Schumacher's show of faith

by Liam Hatton

You could say that last weekend’s game against Reading - which head coach Steven Schumacher had a day to prepare for - was sort of a free hit. There was barely any time to get on the training pitch with his new squad, so it was very much a case of ensuring it was more of the same as the two games prior under Julian Darby and company.

It was difficult to look back at that 1-0 defeat last Saturday, which Bolton definitely did not deserve to lose, with numerous chances falling to Aaron Collins who would normally finish those for fun. But there were promising signs with how the squad played as they managed to create chances directly, without the need for ‘20 to 30 passes’ as the manager put it.

It is hard to disagree with that assessment. Of course there were still some hairy moments playing the ball out from the back, but bear in mind that this squad has largely spent over four years playing exclusively in one manner, so that change will not happen overnight.

The huge appeal with Schumacher is that you get the feeling he can be very flexible, tactically. He has said that this squad can play in different ways and is adaptable, which went a long way to explain why Monday’s transfer deadline was quiet in terms of incomings.

That is important to note because it has been a topic of discussion all week on social media (shocker I know). The main arguments are that the club have not adequately replaced Dion Charles, Kion Etete is useless after one mistake in a brief cameo and that Joel Randall is a waste of money.

There is nothing quite like knee jerk, reactionary statements is there? I can understand the argument that the club have not replaced Charles, but my counter argument would be that there are still goals in this squad - whether those come from Collins (who we are so reliant on right now), John McAtee (who really needs some minutes and to properly kick on), or even other areas of the pitch chipping in.

I mentioned before that Schumacher’s first game was a free hit and I get that feeling about this season as well. Look, I am not saying that does not mean the squad should give the play-offs a right good go if they end up finishing in the top six, but we are talking about a squad that has been moulded in the shape of his predecessor.

Promotion or not come the end of the season, a lot of incomings and outgoings will be taking place regardless. Schumacher right now feels that there is still talent in this squad and it is a huge morale boost for the players for him to effectively say that he believes in them, instead of coming in straight away and ripping up half the team.

The message here is patience, just as it was last week when we were anxiously waiting for the managerial announcement to be made official. So if we do fall short this year, we can be excited about the summer period and how this team will be shaped into whatever Schumacher wants it to be.

But for now, I am so ready to welcome the gaffer for his first home game.

Are we stronger than at the start of January?

by Lee Sidebotham

New signing Kion Etete (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) That’s the question that seems to be going around at the moment.

At the start of the window, I think it was unanimous in what we needed. A new striker, a left-footed defender and a playmaker. Not to mention Aaron Morley back in the squad and some dead weight out of the team. I personally think we’ve ticked the majority of those boxes.

Joel Randell’s opening few games have somewhat gone under the radar since his transfer from Peterborough. I think that can mostly be blamed on things off the pitch and out of his control. So far, he’s scored one and assisted a belter against Northampton. You can’t really complain at that. I’m excited to see what he can do under a manager like Steven Schumacher.

I think it’s way too early to judge Kion Etete. Personally, I would have preferred to bring in someone permanent over a loanee especially at striker. Dan Nlundulu anyone? But the decision was made and bearing in mind the fact he’s not played a full ninety minutes since last season; I thought he played okay at Reading. That was until the handball anyway. It’s a shame he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I’m all for giving him more opportunities to see what he can do. That chant we were singing at Reading is a banger too!

It's also early days for Alex Murphy. It was clear we needed a backup on the left-hand side of defence, and we got it. I thought he had a decent showing against Reading and Northampton last week and I'm looking forward to see him progress. He’s very highly regarded at Newcastle and I’m hoping he proves to be another one of those loan signings we just can’t seem to let go of.

Then there’s Morley who’s pick up right from where he left at Wycombe. He may turn out to be the missing piece of the puzzle this season.

I think those questioning whether we have improved over this window need to step back and look at the bigger picture. We need a decent look in with Schumacher before making drastic changes to the squad. Let’s assess where we are at the end of the season. We’ve got a lot of contracts up in June let’s not forget too.

We’ve got a free hit at promotion with Schumacher this season, and who knows where we’ll be next year? Ultimately, as much as I wanted to see some more signings over January, I think it was the right decision not to go crazy.

A new era at Wanderers

by Chris McKeown

Schumacher giving instructions to Johnston (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) A new era has begun, the drama and speculation over who would take up the hot seat decided, and the news it’s Steven Schumacher has been well received by the Bolton faithful.

Steven went straight into the deep end on Saturday and was moments away from a very solid start. I’m confident Schumacher would’ve learned a lot from that match and after a week on the training ground, we will hopefully see the early signs of his style begin to show this Saturday - hopefully with a big crowd to welcome him in.

The to do list and timeframe meant no settling in period and we may well need a little patience to see the best of his Bolton team. While I’m optimistic of a play-off spot, it is a tough task for the manager to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together so quickly, But if he can boost the confidence of the players and we can find a run of form, then this season will be far from over!

The transfer window shut with no additions and a slight trimming of the squad. While I had hoped for a striker or physical midfielder to come in - the team is still more than capable (especially with a fresh start and new eyes on the training ground) to achieve its goal in the short term. Longer term is possibly when we may see more fruition of Schumacher’s labour.

The next few months will give him the time to assess, implement and get BWFC playing his way. By the summer he will have a full idea of what’s required while having his foundations in place.

Of course, we all hope he waves the magic wand and we get instant success. But we have a manager with a proven track record at this level at the helm. We have to trust and believe that in time he can achieve what he’s done before and, in turn, take this club back to where it belongs.

I hope the road to promotion is smooth but if it’s bumpy, we are all certainly well trained for that too!

Schumacher was the head coach I was hoping FV would appoint. He seems to have that bit of ‘extra something’ that I think the club and the fans need at this time. He came across brilliantly well in the club's official video interview and I’m genuinely excited to see how Bwfc develop under him.

The buzz is back and I, for one, can’t wait for Saturday!