Another step back

by Liam Hatton

After the 3-0 win over 10 men Lincoln City, the message from Bolton boss Ian Evatt was clear: To try and go on a consistent run and climb the table.

All the talk about a ‘new year, new me’ in relation to this Wanderers team is just that, all talk and very little action. For every step forward there are two, three or even four steps backwards.

Football is subjective and Evatt can talk about ‘dominating’ the game against Mansfield in which they ultimately lost 2-1, but that is an inaccurate assessment of what transpired on New Year’s Day in my eyes.

Bolton did dominate possession, as they have in so many defeats, however Mansfield had more shots and shots on target. They could also have arguably had a penalty and Szabolcs Schön was very lucky not to see a red card.

Wanderers did go close to levelling when they were 2-1 down as a Schön effort was diverted into the path of Dion Charles, who couldn’t react in time and his shot ran into the grateful path of their keeper. Aside from that, nothing stuck out in terms of Bolton truly threatening the goal.

The main story is that of Bolton shooting themselves in the foot defensively time and time again. The two goals could very easily have been avoided - namely another set piece which they failed to deal with and a second goal from Lee Gregory in which Ricardo Santos should have done a lot better.

Aaron Collins did offer some hope with a well worked move, but Evatt’s definition of dominating a game involved Mansfield simply employing a low block and hitting Bolton on the counter attack, which they did to some effect.

Where do Wanderers go from here? Well, obviously they head to Exeter, but the message is the same as what I wrote in last week’s article: This team is not convincing in the slightest, they don’t scare opposing teams in attack and defensively they are weak.

What else can I say at this point without repeating myself? On top of that you have the dilemma of whatever happens with Aaron Morley and speculation over Charles' future, alongside any potential incomings tasked with saving Bolton’s season.

I feel that it is fair to say that when you require three or four new signings - not necessarily to add squad depth but to immediately improve the starting line-up - then there have been a lot of errors made in terms of your transfer policy and inquests do need to be made.

That is probably another question for a different day. Bolton may very well beat Exeter, as a team with their budget should be expected to do, but it will take a lot more than that to convince anyone with a semblance of rational thought that this team is going anywhere fast.

I honestly remember when an Evatt led Bolton team actually dominated teams. They were relentless going forward, they moved the ball from defence to attack much quicker and scored a lot more goals while looking solid defensively.

Whatever that was then, certainly isn’t the case now.

Ctrl, Alt + Delete: Time for a system reset

by James Scott

Collins got on the scoresheet at Mansfield (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) After an all too familiar experience watching Bolton against Mansfield, I sat down and watched the highlights from some key games in the Ian Evatt era. Here’s what I learned:

Evatt said after the Wigan loss that every team saves their best performance for when they play Bolton – perhaps there is some degree of truth to that, but I think Evatt is missing the point here. Teams can put in good performances against Bolton because they know exactly what to expect.

Evatt has had multiple transfer windows to spend big money, but lots of the most expensive players and biggest names haven’t lived up to expectations. Too often has Evatt bought players who have thrived playing their natural game, and he has tried to shoehorn them into a failing system.

The biggest victim of this was Dapo Afolayan. He was quite clearly Bolton’s best player when Wanderers played with wingers, but after the system changed to five at the back in January 2022, Evatt was never really able to get the best out of his star man.

Attempts to shoehorn him in the side as a second striker, an attacking midfielder and even a wingback were in vain, and he left in January 2023. A parting act of brilliance came from the left wing against Accrington Stanley, but Bolton would continue without wide men, and without their Bundesliga bound best player.

Aaron Collins, Carlos Mendes Gomes and John McAtee have all played their best football as wide players but look out of their depth trying to be forced to play as a striker or just behind. There have been moments of individual quality because they are inherently good footballers at this level.

Victor Adeboyejo played his best football at Burton attacking early crosses and making clever runs, and he scored a hat trick against Fleetwood last season doing exactly that. But Bolton don’t cross the ball enough, causing him often to be isolated from games.

These players weren't cheap, but it is not their style to be forced into a rigid system that does not play to their strengths.

After rewatching the extended highlights of the play-off final (torturous I know), I can conclude that the system’s rigidity caused Bolton to miss the mark, offensively and defensively. Gethin Jones was at fault for both goals in the final, and for Barnsley’s equaliser on Boxing Day.

Jones has been a terrific servant to Wanderers but he has made too many errors on the right side of a back three. He is a right-back who should play in a back four. Unsure whether to stick or twist against Jacob Murphy, he was left isolated by the attacking minded Josh Dacres-Cogley outside him, and Wanderers paid the price. The same thing happened with Randell Williams and Jones on Boxing Day.

If Evatt is to stay, he must drop the arrogance that his system is the formula for success. He should play to his players' strengths because they are capable at this level. He has drained them of confidence and ideas.

Wanderers are now feeling the full force of that. The system needs to change, or Wanderers will be confined to mid table mediocrity in 2025. Let the players play their best football in positions in which they are comfortable and move to a back four with proper wingers. The situation really is that bad.

January will define our season

by Lee Sidebotham

For me, it’s clear what we need to do this January.

I can already hear some readers shouting Evatt’s name at the paper, but until we’re out of the promotion race, he isn’t going anywhere. Therefore, we must start looking at where else it’s going wrong, because it’s certainly not just Evatt who hasn’t been performing this season.

Firstly, we need to get a target man in. We create many opportunities from the flanks but finish so few. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson would have been on the end of those balls previously and they are the goals we have been missing so far this season. We many similar options in attack but no real target man.

Someone like Reading’s Sam Smith instantly comes to mind. He can be that target man while also being able to play wider when needed. For me, he is the perfect striker for Evatt's style of play. While I’m not an expert of Reading’s current financial position, I know they’re not exactly in a place to disregard any bids that come in for their players.

With Kyle Dempsey potentially out for the remainder of the season, we need someone to step in and bring some much-needed intensity. Another bid for Peterborough’s Joel Randall could be back on the cards. Five goals and two assists so far this campaign also beats our current options.

Posh put a hefty price tag on him in the summer and despite their disastrous season, I can’t see him leaving for much less than what was previously offered. Perhaps someone like Doncaster’s Luke Molyneux could also be an option. He is a very similar player to Dempsey and has been tearing up League Two recently.

Aaron Morley needs to be placed straight back into our starting line-up. It felt like salt in the wounds after finding out he scored the winner for Wycombe on New Year’s Day!

We also need to start utilising the players we currently have. Will Forrester needs to come back into the line-up. For me, he has been the most consistent defender since his comeback from injury.

Jordi Osei-Tutu also needs to be starting more games. Sure, he was disappointing against Wigan, but so was everyone else. Before that game he had some top-level performances against the likes of Mansfield and Blackpool and deserves to be given a chance to show what he can do.

Then there’s Carlos Mendes Gomes who I’d look to give a proper run out now that he’s fully recovered from his season-ending injury last year. We that's ran out of ideas.

We are still in contention for where we want to be by the end of the season, and January can help us get over the line. This is the month that will define our season, and perhaps Evatt’s era too.

A feeling too familiar

by Chris McKeown

Wanderers after conceding at Field Mill (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) It’s difficult to know where to start with Bolton Wanderers these days but if you can focus on what’s really important, the results, we are nowhere near what this team is capable of (or what’s expected) at this point.

The squad has been carefully crafted together by Ian Evatt and seemingly recruited specifically to take us beyond the long awaited, elusive next step forward to a spot in the Championship.

Now, a season is marathon not a sprint, but sitting in 10th place at close to the half way stage of the campaign, and being just as close to a relegation spot as we are to the automatic promotion zone, it’s going to require one of the best runs imaginable to avoid another play-off lottery and be in the top two come the end of the season.

In fact, I’m talking as if the play-offs are our guaranteed insurance package and even with that, there’s now a small gap starting to break away from ourselves to the top six. Yes, we have games in hand but considering what happened last season, I’d much prefer the points.

If the transfer window brings in the new players that can be in essence ‘the afterburners’ to put us amongst the chasing pack, then all our worries will dissipate, and this first half of the season forgotten, should the cavalry come and be the lift the rest of the squad needs to lead us to promotion…
but that’s currently hope.

The Lincoln win give us all a boost and once again the idea that a page had been turned. I left the ground with a smile on my face. Once again, that was quickly displaced on New Year’s Day at Mansfield.

I watched that particular game on TV and turned over at half time and started to watch Jurassic Park for some light relief. I missed the first few minutes of the second half as I got caught up with a thrilling chase between predator and prey. I quickly realised the time and tuned back in to see how Bolton would respond. The short answer is, we didn’t.

While sitting back and contemplating the result, my thoughts returned to the movie I’d just briefly watched. Bolton Wanderers need to be the team that no one wants to play - the opposition should be like a rabbit in the headlights when they see our stadium coming up on the horizon. We should be one of big predators in this division. Could we possibly be suffering from an identity crisis?

So where we go from here is a mystery, but this current trend of form must be improved. It’s time the sleeping giant woke up.