The 2023-24 campaign ended in disappointment for Bolton Wanderers, as they fell short in the League One play-off final against Oxford United. The team’s performance was notably lackluster, with Ian Evatt’s men appearing overwhelmed by the occasion. While promotion via the play-offs is often celebrated as the most exhilarating path, missing out can be particularly heartbreaking and detrimental.
Bolton must now avoid a play-off ‘hangover’ as they prepare for another season in the third tier. Their start to the new campaign will be crucial, especially with League One looking wide open. To stay in the promotion fight, a strong start is essential.
Despite spending much of the season in the top three and even occupying an automatic promotion spot, Bolton fell short of their pre-season goal of reaching the Championship, leaving fans understandably upset. The Trotters struggled in high-stakes matches throughout the season, winning only two of their ten games against the rest of the top six, excluding the play-offs. This inability to perform under pressure cost them automatic promotion and is an issue they must address.
Defender Gethin Jones highlighted this problem in an interview with The Bolton News, noting that the team has consistently faltered in high-pressure situations. “We said to each other after the game, I don’t know if it is a mentality issue, but I have been here now for four years and I can think of only a few times where we have really come up with a performance when the pressure was really on,” Jones said. He cited past matches like Crawley, the Papa Johns Trophy final against Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, and Derby as examples of games where the team performed well under pressure, but acknowledged that overall, the team has not met the standard required in big games.
Jones emphasized the need for collective improvement, stating, “Collectively, we have to be better than that, we can’t drop that many points and expect to get promotion.” He also stressed the importance of self-reflection and accountability within the team, rather than pointing fingers. “Every game you lose, people tend to point their finger at a certain player. And we do it as players as well, we’re no better. But to a man, not one of us played to our best (in the play-off final). Every one of us has more to give than that and, honestly, I don’t think any of us can tell you why we didn’t do it on the day.”
Looking ahead, Bolton will need to address these mental and performance issues to ensure they can achieve promotion in the next season.
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