Ratings: Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Lincoln City

An excellent start to the season!

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There’s pressure on Bolton Wanderers this year. While the last two seasons in League 1 have been widely seen as opportunities for progression after a horrible 2010s decade, both fans and pundits alike expect the Whites to be at the top of the pile in 23/24.

If the players are feeling the heat, despite the biblical downpour in which our opening game at the newly named Toughsheet Community Stadium was played, they didn’t show it. We were witness to a very professional and convincing performance, and my word it’s refreshing to say that.

As you’d expect, then, what follows are some very positive player ratings!

Nathan Baxter 6.5

The former Chelsea man has been tasked with filling the sizeable boots of James Trafford and looked very competent on his debut. He’ll have much tougher outings than this one, but it was encouraging to see him get to grips of being regularly asked to use his feet (especially after his error last week against West Brom). I look forward to seeing him tested more in the coming weeks.

Gethin Jones 7

Bolton’s vice-captain played in a manner to which we have become accustomed over the last 3 years: solid and composed. Jones isn’t going to do anything fancy, but he wins his headers and tackles whilst remaining sensible in possession. Our 3-5-2 formation requires the outside centre-halves to be mobile and link well with our wing-backs. Jones knows this system and plays in it very well.

Ricardo Santos 7.5

The skipper looked as though he couldn’t believe how much time and space the likes of Tyler Walker and Ben House gave him in possession. For 90 minutes he was allowed to spray long, raking passes with unerring accuracy; he won’t have many easier matches than this in which to play his natural game. As usual, none of Lincoln’s forwards could match him physically, either.

Jack Iredale 7.5

Everyone knows I haven’t been an Iredale fan and losing George Johnston to injury had me very concerned given the Australian is now likely to play a huge part this season. Getting his first goal for the club boosted his confidence and, having looked a tad nervous in the very early exchanges, he went on to have a fine game. Like Jones, you get the impression this formation suits him down to the ground. The added focus on being solid defensively matches his qualities much more than a wing-back role. Looking forward to seeing more of him.

Josh Dacres-Cogley 7

Another who is going to be compared to his predecessor, JDC is a different player to Connor Bradley but looks like he could be very effective. What he lacks in the ability to go on the ranging runs we came to expect from the Northern Ireland man, he makes up for with excellent crossing. Physically, it was good to see him put himself about and I think he helps to make us a more balanced side.

Josh Sheehan 8.5

Cymru am byth! My word it is a pleasure and a privilege to watch Sheehan back to his best. He showed flashes last year of his Quarterback abilities last season whilst still on the comeback trail from his ACL injury, but this was something else entirely. What he did so well was giving the centre-halves an easy pass to progress the ball into midfield. He would turn, look up and find a teammate to get attacks moving and Lincoln had no answer. A successful midfield trio needs a general and Sheehan has put his marker down to be that man. Excellent.

Aaron Morley 6.5

Honestly, I thought he was slightly underwhelming today. A great delivery for Iredale’s goal aside he was a tad wasteful in possession. That being said, what I did like was his mobility to support the wing-backs on either flank as it helped us to keep the ball higher up the pitch rather than being forced to retreat. I got the impression he wanted the additional time on the ball that Sheehan found by playing deeper, so once he gets more accustomed to his altered role I am confident he’ll be effective.

Kyle Dempsey 8

All hail the Tag Man! Kyle is channelling his, erm, “aggression” in a very positive way playing higher up the pitch. He has one hell of an engine and looks to have worked very hard to improve his passing. This was never a weakness of his, but with Morley and Sheehan alongside him being excellent technicians it’s good to see him getting up to their speed. He read the game superbly to make some timely interceptions and provided a teasing cross that forced Paudie O’Connor’s own goal. A fit and healthy Kyle Dempsey is a terror in League 1.

Randell Williams 8

A pre-season under Ian Evatt looks to have been transformative for “Randy”. He was starting to motor towards the end of 22/23 but we haven’t seen as positive a performance from him as this. We know he is a natural winger, so the tricky dribbling and whipped crosses are almost expected. What I enjoyed about this showing was his ability to win headers and utilise his pace track back and win tackles. To be effective at wing-back you need to have someone that can do both the fancy and gritty stuff. It will be interesting to see if Williams can continue to excel on both counts.

Dion Charles 6.5

Not his day in front of goal and he’ll be cursing O’Connor for the OG as Dion was jogging on the spot to tap in the ball behind the flailing centre-half. Nevertheless, he was his usual hard-working self and often scared the living daylights out of Lincoln’s defence to win the ball back in dangerous areas. Where he needs to improve is holding onto the ball, his first touch is often a poor one and it blots an otherwise positive copybook.

Victor Adeboyejo 7

While he too could benefit from an improved first touch, Victor will be delighted to be off the mark for this season after scoring an excellent header after a sustained period of Wanderers pressure. Like Charles, he worked hard and harried the Imps backline tirelessly. He will likely have a big part to play this season and, hopefully, an opening day strike is the just the tonic to get him firing.

Substitutes

George Thomason 6.5

Gets an additional 0.5 for an absolutely cracking pass to set Dempsey away for our third goal.

Dan N’Lundulu 6

Paris Maghoma 6

Cameron Jerome N/A

Carlos Mendes Gomes N/A