When the Wanderers didn’t make the top six in Ligue 1 in the wake of their defeats at Cheltenham Town and Forest Green, we asked fans for their opinion on what’s going on at the University of the University. Bolton Stadium.
Three Bolton regulars participated in a Facebook live discussion that revolved around several topics. The two are about roster substitutions and expectations this season.
We picked out some of the key points that Ian Evatt’s side made to stabilize his form in this weekend’s home game against Barnsley.
Chris Dawson: “I would have taken it. [sixth at this stage], especially with most hands-on games. Should I be concerned? I think it should be put in the context of last season. There is a clear trend towards the form dip, especially the away side. But they are not Burton-esque in terms of absolute surrender.
“Have you compromised on free-flowing scoring play to be tighter in the back and more static in midfield? It seems to be the same this season. Cheltenham, perhaps compared to last season’s Fleetwood. We lasted until 87 minutes and lost the game due to poor concentration. We’re stuck with these games.
“While the play wasn’t attractive and the form was bad, we kept it 1-0 and I think that’s a positive thing in this regard. For me, Forest Green was worse. Cheltenham offered something, but Forest Green didn’t, especially in the second half. We still couldn’t score and that was a concern.”
Will Fairclaw: “I think everyone wanted promotion with a positive mindset at the beginning of the season. We’re all keeping an eye on the top two or the top six, and history says smaller teams like the Cheltenhams and Forest Greens will come after you. It lacked a little enthusiasm and desire.
The Wanderers suffered consecutive 1-0 losses against Cheltenham and Forest Green.
“The biggest concern for me is away games. Every time I play at home, I feel confident, but it feels like I’m watching another team at home. bar A performance by MK Dons that I thought was great. Is this the arena we should have in mind? Accringtons, Fleetwoods – You can get promoted if you win on the spot.
“But I think we are doing well. I would have taken the sixth. We are somewhat similar to last season. But last week – I didn’t think we had a particularly good game against Lincoln. I thought it was a bad game and we were going through movement.
“Forest Green was terrible for me. I didn’t think we would score and take the game to them. In this league you have to be clinical and ruthless. And I don’t think we’re far from home.”
Chris Walsh: “Looking at what happened last week, I’m a little concerned about where the goals are coming from. But I don’t think that’s all fate and melancholy. I think we should shrug our shoulders. We have a big match against Barnsley who is in a decent position right now. I don’t think we can take that game lightly, but I’m more certain we’re at home this weekend.
“A lot of people will look at what Ian Evatt is doing right now and think, ‘Does he know his best 11?’ We’ve been relatively good with 11 starts in recent seasons, but I think we have enough talent on the bench to change the game if needed for the first time this year.
“The problem we have right now is that we haven’t finalized the 11th because we’re doing too many turns. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but we looked at two matches last week. I would have expected us to get at least 3-4 points.
“No one is guaranteed a starting position, but I think we need a solid core. It wasn’t always like that. Whether we were disciplined or injured, we had to change. In the last few weeks we’ve made three or four changes per game, and I think that’s what makes the squad unsettling.”
