"We are just normal lads" - Steven Schumacher gives honest view on current Bolton Wanderers situation | OneFootball

The new Bolton boss has explained what he thinks is behind his strong league start

Steven Schumacher couldn’t have dreamed for a much better start to his tenure at Bolton Wanderers.

Since being appointed at the end of January, he’s led the Trotters to three league wins in a row, after a narrow debut defeat to Reading and with a Vertu Trophy loss to Wrexham sandwiched in between.

But his work in the league has put Bolton firmly back in the play-off frame, after progress threatened to go slightly stale under former boss Ian Evatt.

Asked what’s behind that uplift in results, Schumacher was reserved in his response.

Schumacher claims Bolton’s upturn is thanks to the basics

Speaking to the Bolton News recently, Schumacher said: “Me, my staff, we are just normal lads coming in to try and put a plan together.

“Obviously, you want to get the players buying in and enjoying what they are doing, and we do say it shouldn’t be a chore to come to work. It should be coming in and learning something new every day.”

After a relatively turbulent end to Evatt’s lengthy stint with the club, it seems as though what was needed at the Toughsheet Community Stadium was someone to come in and settle the atmosphere.

Posting consecutive league wins is certainly one way to do that, with Schumacher’s appointment clearly making a difference, but he was keen not to take too much of the credit for himself.

Schumacher credits players and fans for recent form

“It’s them [the players] who put it there,” Schumacher continued, turning the spotlight away from himself. “If you can then put the effort in and run as hard as we have – and the running stats have been off the scale in the last few weeks – the the fans see that as well, and they react.

“Sometimes it isn’t about what we do. If the fans stick behind the players, then they get late goals, they get comeback victories, it all works together, it all just breeds confidence.

“And that is what I’m seeing around the club at the moment.”

If there is one criticism, it is that slightly frantic nature to the wins that Schumacher nods to.

The Trotters have gone behind first in all three of their league wins under the new boss.

That, on the one hand, shows the fighting spirit that Schumacher has injected into the club — something which will be crucial in a hotly contested run-in — but he will surely want to get to a point where his side are establishing more control in games.

However, it’s early days and there’s plenty of time for that to come. Bolton fans will just be delighted with the renewed vibe around the place.

Schumacher looks a strong appointment, both short-term and long-term

In Schumacher, Bolton couldn’t have asked for much more from a manager.

He has experience of getting promoted out of the third tier from his time at Plymouth Argyle and, although he’s not always had the easiest rides in the Championship, it won’t be a new environment to him if he repeats the feat with Bolton.

Having already done it once before, Schumacher is both the man who can earn them the promotion and handle the transition — something that you do not get in every new managerial appointment.