Iredale sale: 2 transfer regrets Bolton Wanderers should have after summer transfer window | OneFootball

Jack Iredale's departure means that Bolton are now limited tactically in terms of changing shape and there are similar issues in the attacking third.

The sale of Jack Iredale right before the summer transfer window closed on Friday did leave quite a few Bolton Wanderers supporters bemused as they head into the campaign now tactically limited.

The former Cambridge United Player of the Year joined the Trotters on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 and has had an up-and-down time with the Whites, often criticised by supporters with his strong performances going overlooked.

What his departure does mean, though, is that Bolton will now need to play someone out of position if they want to use a back four system and leaves them weighted towards a back three despite Ian Evatt’s early summer suggestions he was keen to be more tactically flexible.

It is understandable for Bolton to want to make a few changes, both stylistically and in terms of personnel, in order to try and progress from last season's collapse in the second half of the campaign, which saw them miss out on automatic promotion on the final day before losing the play-off final to Oxford United.

After an organised few seasons in the recruitment department, the uncertainty over what league the Whites would be in going into the summer won't have helped the planning but it is fair to say and clear to see that a few things have not gone according to plan to leave the Trotters in a tricky situation, which has been reflected in their poor start.

The sale of Jack Iredale

In the final stages of the summer transfer window, Bolton Wanderers sanctioned the departure of defender Iredale to Hibs and that, quite simply, now limits Wanderers’ systematic possibilities.

Evatt has been wedded to a back three for most of his time as Bolton manager, despite gaining automatic promotion from League Two playing with a 4-2-3-1, and that has limited the playing time and effectiveness of Iredale.

A natural left-back, he often lacked the requisite playing ability to be a left-sided centre-back with a responsibility to join in with attacks – and that also saw him struggle at left wing-back, too.

The return of George Johnston from an ACL injury that saw him miss the whole of last season has limited Iredale’s chances of starting even more, despite starting ahead of Johnston on the opening day of the season against Leyton Orient.

The Australian defender, who joined on a free transfer from Cambridge United in the summer of 2022, leaves a hole that if Johnston becomes unavailable at any stage once again will have to be filled by a right-footer, which was a major issue in Bolton’s build-up play towards the back end of last season.

Injuries and departures leave Bolton Wanderers short in attack

Along with the sale of Iredale, Bolton are also tactically limited in forward positions because of the switch in system and slow recruitment that Evatt and the club have embarked upon this summer.

The manager said he wanted to become more tactically flexible and said they would recruit for that but in just the fourth game of the campaign, he moved away from his new 3-4-3 system back to the 3-5-2 with Kyle Dempsey playing in a slightly more advanced role.

With the departures of Dan Nlundulu, Cameron Jerome, and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Bolton needed attackers. The Trotters brought in Klaidi Lolos, now injured, as well as Scott Arfield and John McAtee.

Bringing three in with three out means that the Whites now have the same number of players in attack but they are planning on starting three rather than two. Having the same number of players for more positions leaves them stretched when a couple are injured—and injuries are an inevitability of Evatt’s methods, with an injury crisis occurring in each season he has been in charge.

There are suggestions Wanderers are targeting a free agent signing during the international break but that just goes to further show how wrong they got such an important summer transfer window.