In the eighth of a series of pre-season reports, HarryfromBath assesses the mood around the Championship clubs by delving into their forums, looking here at how things have progressed for the newly-promoted Trotters. A report on Preston will follow later today with the all of the teams in the division covered by the start of the season.
"When was the last time we had a stonking pre-season?”, "Bolton in pre-season is not for the faint-hearted”, "We need to start getting some structure to the line-up now”, "It’s not going to be pretty tippy-tappy, but it will be long ball and working to create set pieces. A target man will be crucial.”
"The more the summer goes on, the more I reckon it’s going to be a hard-working flat 4-4-2.” Most Trotters are metaphorically rolling their sleeves up and expecting a taxing campaign after finishing as League One runners-up and returning to the Championship at the first time of asking.
"I think people should be prepared for a rough ride”, "I have to say I would be happy with fourth from bottom and try to build on that the season after. A bit of stability won’t do us any harm after the last few years”, "There is going to be a lot of grinding stuff out and plenty of hanging on.”
"Trust Phil Parkinson 100 per cent”, "There may come a time when Parky has taken us as far as he can but it’s not yet”, "He doesn’t seek attention or say stupid stuff and it isn’t about him. He is what we need, at least for now”, "We have a good manager at last. Can we just let him get on with it?”
Trotters appreciate the way in which the 49-year-old former Bradford City manager has stabilised the club and fashioned a successful promotion push since taking over in June 2016. "Parky has the right to have a crack. I have some doubts, but he ducked and dived last year and we will need him to do so again.”
"After watching the shambles of recent seasons, his ability to organise and coach a defence (unlike Owen Coyle), identify decent players on free transfers (unlike Dougie Freedman) and get the respect of players (unlike Neil Lennon) means he deserves the chance to have a good go at the next level.”
Parkinson has worked under an EFL transfer embargo due to a default in the club’s filing obligations alongside the failure to provide additional financial information required under EFL regulations. One impact has been to restricted the number of registered professional players the club can retain.
Former Ipswich midfielder Liam Trotter has joined AFC Wimbledon. Defenders Dean Moxey (Exeter) and Lawrie Wilson (Port Vale) and strikers Conor Wilkinson (Gillingham), Max Clayton (Blackpool) and Jamie Proctor (Rotherham) have all departed and signed deals with lower league clubs.
Several Trotters are free agents at the time of writing, including midfielders Mark Davies, Tom Walker, Jay Spearing, defender Lewis Buxton and one-time Town loan right-back Reece Wabara. Meanwhile, keeper Ben Amos has additionally been told he is free to find a new club.
Bolton have strengthened their defence with the addition of 28-year-old right-back Mark Little from Bristol City. Left-back Andrew Taylor, 30, has joined from Wigan having been on loan at Wanderers last season while 28-year-old Stephen Darby has arrived from Bradford City on a two-year contract.
Two notable additions will add experience to the flanks, with 30-year-old Sammy Ameobi joining from Newcastle, having played for the Trotters on loan since January and Will Buckley, 27, signing from Sunderland on a two-year deal, having spent time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday last season.
In attack, the experienced Adam Le Fondre played on loan with the Trotters for the second half of last season and he has signed permanently after a free transfer from Cardiff. The most recent arrival at the rime of writing is 30-year-old striker Adam Armstrong on loan from Newcastle until January.
Contract extensions have additionally been agreed with a number of established first-team squad players, including defenders Dorian Dervite and David Wheater, midfielder Jem Karacan, winger Filipe Morais and striker Gary Madine. Despite all of this groundwork, fans think there is more to do.
"We can sign as many wingers and forwards as we like but it’s pointless if we don’t play through midfield”, "A passing midfielder is the crucial area to strengthen”, "If folk think Armstrong and Le Fondre are going play off the shoulder feeding on through balls, they are going to be disappointed.”
"We don’t have a midfield player who can spray passes around and create chances.” This area along with the lack of cover for Gary Madine as a line-leading striker have been highlighted as priorities. "if we go into the season with only Madine as our first-choice target man we will be in trouble.”
"Just back in and what a waste of a tenner. We started playing five at the back and even with Ameobi filling in on the right and often playing as a wing-back, our back six were outnumbered and outclassed”, "Nobody wanted the ball and Fleetwood simply passed us off the park for 90 minutes.”
Bolton’s pre-season run has seen them win 3-2 at Chorley before heading up to Scotland and securing consecutive 2-1 victories at Arbroath and Dundee. Two scoreless stalemates away to AFC Fylde and Stockport bracketed a very alarming 2-0 reverse and lamentable display at Fleetwood.
Trotters were baffled by an experimental line-up (above) which unravelled against the Trawlermen. "I was more frustrated with our tactics and what we were trying to do. We had Ameobi and Buckley out wide but rarely got the ball in front of them and behind Fleetwood’s full-backs.”
"Fleetwood were organised, classy and worked hard”, "They walked through the centre midfield unchallenged. Karacan was completely anonymous and we created nothing”, "We had nobody to put a foot on the ball and we just resorted to blasting balls up to Madine who rarely won them.”
"The performance was probably best summed up by an attacking move down the right which came up against the Fleetwood back four on the edge of their box. The ball ended up with our keeper as we had no idea what to do with it”, "Fleetwood fans around me were shocked at how bad we were.”
The line-up (above) for the subsequent run out at Stockport kept the three at the back shape and included trialists Robert Atkinson and one-time Ipswich man Alex Bruce. "We had three centre-backs and Derik Osede dropping deep to collect the ball off them, leaving six players behind the ball.”
Trotters are worried with such tactical confusion and an unbalanced squad so close to the start of the season. "Adam Armstrong is nippy, a good off-the-shoulder man, but he’s tiny. I can’t see him and Le Fondre starting together unless it’s either side of Madine and that would be adventurous.”
"Not panic stations, but as the season approaches you would hope for some semblance of quality with a bit of passing and some chances being created. It doesn’t sound like we’re there yet”, "We are a decent centre midfielder away from me thinking that we will definitely stay up this season.”
"Some of the problems we have suffered from have not gone away. We are missing the quality and depth to cover the spine of the team.” This theme has frequently cropped up with many squad discussions. "I don’t see us doing anything but fighting against relegation. I can see us going down.”
The two busiest Trotters message-boards are Wanderers Ways and The Wanderer.