5 Ways to Fix Bolton Wanderers - Part 2

Part two - let's do this:

2) Give the Kids a Chance

I know I know, it's an obvious path to tread, but I think that promoting kids to the first team would help reconnect the fans with the Bolton Wanderers that they once so loved.

Remember the clamour for Andy Kellett last season?

We were rewarded with a series of exciting performances from the lad, who has since been summarily despatched to no-mans land.

Oscar Threlkeld's solid performances at right back at the tail end of last season were rewarded with the manager, Dougie Freedman, choosing to loan in a 30+ fullback from a fellow Championship club in Cardiff City.

Zach Clough plays any number of games for the ressies, scoring goals by the bucketload. Is he promoted to the first team and given his chance? Nope.

I think it would make a huge difference to the perception of Bolton Wanderers by the supporters if they gave their academy graduates a chance.

Underachievement and piss-poor performances from Jay Spearing and Medo are one thing, but how long now have been hearing about how much Freedman rates Josh Vela? Notts County fans raved about his performances on loan at the club last season and yet he is another one who has ended up in obscurity albeit through injury - will he be brought back in once fit? I wouldn't put any money on it.

Defeats are a natural part of football - but I think that the fans would take to defeats with a lot less anger if the side was populated with our graduates.

It's a risky strategy I accept, and one that may well lead to more defeats than victories but at least we could be proud of our team, unlike the feckless bunch of jokers that currently make up the first team.

Imagine a Wanderers side made up of players that we have developed? It would be a wonderful sight.

I fail to see how giving youth a chance (obvz not Tom Eaves though - he's cack) would be anything other than a positive thing and a way of reconnecting fans with the club.

A Wanderers side comprising of player that we have developed might be:

Adam Bogdan

Oscar Threlkeld, XXX, XXX, XXX

Chris Lester, Josh Vela, XXX, Andy Kellett

Zach Clough, Conor Wilkinson

We're not a million miles off.

A brief fix it may be, but it would provide some much-needed positivity into a club that is sadly lacking positivity at this moment in time.