Bolton Wanderers

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Bolton boss Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester after his side's 1-0 win at Charlton Athletic in the Championship.

"Delighted because three points in any game at this level is massive for us," Schumacher said.

"So it's another tick in the box for us as well to come to another tough away place to play, get a clean sheet and play well to an extent. I think we've played better football this year.

"I see there was a little bit of tiredness in there in some of the aspects of the game, but we had to really dig in to get three points on the board and we needed everybody to contribute to that."

Listen to Schumacher's full post-match interview below or on BBC Sounds here.

Charlton host Bolton on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) in a meeting between the winners of the League One play-off final over the past two seasons.

The Addicks have taken only two points from their past six games, the same record as rock bottom Preston North End, and are without a league win since 29 August.

• Charlton Athletic won both league meetings with Bolton Wanderers when they last faced in 2024-25 (League One) – they last won three in a row against the Trotters between 1954 and 1955.

• Each of the past 10 league meetings between Charlton and Bolton have been in League One. They last faced each other in the Championship in 2015-16, with both games finishing level that season.

• Bolton have drawn 0-0 at QPR and lost 4-0 at Millwall in the Championship this season. They last went three league games without a goal away against London sides between September 2011 and February 2012 in the Premier League (4).

• Following a six-game unbeaten run at The Valley (W3 D3), Charlton lost their last home league match 3-1 against Norwich.

• Bolton have won two of their past three away league games (D1), as many as they had in their previous 24 in the Championship (D5 L17).

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Bolton and Bristol City will aim to get back to winning ways in the Championship when they meet on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Trotters are four places but just one point below the 14th-placed Robins after the 5-1 hammering by Middlesbrough last time out, their fourth defeat in five home games.

City have won just one of their past seven league games, earning five points, but have scored only three goals in that span and none in their past three games after the stalemate at Stoke on Saturday.

• Bolton Wanderers have won just one of their past six league games against Bristol City (D2 L3), a 1-0 victory in February 2018.

• This is the first league meeting between Bristol City and Bolton Wanderers since January 2019 and a 2-1 win for the Robins – they have failed to win any of their last five away matches against the Trotters, however (D2 L3).

• Bolton have lost four of their past five home league games (W1), including both of the last two. They've not lost three in a row since December/January in 2020-21 while in League Two.

• Bristol City's past six Championship matches have witnessed just six goals scored in total (F2 A4), with only one seeing both sides score in that same game.

• Bristol City have netted just five goals from open play in the Championship so far this season – the fewest of any side in the division.

We asked for your thoughts after Middlesbrough thrashed Bolton 5-1 to rise to the top of the Championship on Friday.

Here are some of your comments:

Bolton Wanderers fans

Paul: We were totally outclassed. Boro were much faster, better organised and basically a much better team where every player knew their role in the team. An excellent effort.

Andy: Beaten by a far better team. No complaints. Middlesbrough looked very good.

Ross: To survive in the Championship, Bolton need a first rate coaching staff, which they do not have at the present time. Far too leaky defensively and inadequate firepower up front. Beg Allardyce to take over.

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Middlesbrough fans

Andrew: I particularly appreciated Lankshear's interview. He showed grace, humility and due deference to the manager. With this team, this manager (and of course never forgetting the wonderful Steve Gibson) we should soon be Premier League and stay there.

John: A performance that would not be out of place in any league. Some of the passing and movement was a joy to watch.

Cliff: One word - brilliant.

Kasey Smith
Fan writer

Image source, Shutterstock

The gulf between Bolton and the division's top sides was laid bare at a packed Toughsheet Community Stadium on Friday night.

Middlesbrough deservedly moved to the top of the Championship with a 5-1 masterclass, peppering the Bolton goal with 31 shots.

Scarily, they could have had even more. Gavin Bazunu, one of Bolton's best signings this year, produced countless top-class saves to keep the scoreline down.

Yet, despite all that, I don't think Bolton played particularly badly. We are persisting with our all-guns-blazing approach. It's sometimes to our own detriment, and it played right into Boro's hands on Friday. They picked us off with alarming ease, pouncing on openings as though they were plucking low-hanging fruit.

Boro were clinical, delivering several sucker punches in the immediate aftermath of genuine Bolton goalscoring opportunities.

While I remain a fan of our approach, Steven Schumacher has to find a way of making us less vulnerable when a chance goes begging or a pass goes astray. We cannot keep leaving ourselves so exposed.

That said, I believe it is precisely this gung-ho attitude that has helped us get wins over the likes of Wolves and Norwich.

We could, of course, adopt a low block, sit deep and try to frustrate the opposition. But there is no guarantee we would stop conceding goals, and then what? Much better to lose having had a go than be left wondering what if?

Our solitary goal came through Theo Bair, who once again had to feed off scraps. Credit to him, though. He is proving himself to be a clinical finisher in the glimpses we have seen of him so far, and that is an encouraging sign given the limited opportunities he has had to work with.

It has been a difficult run of fixtures, and taking four points from Wolves, Southampton and Middlesbrough is hardly a disaster.

But the next few games are crucial. This is where Schumacher will really be judged.

The challenge now is to retain the attacking intent that has brought us success while finding a way to minimise our vulnerabilities that were ruthlessly exposed on Friday night.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest Bolton Wanderers news.

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester after they were outclassed 5-1 at home by Middlesbrough.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

Bolton and Middlesbrough meet for the first time in seven years on Friday night (20:00 BST).

Boro come into the game on a 10-match unbeaten run while Bolton recovered from losing at home to 10-man Stoke by winning at Wolves and becoming the first side to deny Southampton at home with a 0-0 draw at St Mary's last weekend.

• Bolton have lost their past four home league games against Middlesbrough, twice as many defeats as across their prior 27 meetings combined between September 1951 and January 2014.

• Middlesbrough have won each of their past eight league games against Bolton Wanderers; it is their longest winning run against a side in their Football League history.

• Bolton have lost just one of their past five league games (W3 D1), picking up as many points (10) as in their previous 12 league matches (W2 D4 L6).

• Middlesbrough have struck 22 goals across their opening 11 Championship matches this season, their most at this stage of a campaign since 1986-87 in the third tier and their most in the second tier since 1963-64 (27).

• Middlesbrough lead the Championship this season for build-up attacks (48) and passes per sequence (4.2), while only Cardiff City (9.8) have a lower PPDA value than their 9.9.

We asked for your thoughts after Southampton and Bolton played out a goalless draw at St Mary's on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

Saints fans

Rod: We need a creative midfielder and a clever striker. We cannot aim for the play-offs. Top two must be our mission. January window will be our last chance to put things right.

Tony: Saints squandered too many chances in front of goal. Yes, there was a good penalty shout. Saints played good football, with long spells in total control, but they need to look at how many off-sides they gave away. They must be disappointed not to get all three points.

Anthony: There is always one game like this in a season. Apart from the awful finishing everything else was OK.

Bolton fans

Phil: It's all about staying up this season so a point away at Southampton is a great result.

Chris: Always hated going to clubs where managers and fans patted us on the head saying we deserved something when walking off with three points, far rather they were upset with the officials for not giving them the win. Bolton are putting noses out of joint and long may it continue.

John: Brilliant defensive display, the team is improving every week. Four points from the last two away games against Wolves and Southampton.

Don't forget to tap the 'follow' button at the top of this page to stay up to date with the latest news from your club.

Steven Schumacher gives his reaction after Bolton's goalless draw at Southampton in the Championship.

For a written selection of his quotes click here.

Southampton and Bolton Wanderers meet in a league game on Saturday (15:00 BST) for the first time since April 2005 when both clubs were in the Premier League.

Since then Saints have been down to League One and back to the top flight while Bolton dropped into League Two for a season in 2020-21.

• Southampton are winless in seven league meetings with Bolton (D5 L2), with this their first since a 1-1 draw in the Premier League in April 2005.

• Bolton have won both of their past two league visits to Southampton (most recently 2-1 in August 2004), the only time they have won two in a row away to the Saints.

• Southampton have spent 41.9% of their Championship matches this season in the lead – the highest percentage in the competition at present.

• Bolton have won three of their past four league games (L1), as many victories as across their prior 16 matches beforehand combined.

• Of the 645 players across the EFL this season to contest 50+ duels, Bolton's Chris Forino-Joseph currently possesses the strongest duel success rate among them all (79.3%).

Bolton Wanderers boss Steven Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester after their win against Wolves.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.

Bolton Wanderers are going through a continuous learning process as they adapt to life in the Championship, boss Steven Schumacher says.

Schumacher's men were defeated by his former side Stoke on Saturday, meaning they have now lost five of their past seven Championship games.

"It is going to be an ongoing process because for a lot of the players that will have been their ninth-ever Championship game," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"We're not going to have the same experience as some players who've been at Stoke for years and have played X amount of games.

"We have to understand that that's where we are and then when we get results or performances like that it's important that you learn from them and try and use that in a positive way."

Bolton travel to Wolves on Tuesday to face a side that has just spent eight years in the Premier League.

Schumacher said the financial disparity between his side and others in the Championship means they will have to be coy about other ways they can succeed and bridge the gap on their rivals.

"We can't overcome it by spending, so we've got to try and find a way to do it another way, which is by being positive and being brave, and sometimes you'll get punished for that," he added.

"We're playing against a former Premier League team, we've just played against West Ham as well and did well against them so that'll be the same sort of mindset - go and try and be brave and have a go."

Image source, Opta

Wolves and Bolton Wanderers will both hope to bounce back from defeat at the weekend when they meet in the Championship at Molineux on Tuesday night.

Cesar Peixoto's side had won two on the bounce before slipping to a 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough and sit fifth in the table.

Similarly, the Trotters had won two in a row before losing 2-1 at home to Stoke and will start the evening in 17th place, three points above the relegation zone.

• This will be the first league meeting between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers since 2017-18, when Wolves won home and away in the Championship by an aggregate score of 9-1.

• Bolton are winless in four league visits to Wolves (D2 L2) since a 3-2 Premier League triumph in March 2012 under Owen Coyle.

• Wolves have won both of their past two home league games, last winning three in a row in April 2025 under Vitor Pereira.

• After their 4-3 win at Norwich, Bolton are looking for successive away league wins for the first time since October 2024.

• Wolves are winless in six league games against newly promoted opponents (D2 L4), their longest run since going seven without a win from August 1984 to October 1985.

Image source, Getty Images

Bolton Wanderers manager Stephen Schumacher spoke to BBC Radio Manchester after their hugely-disappointing 2-1 home loss to 10-man Stoke City.

For a written selection of his quotes, click here.