations, Middlesbrough providing another tough test and though it wasn't an ideal score-line, it was vital minutes in the bag for first team and the B Team back-up.
It was then on to Chorley, the first game I have attended since Wembley. It seems an age since May but it was good to see the Whites in action again.
It was also my first visit to Victory Park, and I’d definitely go again. The Wanderers supporters were greeted with a friendly welcome and the game had a great atmosphere, topped off with a solid performance from the team.
Bolton walked away comfortable 4-0 winners, but again, whilst it is always nice to win, it should not the main objective of a friendly.
That said, the defeat against Boro brought quite a reaction, especially on social media. And that suggests the games do matter - but why?
I don’t think it normally would be an issue, but after the events of last seasons finale, it might be the case that confidence is dented-not gone, but perhaps paper thin, In some quarters?
The layers need to be rebuilt, and that can come in many ways, from a player returning from injury or a new signing (or three) that gets the belief running stronger.
The key, in my view, to take any nervous concerns or apprehension away, is in how we start the new campaign. We must remove the doubt early, show we mean business, and prove that we are a different animal than last season.
That is not to say massive changes must be made, it is quite the opposite.
Scott Arfield mentioned in his interview that we must remember how close we came to achieving our aims last year. We just need that ‘little’ bit more, some added quality depth to give options, and a slightly different approach, when needed.
If that can be achieved, it can only lead to a good place.
Points make prizes, and I believe the fast start is vital, it sees off any ‘ghosts of the past’.
Every Wanderers fan will have an opinion on how we can improve and what needs to happen, that is part of the beauty of football. Whatever the viewpoint is, the ultimate goal of all our supporters is the same, we just want Bolton Wanderers to get back to where we believe we belong.
The league certainly seems to be more challenging this time around, and we still are some way off completing our transfer business. Importantly, however, the core of the team is in place. Other clubs may have recruited heavily but with that comes its own pressure - to get a team to gel or adapt to League One is something they must deal with, and it is no easy task. That is one issue we don’t have to be concerned about.
Regardless of others, we must set our stall out from the off and make sure we are a team that is both respected and feared by the opposition.
For now, it’s a waiting game. Let’s see what develops over the coming weeks.
Fingers crossed, by August 10, we will be ready for the battle that lies ahead .
Don't forget the tin hats!
Can Bolton go one better?
by Ernie Bratherton
With pre-season in full swing and expectation higher than ever, the stall has been set out.
Can Bolton go one better?
Last season’s outcome can be interpreted in many ways, but the fact of the matter is Ian Evatt’s men have consistently improved year on year. After promotion in his inaugural campaign, Evatt and his side have evolved and adapted on numerous occasions into the team they are today.
But this year the expectation is higher than ever; promotion is the ultimate aim and the task at hand has got increasingly more difficult with the new kids on the block Birmingham City spending over £10milllion on players from all over the Europe.
Tom Brady and co are investing heavily in the Blues and subsequently building a squad more than capable of automatic promotion back to the Championship.
Chris Davies will be counting his lucky stars with the budget at his disposal; however, serious questions will be asked of the ex- Spurs assistant if they struggle to gain an early foothold in the title race.
Another newly relegated side Huddersfield Town have wasted no time in getting the cheque book out with new signings. Anthony Evans from Bristol Rovers and Lasse Sorensen have cost the Terriers a pretty penny. But as Wanderers fans no only too well, League One has developed astronomically in the last 10 years with promotion now requiring significant investment, and with six to 10 sides every year having viable reasons for play-off expectancy.
Pre-season has seen Wanderers trialling a tactical tweak, with Evatt employing two number 10s behind a traditional number nine. This tactical adaptability will be of the upmost importance in trying to change the course of games this year and with new singings on the horizon a new look Bolton will look to go about their business away from the headlines and focus on creating new ones on the pitch.
Evatt’s recent comments about “million-pound bids” are exciting to say the least with the board recognising the further need for investment and to not rest on their laurels. The Whites targets are public knowledge but the difference between landing them or landing target B,C or D will be the ensuing factor in Wanderers' quest to go one step further.
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