Bolton Wanderers season preview 2024/25

The Current Situation

Ian Evatt and Bolton Wanderers Football Club are at a crossroads.

May 18th 2024

A day that should have been the culmination of four seasons of incremental improvement, achieved through the ingrained implementation of a cast-iron possession playing style. A style that would surely bear the fruit of returning us to the top two tiers, historically our rightful place in professional football’s food chain.

Instead, inertia.

Ponderous and prone to pace; Josh Murphy plundered two sweet strikes that exposed all the bad bits of the managers’ tactical repertoire from his time at the helm.

Radio silence ensued. Supporters licked their wounds. Oxford partied late into the London night. That was supposed to be us.

The defeated squad, thus far anyway, have been retained, despite initial noises from Evatt that he felt changes were necessary. At one point he was even considering his own future, amid admitted self-doubts over his ability to finally get this club out of League One.

The spine of Baxter, Santos and Sheehan all enter their final years of their contracts without any indication of fresh talks.

A promotion or bust theme is perhaps emerging here.

It seems that it is tactically where the changes lie, but it looks like a tweak rather than a rip-up-and-start-again job.

5-2-3/3-4-3 has been the way Evatt has gone in pre-season, seemingly dispensing with the third attacking midfielder due to the loss of Paris Maghoma. More emphasis placed on width and wide rotations to get players to the byline for even more cut backs. But this has all been experimented without the services of leading marksman Dion Charles, who is set to return from his knee injury imminently, something that clearly hampered him after he returned for the run-in.

It remains to be seen what set up he employs when his main striker is available, and whether using him as a lone front man in this set up is conducive to getting the best out of the supporting cast. He has almost exclusively played with a bonafide strike partner, not only here but also at Accrington, with Colby Bishop.

Confirmed multiple million pound plus bids made, admittedly without success thus far, hint at the biggest budget we’ve had under Evatt’s tenure.

This bombastic attitude in terms of revealing the size of bids perhaps alludes to a change of tact in the boardroom too, demonstrating to the fan base that they are now willing to truly compete on a level footing financially with the biggest clubs in the league, with one notable exception obviously!

The business done so far has been solid, if a little lacking in potential star quality.

The loss of silky loan midfield man Maghoma, back at Brentford and linked with a move to the continent, is unmistakably huge.

A marquee name for the level, such as the most-likely unattainable Karamoko Dembele, or the perhaps more realistic John McAtee, would give the fans reason to believe again.

Keeping hold of Aaron Collins will also be key to fostering a positive early season vibe at a club who are still hurting, and perhaps teetering on the precipice between continued solid fan backing for the manager, or a potential for mutiny.

A good start is a must for Evatt if the increasingly vocal dissenting few are not to quickly turn into a cacophony of calls for change.

The Incomings

Chris Forino

Forino remains a Wanderer, arriving on a free transfer after he let his contract run down at Wycombe.

Linked with QPR in January, the late blooming 24 year-old centre-back offers an athletic profile, a set piece threat and a hunger to improve and to play in the Championship, a confirmed recruitment modus operandi for Chris Markham and his transfer team.

A shrewd move on paper, Forino, who only 3 and a half years ago was turning out for Loughborough University, signed a three-year deal at the ToughSheet.

However, it may take time for him to command a regular place in our back three, with George Johnston returning in pre-season from his ACL injury and likely, in time, to reclaim his place on the left side. This should lead to fan favourite Eoin Toal reverting to his favoured foot and a spot on the right. Club captain Ricardo Santos will complete the trio reprising his familiar central role, mopping up transitional attacks with his pace and strength, while playing his big switches to the wing.

Luke Southwood

In one of Chairman (she insists on being called this, as I’ve referred to before!) Sharon Brittan’s late season interviews, before that ill-fated Wembley display, she alluded to the loss of key personnel through injury as the main reason that our automatic promotion bid was thwarted.

The focus of her disappointment lay mainly with goalkeeper Nathan Baxter’s absence for roughly 8 weeks with an untimely wrist injury,  during what was a particularly busy Saturday-Tuesday schedule. She reiterated that, if he hadn’t have been sidelined, she believed we would have beaten Derby to the coveted second spot.

What that also suggested was a clear need for a better quality back-up than Joel Coleman, the Bolton-born man a serviceable but limited keeper, who has rarely held down a regular spot in his career.

His erratic displays, including a propensity for rushing out and getting nowhere near the ball, exhibited a rustiness to be expected from a keeper who wasn’t used to the pressure of being a number one in a promotion chasing side. And despite a marked improvement after a run of games, as you’d expect, he had obviously been marked out as one that we simply had to improve upon.

So, in comes Cheltenham’s number one from the past two League One campaigns in Luke Southwood.

The once-capped Northern Ireland international is highly regarded at this level, and gives us that much needed upgrade on Coleman, who also still remains. It’s a sensible move, especially given Baxter’s history of unfortunate injuries.

The 26 year-old did sign having fractured his tibia in Cheltenham’s final league game of last season, the relegation-confirming 2-1 reverse at Stevenage, but he has now returned to full training. 

This kind of signing has very much gone under the radar in terms of fan reaction and traction. As most back up keeper signings tend to do!

But it might just be the smartest bit of business we do all summer.

Klaidi Lolos

The versatile Athens born forward/attacking midfielder certainly turned heads in Crawley Town’s surprising promotion from the fourth tier. Thirteen league goals and a highlight reel including some fantastic eye-catching strikes clearly helped entice Markham and Evatt to quickly tie up a move to the north west. Lolos signs on a three year contract for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of £400,000.

He offers an unpredictability and versatility that we perhaps haven’t seen since we lost Dapo Afolayan to St Pauli, and could be a game-changer for us tactically, as we will no doubt still encounter our fair share of low-blocks (especially at the ToughSheet) despite the perceived increase in quality divisionally. His skillset should help in unlocking defences who are content to sit in and hit us on the break.

It is an exciting move for the 23 year-old, who made his debut at Plymouth, after a couple of formative years back home at Olympiacos and then between 15-17 at Crystal Palace’s academy. He really shone at Oxford City, after a season at Torquay United, before his move to Crawley and so his is yet another example of our recruitment model targeting those who should display that hunger to make it to a higher level than they’ve ever played before.

I’m intrigued to see how Lolos gets on this season.

Szabolcs Schon

The 23 year old Hungarian international has recently signed for a huge estimated to be in the region of £800,000.

A left wing back was a crucial signing in this window.

Randell Williams’ foot muscle injury that kept him out of the play-off final (after some good late season form since returning from yet another enforced absence!) is now expected to keep him out until at least September.

And the man who started at Wembley in his place and whom many expected to sign permanently afterwards had we won, Nathaniel Ogbeta, has joined Wayne Rooney’s revolution at Plymouth.

Schon has represented his country at the Euros and spent time in the ranks of the prestigious Ajax academy.

It’s the first time that Wanderers have taken advantage of the rule change implemented last season, where teams in the EFL can sign a couple foreign players without the need to obtain a work permit.

It’s been a long term scouting mission to scout Europe for hidden gems & I’m certain this won’t be the last time we see a player arrive from the continent.

Scott Arfield

Eyebrows were raised by some when the club announced the signing of the former Huddersfield, Burnley and Rangers midfielder, who turns 36 on the 1st November, and had endured a rather indifferent two season spell in the MLS with Charlotte FC.

What his signature did do was give a squad, featuring not a single player over the age of 29, some experience and someone to pass on the vital know-how of being involved in big games (so often our Achilles heel), such as the Europa League final, various Old Firms, as well as vast Premier League experience with Burnley.

The ‘experienced man’ void left by the summer releases of Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Cameron Jerome has been filled. It is hoped that while he is clearly there to offer leadership and guidance to a predominantly young squad, he can still showcase the ability that took him to the heights he has achieved in his career.

Dubem Eze (no relation!) an attacking midfielder from Norwich, and AJ Weston, another forward-thinking midfielder from Hull, have both arrived after their releases to bolster the B team ranks, managed by former Blackpool defender Andrew Taylor. Evatt has suggested both players will be training with, and pushing for the first team this season.

The Outgoings

Jack Flint (GK) (Free, Flint , yeah seriously!)

Lamine Toure (CB)

Eric Yoro (CB) (Free, Longford Town)

Declan John (LWB)

Matt Tweedley (CM) (on trial with Cliftonville)

Fin Lockett (CF)

Cameron Jerome (CF) (training with Stockport)

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson (CF)

Gerald Sithole (CF) (on trial with Warrington)

The aforementioned duo of Jerome and Bodvarsson were always going to be released, old father time and repeated injury respectively catching up with the popular pair, and the rest of the list offered no surprises.

Left wing-back Declan John, farmed out on loan to Salford in January after being out of favour for the past 18 months, was another expected departure. Will be remembered fondly overall but was never up to the task defensively at this level.

There were once high hopes for forward Fin Lockett, prolific at under 18 level. But as is often cruelly the way, an ACL injury stunted his progress and he hasn’t returned to his explosive best since. Lockett departs with a ‘what-could’ve-been’ hanging in the air.

Centre-back Eric Yoro returns to the LOI after arriving from UCD two summers ago, and forward Gez Sithole departs after two years with us since his move from Gillingham.

The other B team releases in Toure and Tweedley, both with us for over a decade through the age groups, had various local non-league loans since their pro deals, but had clearly failed to show anything significant enough while on these to warrant a further deal.

The needs

Marquee signing

As mentioned in the opening section, the fans need that name to get us excited. We all know that feeling of tangible anticipation when you sign a player that, when first linked, had all your fans in a unison of excitement.

Whether that’s McAtee, the unlikely Dembele move or something more left field, it is very much needed to lift the spirits of a fan base still perturbed by Wembley and all that came with the huge deflation felt that day.

Wing-backs. And more wing-backs

Luke Matheson is progressing well overall, and had an encouraging-ish late season loan at Bohemians, but he is expected to head out on a League Two loan, which will hopefully help measure his development more tangibly.

To go into the season so short in such a key position as RWB in Evatt’s set up would be criminal. With potential deputy Gethin Jones also injured and needing surgery, it leaves just the dependable but ultimately limited forward-wise Josh Dacres-Cogley in situ.

Thinking we can muddle through with our current options here somehow would be a big misstep from Evatt and Markham. Expect movement.

Any Other Business

The initial buzzword of change that came from the gaffer in the aftermath of Wembley has materialised in the coaching staff, with the appointment of old Blackpool premier league days chum Stephen Crainey as joint assistant manager, alongside Peter Atherton. The ex-Fleetwood manager commanded a fee to prise him from his contract with local rivals Wigan, where he was a youth team coach.

A different voice and a new face on the coaching team to galvanise the squad and inject new ideas into the set up, or jobs for the boys?

With these types of coaching appointments, only the impact on results will determine their success. But it is encouraging, at least, that Evatt is willing to mix things up after two seasons of what ultimately has been treading water in the pursuit of promotion.

Prediction

As is always the case with any preview written before the end of the transfer window (or until this one has truly got going in all honesty!) it is very tough to gauge how Wanderers measure up against their perceived promotion rivals.

Other sides, Birmingham apart, also seem to be slow on making huge moves yet; although Steve Evans at Rotherham and Darren Ferguson at Peterborough seem to have most of their ducks in a row early. Our play-off kryptonite from 2022/23, Michael Duff, has already made some smart moves as he looks to go second time lucky in trying to get a Yorkshire side out of this division, this time with relegated Huddersfield.

Weighing up the positives and negatives is tricky. We have stability. That’s usually a big bonus. But are we at risk of going stale?

The seemingly increased budget is a real plus, but this is balanced out by the increased overall strength of the division, especially in regards to the sheer number of clubs who’ll feel the play-off’s are an eminently achievable aim.

Right now, I’m finding it hard to go with anything above 4th, crucially without knowing how our clearly ambitious recruitment plans play out.

Who knows if our Wembley nightmare gives our manager and his squad the increased motivation and wherewithal to finally get over the line, or if the big game collywobbles surface once again.

The end of the road for Evatt?

Or the beginning of a beautiful new highway into the Championship?

All I know is, I’m here once again for the ride!

COYW!!!