Bolton Wanderers: Josh Dacres-Cogley and Carlos Mendes Gomes situations will be on Ian Evatt’s mind | OneFootball

There are two players that could either end up as key men again for Wanderers this season or possibly on the fringes of the side.

Highlights

As we get towards the middle of July and the start of Bolton Wanderers’ preparations for the 2024/25 campaign, with a behind-closed-doors friendly against West Bromwich Albion this weekend, Ian Evatt will have two peculiar situations to deal with.

The Trotters have added three players to their squad this summer with the arrivals of Chris Forino and Luke Southwood on free transfers from Wycombe Wanderers and Cheltenham Town respectively, whilst Klaidi Lolos has joined for an undisclosed fee from Crawley Town.

They have continued to be linked with several more, with reported bids rejected for Peterborough United midfielder Joel Randall as well as Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong.

Those two links could well be a sign that Ian Evatt is looking to adapt his system and style this season and that could have ramifications for both Josh Dacres-Cogley and Carlos Mendes Gomes.

Here we outline what Evatt's thoughts on both might be.

Josh Dacres-Cogley

Last season, Josh Dacres-Cogley performed to a level that saw him selected in the League One Team of the Year. However, especially in the aftermath of Bolton’s play-off final defeat to Oxford, supporters were fairly critical of his performances.

A key reason for that would be that in Ian Evatt’s 3-5-2 system, the wing-backs are the major attacking outlets for Wanderers and a lot of emphasis on the attack went through Dacres-Cogley.

There is a strong and fair argument to be made that if Dacres-Cogley had just enjoyed a similar season but as an out-and-out right-back in a back four, then he would be much more widely appreciated within the Boltonian fanbase.

It is therefore interesting that the links to Kilmarnock winger Danny Armstrong could indicate a shift in the way in which Bolton intend to play, with Armstrong having rarely played at right wing-back for Killie during his career up in Scotland.

That would indicate Wanderers are either going to try and be able to shift to a 4-3-3, naturally, in-game, with the likes of Carlos Mendes Gomes, Randell Williams, Aaron Collins or Victor Adeboyejo all capable of playing out wide as wingers, too, or play a more front foot and direct 3-5-2 that isn’t as consistently ineffective as it often was last season.

Dacres-Cogley, who has also been linked with a move to newly-promoted Portsmouth in the Championship, is still a key cog in the Ian Evatt line-up and style of football, but Wanderers’ ability to not have so many attacks go through him will be imperative to any success they have next season.

Carlos Mendes Gomes

Last summer, Bolton brought in Carlos Mendes Gomes for a fee believed to be in the region of £300,000, according to Alan Nixon via his Patreon account, from Luton Town, after the now Guinea-Bissau international, who played at the 2024 CAF Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, had spent a season out on loan at Fleetwood Town last year.

Mendes Gomes has a lot of technical ability and has shown some glimpses of genuine quality throughout his time with the club already, but there is a concern about where he can get into the side on a regular basis.

With Aaron Collins’ arrival and Dion Charles, as well as Victor Adeboyejo, returning to fitness, then there would be little chance of Mendes Gomes finding himself in the top two on a consistent basis.

He has played in the front two, but he has also played as a wing-back, whilst there would be a view that he can play as an advanced midfielder in the three, supporting the attack. However, injuries have majorly hampered his development and ability to bed himself into Ian Evatt’s philosophy.

If Wanderers are to adjust their system, whether in game or before a game, then playing a 4-3-3 system may well aid Mendes Gomes and his involvement in the side.

The patterns of play of Wanderers suit the former Morecambe attacker very well and would suit playing in the number ten of a 3-4-1-2 but, whether it be due to a lack of tactical flexibility or not having the personnel available, that has not yet been tried by Evatt.