Given the circumstances

A fourth successive defeat against MK Dons ensured that after ten games in 2020, it’s officially the worst start to a calendar year in Bolton Wanderers’ history. An astonishingly dire feat to achieve given the last few years (bar one) have been utterly terrible.

We’re hurtling towards the fourth tier of English football in such an horrific run of form. Some fans are understandably not going to renew their season tickets & frankly we would be lucky to see our stadium a third full.

We all remember the situation the club was in at the start of the season. The odds were stacked against us from day one, given all the circumstances. The points deduction, the embargo and the wage cap.

Despite all of that, Keith Hill managed to assemble a team of players fully capable of competing at this level. Initially, it truly looked as if we would have put up a real fight to stay up. Results started to pick up & by November, we had overturned the points deficit we started the season with.

Then, that day at Accrington happened.

Since then, Wanderers have won just twice & games have been consistently frustrating to watch. Injuries have taken their toll & having to constantly change the defence has clearly contributed to conceding goals at crucial times.

That being said, on paper this team is capable of far more than we’re seeing. Most of our team has spent a bulk of their careers playing at this level or the league above.

The season is essentially over. The only thing left to play is pride and to establish a winning mentality to take into League Two. Fans need something to cling to; a flicker of hope that the good times may be back at some point down the line.

Do the majority of fans have faith that Keith Hill is the man to lead the rebuild? At this time the answer is no.

His bizarre analogies, strange substitutions and the dwindling quality of football on show have contributed to the lack of faith in him. Maybe a couple of wins will change the tide. Maybe some fans have their opinion of him set in stone and whatever happens from now won’t change anything.

As much as fans would like, we can’t change who is the manager, that decision rests solely with FV & the new Head of football operations.

We’re far from the glory days, I don’t think anyone is under any illusions of that. Fans know that patience is required as the club look to turn the corner and try to be in a position to head up the leagues.

Although, that doesn’t mean we have to leave every game feeling disjointed and underwhelmed. It feels like a chore to head to game knowing we’re probably going to see a defeat.

I’ll always support Bolton Wanderers, I just want to start enjoying it again.