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  Will Bolton be Warned that their poor form can't continue? Off the back of a disappointing defeat to Championship, Middlesborough and dropping points to winless Burton, can Bolton end their poor run of form at the Toughsheet, against Paul Warne's Derby County.  Bolton team news and tactics The injury situation isn't a great one for the Wanderers, no update has been provided on George Johnston - meaning that the centre half will likely miss the majority of the season. Fellow centre back, and captain, Ricardo Santos is also likely to miss this game; he picked up an ankle injury last weekend, against Burton Albion, it is unknown how long he will be out for but Evatt's words were "We don't know" and (when referring to the nature of the injury) he said "Isn't ideal". However, positively Eoin Toal has returned from his injury and he started on Tuesday night, against Middlesborough, and showed he is ready to be starting games. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson

  The start of a bad run? Another poor Bolton performance leads to a 1-1 draw away from home to 22nd place Burton Albion, there is no doubt that Evatt will not be happy with the result or some of the individual performances. Bolton have draw 1-1 with Burton two games in a row now, and with Middlesborough on the horizon, the bad form could continue for the Wanderers. Statistical review As always, Bolton dominated the ball over Burton (62% possession) and this lead to more chances and shots for the Wanderers. Bolton took 17 shots, with 6 on target, however they allowed Burton to have 13 shots, with 3 on target; the defence has been a strength for Bolton this season but 13 shots for Burton, highlights that it wasn't as impressive in this game. This could be due to the injury of captain and star player, Ricardo Santos, the centre back was forced off at half time due to a tackle in the first minute. In the interview after, Evatt said "We don't know. It was a really bad tackle i

  How will Bolton respond? At the Pirelli stadium on Saturday the 26th of August, Bolton Wanderers will take on Burton Albion and will look to respond to their embarrassing 4-0 defeat at home to Wigan. Of course, Dion Charles missed that game and will be returning for this game. Burton have only 1 point out of their opening game. Bolton team news  As said before, Dion Charles will be returning to the squad for this fixture, likely to the starting line-up, his partnership with Victor Adeboyejo has been incredibly impressive so far this season and will be key in the outcoming of this fixture. Nlundulu will most likely come out of the team for Charles, however Jon Dadi Bodvarsson could come into the team after returning from injury. All the strikers have a point to prove, especially Adeboyejo, as he is now competing for a starting spot with, fan favourite, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson.  There were very few acceptable performances in the Wigan game but Mendes Gomes did impress when he came and Kyle

  George Johnston - the Latic turned Trotter George Johnston has had a very interesting professional career, despite only being 24 (25 very soon, happy birthday). The Scotsman began his career in the youth setup of Liverpool, playing for the under 18s and under 19s - George left the club in 19/20 for Feyenoord for a fee of £250k. Moving abroad so young is obviously a massive step and shows great attitude and character, he did not make a first team appearance during this season but did start 1 game and make 3 total appearances in the 2020/21 season before being loaned out to Wigan Athletic. He joined Wigan in January and made 19 starting appearances and came off the bench 3 times, he played a key part in keeping Wigan up this season and his performances were recognised. On the 1st of July 2021, Johnston left Feyenoord and joined Bolton Wanderers on a free transfer - in August 2023, despite picking up a serious injury, he was rewarded with a new deal until 2026.  Johnston is a left foote

  No Charles, No Party? The first derby of the season Bolton Wanderers will take on Wigan Athletic on Saturday the 19th of August at 12:30pm and the home advantage of the Toughsheet stadium will be crucial in this fixture. With just over 11 miles separating the two towns, there is no doubt that the fans will be ready for this one, but will the players? Bolton Wanderers team news  The current injury list for Bolton contains Eoin Toal, George Johnston and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson; Johnston will not be fit for this fixture and will unfortunately miss most o the season, with no update recently. The injury updates for Toal and Bodvarsson are also very quiet and it is believed that both are training with the first team but how close to making the matchday squad are they? If Bodvarsson is close to full fitness then he will likely be included in the squad for the Wigan game with the suspension of Dion Charles (more to follow). However, Toal will not need to be rushed back as fast because the defens

  Refereeing in ruins   Bolton cruise home but at what cost A great performance by Bolton Wanderers has been overshadowed by a horrific performance from the referee, both Charles and Evatt were sent off for what seemed like nothing. Fleetwood couldn't capitalise on the 10-men Bolton, without a manager but with Wigan on the horizon, that has become and even bigger game.  Statistical review  As expected, Bolton Wanderers dominated the ball but not by as big of a margin as in their other games. Bolton finished the first half with 57% of possession but finished the game with 51% of possession, this was likely due the red card and attempting to keep the clean sheet. Victor Adeboyejo was given man of the match and rightly so, the hattrick scorer was immense throughout the game and sealed his third goal in just the 37th minute. He scored all of his 3 shots on target and was on the end of excellent Bolton patterns of play. However, this performance wasn't as impressive statistically as

  Fleetwood Town turnaround or Bolton Wanderers win? Bolton Wanderers have won both of their opening league games, beating Lincoln City 3-0 at home and Cheltenham Town 3-0 away from home. However, Fleetwood drew their opening game 1-1 with Carlisle and lost their last fixture 2-0 to Cambridge United at home. All signs point towards a Bolton win, but will it be that straightforward? Bolton won both fixtures last season, winning 2-1 away from home and 2-0 at home, Evatt will be looking to make it three in a row against Scott Brown's Fleetwood.  Bolton team news  The injury situation remains the same for Bolton, this game will likely come too soon for Jon Dadi Bodvarsson and Eoin Toal, who both suffered injuries in pre season but could be back very soon. Unfortunately for George Johnston, it is unlikley he will return to the side at all this season but we may get an update on his injury situation on The Fanzone Podcast on the 6th of September.  With a quick turnaround since the last g

  Dion Charles domination  Bolton Wanderers took on Cheltenham Town at Whaddon Road (The completely-suzuki stadium) and comfortably won 3-0. Dion Charles scored 2 of the goals and Kyle Dempsey scored the other (possibly a Liam Smith own goal), all goals were scored in the first half of play. Another tactical masterclass from Ian Evatt, on Saturday, saw the Wanderers ease to victory. Statistical review  This will be a common theme throughout the season, however it is still important to note, Bolton again dominated possession, having 74% of the ball, despite being away from home. This domination assisted in the shot numbers (they also show a performance of domination) Bolton took 16 shots, 7 being on target and Cheltenham only had 5 shots, with 2 on target. For the first time this season, Bolton have converted the big chance they created - the first goal, with Dion Charles slotting it home. Jack Iredale was very impressive at the back and was very involved in the attacking play (having 9

  MJ Williams, the midfield and defensive destroyer  MJ Williams is a 27 year old footballer who currently plays for MK Dons in League Two and has represented his national team at youth level in 2014 (Wales). He began his professional career with Liverpool but did not make a senior appearance for the side, however he did enjoy loan spells at Notts County, Swindon Town and Rochdale. The latter was the most successful and Williams did join Rochdale on a permanent transfer and made 56 appearances from 2018-2020. He then signed for Blackpool and assisted in their promotion to the Championship but that was when he left, for Bolton and regular football. Joining in 2021, Williams made 89 appearances for Bolton and has only just left the club for MK Dons. MJ Williams is more of a defensive minded player and is definitely better in the first and second phases of play, rather than in the final third. He can also play as a central defender and did so for Bolton on multiple occasions, but it proba

  The first test, away from home Bolton Wanderers visit Whaddon Road, otherwise known as The Completely-Suzuki Stadium, in their first away game of the season against Cheltenham Town FC. On Saturday at 3pm, the second fixture of League One will take place and Bolton will look to continue their good form and make it three wins in a row in competitive competitions.  Bolton Wanderers team news  George Johnston remains unavailable and will likely miss the entire season, in contrast, Eoin Toal is on the comeback and hasn't been selected recently due to not being sharp. He may be embedded back into the first team soon but this game could come too soon to make the match squad. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson could also return soon with Evatt saying "He is still training with the group". After picking a heavily rotated side in the cup, there will likely be wholesale changes against Cheltenham Town FC. Coleman will more than likely return to the bench and Nathan Baxter should come back in to

The Final Score  Comfortable win or close call? Bolton Wanderers come out as 1-0 victors against AFC Barrow in the EFL Carabao cup to seem them through to the next round. Bolton lined up with a heavily rotated team, including new signings Will Forrester, Zachary Ashworth, Paris Maghoma, Carlos Mendes Gomes and Dan Nlundulu. This was the starting team that Evatt went for and that rested many key players. Statistical review  Bolton Wanderers dominated the game and really should've scored more than they did, both Mendes Gomes and Nlundulu should've scored and Adeboyejo had a great chance when he came on. From the 16 shots only 3 were on target and that is simple not good enough, however it is 3 more than Barrow, who had 7 shots with 0 on target. Possession was also one-sided, Bolton had 78% possession of the ball and completely dictated the flow of the game, however this was mainly with the centre backs with Forrester and Santos completing 97 and 93 passes respectively. Again, onl

Can Ian Evatt come out victorious against his former side?   On Tuesday night, Bolton Wanderers take on AFC Barrow in the opening round of the EFL Carabao cup at the Toughsheet stadium. The League Two side, Barrow, won their opening fixture against Tranmere Rovers - winning 2-1 away from home but Bolton Wanderers will be a different type of test. They have been on the up since Evatt was at the club and he set them up for a good future, this year they will be looking to challenge for promotion Bolton Wanderers team news  The injury situation remains the same for the Wanderers with George Johnston looking like he will miss the majority ,if not all, of this season. Eoin Toal could make his return from injury in this fixture but it may be too early in his recovery plans, if he is fit it is unlikely he will be risked from the start and may have minutes from the bench. However, this fixture could be the perfect time to embed some of the new signings, like Forrester and Ashworth. This competi

The Final Score  Bolton Wanderers 3-0 Lincoln City   Unfortunately, I was not able to watch the game and therefore this may not be completely accurate but from what I have seen I will give you my match review.  The opening day fixture, this was one that Bolton fans knew they had to win if they want to start with good form. Lincoln fans wouldn't have expected the team to win but a 3-0 defeat shows the levels in between these two sides. With two corner goals and a defensive error, Lincoln fans won't enjoy the journey back after a poor performance against a better side. A truly dominant performance from the Wanderers will leave the fans even more excited for the upcoming season. The statistics tell the story of a one-sided affair with Bolton, coming out as the superior force. Evatt's philosophy was clear to see with 70% possession and 16 shots - highlighting his attacking but possession-based style of football. Lincoln City did not get a shot on target in the game, despite hav

Bolton Wanderers vs Lincoln City preview - team news, predicted eleven, score prediction and more Bolton begin the 23/24 season with optimism about their chances for promotion, a win in their opening game could give them confidence to push on for the automatic places. With home advantage, Bolton will look to use the atmosphere of the Toughsheet community stadium to claim three points over Lincoln City. Team News Bolton Wanderers have been very busy in the transfer market so far, bringing in eight first team players and a B team player (Matheson), leading to the potential for a lot of changes in their starting line-up. With two new signings in between the sticks it isn't clear who Evatt favours, however Nathan Baxter (former Chelsea player) will likely get the nod ahead of Joel Coleman.   The defensive situation is very interesting with new signings and injuries affecting the decision: Johnston will miss this game with a knee injury, Eoin Toal is on his way back from an ankle injury

  Can they go one better than last season? Will they make playoffs again? Can they make the automatics? Bolton Wanderers currently reside in League One, no doubt a giant sitting in a lower division. With the status of a premier league club, you have to ask yourself when can they make it back to the top. Under the guidance of the current manager (Ian Evatt) Bolton have seriously improved and reached the playoffs last season. Losing out to Barnsley in the playoff semifinal but the signs were there that Bolton could be on the up. Ian Evatt’s tactical vision Ian has described his own tactics in many different ways but his interview with the Coaches Voice is very interesting and highlights how he wants to play. “Pep Guardiola has been a big,big influence on me” anyone who regularly watches Guardiola or Manchester City will understand that this means a possession-based attacking system. When he was Barrow manager he was told “you simply cannot play possession-based football in the national l