With the Championship season getting underway this weekend, Sports Mole gazes into its crystal ball to ponder how Bolton Wanderers will fare this year.
In:
Robert Hall (From West Ham United, Compensation), Conor Wilkinson (From Millwall, Compensation), Alex Baptiste (From Blackpool, Free), Marc Tierney (From Norwich City, Free), Hayden White (From Sheffield Wednesday, Free), Gary Fraser (From Hamilton Academical, Free), Jermaine Beckford (From Leicester City, Undisclosed)
Out:
Marcos Alonso (To Fiorentina, Free), Kevin Davies (To Preston North End, Free), Rob Lainton (To Bury, Free), Joe McKee (To Greenock Morton, Free), Alex McQuade (To Shrewsbury, Free), Sam Ricketts (To Wolverhampton Wanderers, Free), Jack Sampson (Morecambe, Free), Adam Blakeman (Released), Ben Dennis (Released), Ben Hampson (Released), Lewis Fielding (Released), Greg Wylde (Released)
Last Season: 7th
Manager: Dougie Freedman
Three key players:
David Wheater - The strong centre-back barely featured for the Trotters last season because of a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He returned towards the end of the campaign but only made four cameo substitute appearances. This year he should return to a starting role and once again be the dominant defensive force of seasons gone by. Freedman obviously believes that Wheater still has plenty more to offer because he recently signed a
new three-year deal at the Reebok Stadium.
Chris Eagles - Surprisingly for a winger, Eagles was Bolton's top scorer last season. He is perhaps the club's number one asset and is one of the Championship's star players. The Manchester United graduate joined the club from local rivals Burnley in 2011, linking up with former manager Owen Coyle at the time. The loss of Coyle has not affected Eagles, who at 27 is enjoying the most successful prolonged spell of his career. Under Freedman he is flourishing and should last season's form continue this year, then Bolton should be pushing for the top six. He has been linked with a move to newly-promoted Premier League outfit Cardiff City, but has
dismissed those reports.
Jermaine Beckford - Once touted as a possible Premier League regular, frontman Beckford has had a stuttering few years. His goalscoring record at Leeds United in the late noughties was an impressive one and a move to Everton followed. He never quite made it in the top flight, though, and has since also failed to nail down a starting role at Leicester City, even spending half of last season on loan at Huddersfield Town. He
joined Bolton this summer looking to rekindle the goals of his time at Leeds and with the departure of club legend Kevin Davies, there's plenty of pressure on his shoulders to do so.
First game: Burnley (A), Complete fixture list
Sports Mole says: Wanderers agonisingly missed out on the playoffs to Leicester City on goal difference last year and it would have been an even more bitter pill for Freedman to swallow when he saw the club that he turned his back on, Crystal Palace, achieve promotion to the Premier League under the guidance of Ian Holloway. Although fairly new to the management game, Freedman is clearly a gifted leader and Bolton's strong finish to last season should fill them with confidence heading into the new campaign. Another run at the playoffs should be achievable, especially if Freedman can further add to his squad in the remaining month of the transfer window.
Predicted finish: 6th
