Four defeats on the spin, 10 goals conceded in the past three games. Bolton have now slipped into the relegation zone.
On the face of it, that makes for grim reading. But while the results have undoubtedly not been what we wanted, they do not entirely tell the story of what has happened on the pitch during that run.
For the most part, Wanderers have shown a fearlessness against some of the Championship’s stronger sides, taking the game to their opponents and playing with real bravery.
The problem is, so far, that approach has gone largely unrewarded.
Tuesday night’s defeat by West Ham was another example. It was, again, a devil-may-care encounter, with both sides playing at full throttle, and Bolton once again showed enough to suggest they are capable of competing at this level.
The fixture list has certainly done them few favours, either.
West Ham’s victory took them to the top of the division, having spent the previous 14 years in the Premier League. Millwall missed out on promotion to the top flight by just a point last season, while Sheffield United are another of the division’s big hitters and currently sit just outside the play-off places.
That makes the manner of Tuesday’s defeat all the more frustrating. Bolton had come from behind to take the lead, only to be pegged back just four minutes after going 2-1 ahead.

