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SQUAD GAME: The numbers behind Wanderers' 2021/22 League One campaign

The stats suggest MJ Williams has been an important player for Wanderers over the past season
The stats suggest MJ Williams has been an important player for Wanderers over the past season

WANDERERS finished ninth in their first season back in League One and were one of the form teams in the division since the turn of the year.

Ian Evatt’s men racked up wins against Doncaster, Accrington, Cheltenham and Fleetwood in the final stages and will be aiming to continue their momentum heading into next term.

Dapo Afolayan finished as the Whites’ top-scorer with 14 goals in all competitions, while captain Ricardo Santos also earned plaudits for his performances in defence.

But which members of the Wanderers squad went under the radar at times over the past season?

We have picked out the top five Bolton players in a variety of categories at both ends of the pitch using data from whoscored.com.

Goals

  • Afolayan (14)

  • Bakayoko (13)

  • Charles (8)

  • Doyle (8)

  • Bodvarsson (7)

Assists

  • Afolayan (8)

  • John (7)

  • Lee (6)

  • Bakayoko (5)

  • Fossey (5)

Dribbles

  • Afolayan (149)

  • John (32)

  • Charles (29)

  • Kachunga (26)

  • Isgrove (24)

Passes

  • Johnston (2371)

  • Santos (2017)

  • Williams (1519)

  • John (1436)

  • Aimson (1419)

Pass accuracy

  • Sheehan (87.1%)

  • Williams (83.5%)

  • Santos (82.7%)

  • Morley (81.2%)

  • Lee (81.2%)

Tackles

  • Afolayan (78)

  • Williams (58)

  • Santos (56)

  • Johnston (45)

  • Jones (43)

Interceptions

  • Johnston (51)

  • Aimson (45)

  • Williams (35)

  • Santos (35)

  • Afolayan (26)

Shots blocked

  • Santos (32)

  • Johnston (31)

  • Aimson (14)

  • John (5)

  • Williams (5)

Clearances

  • Santos (180)

  • Johnston (175)

  • Aimson (84)

  • Jones (53)

  • John (39)

Headers won

  • Santos (124)

  • Johnston (102)

  • Aimson (66)

  • Bakayoko (55)

  • Jones (39)

Minutes played

  • Johnston (3,938)

  • Afolayan (3,929)

  • Santos (3,817)

  • Williams (3,741)

  • John (3,666)

Points per game

  • Morley (2.24)

  • Trafford (2.14)

  • Bodvarsson (2.10)

  • Sadlier (2.06)

  • Charles (1.96)

Summary

The data backs up how important Afolayan has been for Wanderers over the past season, both in terms of his end product and also winning the ball back and advancing up the pitch.

Santos also deserves his praise, having been dominant at the heart of defence since the start of the campaign.

However, the likes of George Johnston and Declan John have arguably gone under the radar at times for their contributions at both ends of the pitch.

Moreover, the stats highlight the importance of MJ Williams’ role in terms of breaking up attacks and getting the Whites on the front foot.

Finally, the points per game data shows how much of an impact Wanderers' January signings have had on the squad.

In particular, Aaron Morley and James Trafford appear to be vital cogs in the Bolton machine despite their youth.