Wanderers’ friendly against Everton proved that Steven Schumacher and company are laying the right groundwork for the challenge ahead in the Championship – but what happens next will be crucial.
It was Bolton’s toughest test of pre-season against Premier League opposition, even if David Moyes’ side are slightly behind in their preparations.
But there were plenty of encouraging signs in the display against the Toffees, especially keeping a clean sheet. That was down to some resilient defending, a few important saves by Jack Bonham and a bit of luck with the offside flag.
Schumacher’s words after the final whistle were interesting, stating that the squad needs at least five more bodies through the door to be ready for the Championship.
The head coach spoke honestly about the financial muscle in the division and how the club is having to be creative to gain an edge on their rivals with bigger budgets.
But Bolton can take encouragement from the summer so far, both in terms of recruitment and how things are shaping up on the pitch.
With only a few weeks before the big kick-off against Preston North End, Wanderers face a race against the clock to get their business done. But deals have been fairly slow across the board and plenty of other clubs find themselves in the same boat.
Everton’s line-up was about as strong as it could be, with several players missing through injury or yet to return from the World Cup.
But Bolton started on the front foot, with Ruben Rodrigues forcing Mark Travers into a decent save above his head.
Although Rodrigues couldn’t add to his prolific start to pre-season, he continues to look sharp and could be a big player for the Whites in the coming months.
The wingers also looked lively in the early stages. Kyliane Dong looked comfortable enough out on the right, combining with Luca Stephenson.
The versatile attacker is a bit of a wildcard; nobody really knows what his best role will be in the Bolton side or how he will adapt to the Championship, and that can be exciting.
On the other flank, Thierry Gale caused problems with his pace and direct play. Gale showed glimpses of his ability last season but lacked consistency, which is normal for players moving to new countries.
Bolton Wanderers keeper Jack Bonham in actionJack Bonham made several good saves (Image: Harry McGuire)
Moving up to the Championship, there was a question mark over the Bajan winger’s contributions out of possession, but he seems to have worked hard to improve that side of his game over the summer.
Gale made a big challenge on Dwight McNeil after one of the rare occasions where Akin Famewo had been beaten.
As expected, Everton grew into the game as the first half progressed and started to show signs of their top flight quality.
Thierno Barry thought he had opened the scoring after turning home Carlos Alcaraz’s low cross, but the offside flag came to Bolton’s rescue.
Barry also looked certain to score on the stroke of half time after more slick play to carve Wanderers open, but Bonham made a heroic stop low to his right.
At the other end, Stephenson could have put the Whites in front but missed the target from a tight angle after latching onto Xavier Simons’ pinpoint passes.
Simons already has Championship experience and did his chances of starting on the opening day no harm at all with his display against the Toffees, despite competition from new signing David Watson.
Dalby nearly broke the deadlock early in the second half with a looping header from Famewo’s cross, but Tom King kept the scores level.
The next spell was cagey, with both teams making a raft of changes and the game losing its momentum.
Ben Davies, Bolton Wanderers FCBen Davies was commanding in the backline (Image: Harry McGuire)
But Bolton will be pleased with how they kept a dangerous Everton attack at bay. Supporters already know exactly what they are getting from Chris Forino, who donned the captain’s armband again.
Forino’s aggression and tenacity was mirrored by Ben Davies and Famewo, and that is exactly what Wanderers will need next year to stand up to the challenges against a plethora of attacking talent. Stephenson also seems to love a big challenge if his first few games are anything to go by.
The game sparked into life again in the final 10 minutes, with Michael Keane flashing a header wide after a dangerous Everton set piece.
Malek Olayiwola then hit a sweet strike from the edge of the area but Bonham was again equal to the danger.
Marcus Forss, who made another appearance as a trialist, hit the side netting with a late shot but there was ultimately nothing to separate the sides.
One final takeaway was the space and time Wanderers’ midfielders had on the ball, particularly in the opening 45 minutes.
Perhaps it is a sign of things to come as Bolton move up to a higher division, with fewer teams looking to sit back and frustrate compared to the battles in League One.
Josh Sheehan oozed calmness on the ball and demonstrated his impressive passing range to help the Whites progress up the pitch.
Supporters and pundits have theorised for years that the Welsh international would be better suited to the ‘higher quality’ football in the second tier, and now his job is to prove it.
As mentioned, the tactical battle also suited Simons to a tee. It is easy to forget that the former Hull City man is only 23 years of age, and a full season with the Whites in the Championship could do him a world of good.
Wanderers: Bonham; Stephenson (Christie 78), Davies (Temple 60), Forino (Inwood 70), Famewo (Conway 70); Sheehan (Irwin 78), Simons (Watson 78); Dong (Ritchie 60), Rodrigues (McAtee 70), Gale (Warren 70); Dalby (Forss 70).
Unused: Broome, Harrington, Randall.
Everton: Travers (King 45); O’Brien (Campbell 82), Tarkowski (Finney 82), Branthwaite (Keane 45); Aznou (Mykolenko 45); Alcaraz (Dewsbury-Hall 45), Armstrong (George 45), Iroegbunam (Foster 75), McNeil (Olayiwola 82); Rohl (Graham 75), Barry (Beto 55).
Unused: G Pickford, Tamen, Olayiwola.
Referee: James Bell