EXPECTATIONS were sky-high at Wanderers before a ball was kicked this season, following the play-off final disappointment – but what have been the highs and lows of the campaign so far?
We asked our panel of BWFC columnists to pen their thoughts on what has gone wrong, what has gone right, and what they expect will happen from here on in.
Name: Liam Hatton.
Expectations - What did you expect of BWFC this season, especially after Wembley?
A lot of what has transpired so far this season I expected to happen. The drubbings at the hands of Huddersfield and Stockport have expedited calls for Evatt to go with large amounts of the fanbase, which was always a possibility after how last season ended. The feeling was that Bolton would be hanging in or around the playoff places and that seems to be where they are as a football club.
Hits - What has made you happy to be a Bolton fan so far?
I am very happy for Ricardo Santos, who since being stripped of his captaincy has remained a model pro and is playing some good football. I do not think it was handled well and the timing was questionable, which must have left his pride slightly hurting. On a similar note, you also have to say that George Thomason’s rise from non-league player to club captain is a success story for the club.
Misses - What has disappointed you about Wanderers in the first quarter of the season?
Bolton just sadly cannot seem to shake the Wembley hangover. The manager wants fans to get over it, but he also keeps mentioning it. Wanderers represent a team that are far from the finished article, but something is holding them back and I am afraid to say that a managerial change seems to be the way to go. That is not to say that the whole playing squad is absolved of blame however.
Maybes - Predict the future! Has your opinion changed over the last couple of months? Will Wanderers go up in the end?
I cannot see Bolton going up. The team is too inconsistent, they look fragile when they concede or they play against the better teams in the league, which is not a new phenomenon. If you can get to February/March and are within those playoff spots then there could be a possibility, but the league is more competitive this season. They are too hot and cold to be taken seriously.
Expectations: My expectations for this season have faltered since the disaster at Wembley. In my heart I felt hard done by: we’d had a decent enough season and, although we’d just missed out, our team remained capable of promotion. Pessimism nagged at the back of my mind, however, and I expected the sting of Wembley to linger a while, holding us back from hitting the ground running with a strong start.
Hits: A lot of my pride for the season has come from watching the development (and outstanding success) of our women’s team. Their recovery from an earlier defeat to defeat Tranmere by 7 goals has got me particularly optimistic about the team’s future. I can’t wait to watch it unfold.
Misses: There’s been a lot said about the negative mindset of the fans, but I’ve yet to see the same mindset addressed in the players. I do agree the fans set an atmosphere, but the players set a precedent. It’s a chicken/egg scenario: you can’t critique the fan response to a 5-0 defeat without recognising that player mindset exacerbated it. Maddeningly, there are glimpses of the do-or-die mindset that we all want to see – we just need to harness it consistently.
Maybes: My optimism and realism are in a constant battle over the outcome for Wanderers this season. I do believe the table is in for a big shake-up all round – nothing yet is set in stone. The concern is, we can’t let ourselves get rattled along the way. If we mirror the instability of the league, we’ll be out of the running, but with a little consistency, our promotion hopes might escape getting buried in rubble.
Expectations: After conversations behind the scenes and the board deciding to back Evatt for one more season, I was expecting Bolton to use the Oxford embarrassment as motivation. Wanderers had to start the season fast and blow away the Wembley cobwebs. Preseason was optimistic, especially with George Johnston’s return, but the scrappy win and tweak of tactics against Leyton Orient did not fill me with much confidence. Then came the dry run, and expectation of automatic promotion disappeared entirely.
Hits: I have to say, the two away wins at Northampton and Crawley were probably the best I’ve felt about this season so far. After the drubbing against Huddersfield, something had to change, as Wanderers looked to be more comfortable without the ball yet resolute in defence. The two sloppy injury time goals conceded in Northamptonshire maybe changed that outlook a bit, but for that week I genuinely believed in the foundations of a new gameplan.
Misses: I think the reason I’ve lost faith in the coaching has been just how stuck and rigid Bolton have looked this season. Most humiliatingly against Huddersfield, Wanderers conceded an embarrassing fourth religiously trying to play out from the back. Also up there is just how many big chances go begging. These crucial moments decide games and although we got away with it against Peterborough, the chances against Exeter, Wrexham and Birmingham that came and went were incredibly frustrating.
Maybes: From the expectation of automatic promotion in August to the likelihood of playoff heartbreak once more, I don’t think Wanderers have the guile and ability this season. Everyone looks sapped of energy and confidence. My delusional heart believes we scrape promotion, and Evatt turns it around thanks to the lower quality of the top teams this season (Birmingham aside). I expect to be disappointed come May, but I’ll keep rooting for Wanderers every weekend regardless.
Expectations: It’s simple… promotion! The stuffing got knocked out of us all in the play off final, and the recovery was never going to be straightforward, but with the backing of the board, Evatt significantly boosted the team in a busy summer transfer spree and kept the majority of the squad he built and crafted, together.
With that, surely anything less than a place in the Championship, is below what’s needed and expected?
Hits: The support! The attendance and the atmosphere against Wrexham (certainly early game) just shows what this club can tap into, a taste of what’s to come should we be successful. We continue to turn up home and away in big numbers. Regardless of form, good and bad, come matchday, the stadium, the shop, fan zone is buzzing with fans, and that deserves huge credit.
Misses: For me it’s been all about missed opportunities so far. We seem to slip up at the worst possible time - Immediately prior to the three international breaks. It started with Exeter originally, then followed at the next break with a missed chance against Shrewsbury.
The biggest disappointment and such a huge shift in momentum (after a very solid run) came against Stockport. And on each occasion, the mood at crucial intersections, took a gigantic nose dive.
Maybes: Despite everything, we still find ourselves on the periphery of the play off zone, and if we get a strong wind in our favour, it’s still early enough to make this season a successful one.
It feels like we are at a very important moment for all concerned.
This club needs to operating at a higher level, one way or another we have to find the way to attain a spot in the Championship.
Expectations: I thought we’d pick up right from where we left last season. I thought we’d give the entire league a run for their money, and I was impressed with the players we brought in over the summer. However, our injury luck hasn’t made it that straightforward.
Hits: Some of the responses we’ve had to difficult challenges this season has reminded me why I’m such a proud supporter. The reaction from both the players and fans at the Reading game following the Huddersfield match was one we can look back on and find inspiration. Also, the support behind Rico at Northampton away and at home following some negative comments online showed the silent majority are behind him and our players all the way.
Misses: Overall, you have to say there’s been more misses than hits so far this season, and none more so than up front. The number of goals we’ve scored with arguably one of the best strike forces in the league simply hasn’t been good enough. Whether that’s down the players or management is anyone’s guess, both have been defending each other in interviews. Either way, we need to start finding the net if we want to start changing our misfortunes.
Maybes: There’s no doubt we can still get promotion this season. One point off the play-offs in November I reckon a lot of fans would have taken. However, the way we have got here has left a bitter taste for many supporters. My prediction is that the heat on management will cool down over the next run of games and months ahead, and we’ll finish within the promotion places, just. What happens after that, I wouldn’t like to say!
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