Fanbase mood is hard to ignore, by Liam Hatton There is no denying the fact that once the 2024-25 season kicks off, the pressure will be on Ian Evatt and his Bolton Wanderers side right from the word go. Failure to gain promotion last year in what was undoubtedly a much easier league will still be etched into the brains of most Bolton fans when they watch their team open the campaign against Leyton Orient. Just look at the money Birmingham City are chucking around in the hopes of ensuring their stay in League One is a short one - last year’s top scorer Alfie May is on board, whilst they have made numerous big money signings from overseas.
Not only that, but adding Marc Leonard to their squad from Brighton, who had an impressive spell on loan last year at Northampton, is another big pickup. Throw into the mix the likes of Rotherham, Huddersfield, Peterborough, Charlton and a host of other teams, you then begin to understand that the task ahead of Bolton this year is not an enviable one. It is not just the makeup of the division either, but you can smell the dread and impending doom on social media, especially amongst Wanderers fans.
If there are not complaints about a lack of movement in the transfer window (forget the fact that these deals are complex to nail down and it is not like playing Football Manager), then some will complain that Sushma Snacks are not returning to the Fanzone and find a way to blame that on Neil Hart. Ricardo Santos has been the subject of much deba.