The one Bolton Wanderers issue Steven Schumacher needs to fix to deliver promotion - he managed it at Plymouth Argyle | OneFootball

Bolton Wanderers have started the 2025/26 League One campaign in mediocre fashion.

Bolton Wanderers supporters will feel a regrettable amount of déjà vu after the opening stages of the 2025/26 League One campaign.

The Trotters sit 14th in the third-tier following the first six games and are already nine points behind league leaders Cardiff City.

In the past, Bolton were Premier League regulars and competed in European football, but for far too long, they have punched below their weight, dwelling in the EFL’s lower regions and failing to put together successful promotion bids.

When Wanderers appointed Steven Schumacher as manager in January of this year, they did so knowing that he had previous experience of achieving promotion from League One.

The 41-year-old impressed greatly during his time in charge of Plymouth Argyle, the side he guided to the third-tier title, and many believed that his dismissal as Stoke City boss was unfair.

However, life at the Toughsheet Community Stadium hasn’t been too kind to Schumacher.

He has only managed to win nine of the 27 matches he has taken charge of thus far for Bolton, which isn’t the type of form that leads to promotion.

There is one key statistic that is a particular cause for concern when the Trotters’ early-season form is examined and may be an area that Schumacher wants to address immediately.

Bolton Wanderers must buck their drawing trend - Steven Schumacher saw big Plymouth Argyle success because of it

During the opening stages of the 2025/26 League One campaign, Bolton have drawn four of their opening six encounters, with just a single victory over Plymouth Argyle to show for their efforts.

Admittedly, Wanderers have been defeated on just one occasion, losing 2-0 to a competitive Stockport County outfit.

However, victories win titles, and therefore picking up three points as often as possible is the most important thing when aiming to achieve promotion.

A direct comparison can be made to Schumacher’s title-winning campaign with Plymouth, and it makes worrying viewing for the Trotters’ faithful.

Across 46 games, the Pilgrims drew just eight times in the 2022/23 season. Bolton have already recorded four stalemates in just six outings, and this inability to get wins over the line will prohibit them from mounting a serious charge towards the top six should it carry on much longer.

Schumacher will likely recognise this fact, and it may be a huge source of frustration for the Wanderers boss, as he knows what it takes to bridge the gap between League One and the Championship.

Perhaps one of the big reasons for Plymouth's ability to turn draws into wins that year was their big chance conversion rate, with the Pilgrims missing just 38 big chances in League One in 22/23, compared to Bolton's 54 in the same division - per FotMob.

If the Trotters can manage to turn some of these draws into wins, they will pick up points at a much faster rate and that would pay dividends come May.

Although Bolton’s start to the season has been frustrating, there is still lots of football to play and plenty of opportunities to pick up/lose points.

Despite not getting many wins on the board thus far, consistency is a massively important factor across 46 games and that is an attribute Wanderers have displayed to full effect in the first six games.

Only Cardiff City and Bradford City have lost fewer games than the Trotters, which highlights how tough Schumacher’s team has been to beat.

They have a big opportunity to start getting putting more wins on the board in September too, with two of their next three league games being at home to Wimbledon and Wigan respectively, whilst Schumacher will also take his side on trips to Leyton Orient and Northampton Town respectively.

Heading into this weekend's round of fixtures, all four of those teams as well as Bolton make up the 12th-16th spots in League One, and so if Wanderers are to show their promotion credentials, this run of fixtures look like being a good chance to do so.

If Bolton can remain consistent and add more wins to their record, the 2025/26 campaign could still yet hold the reward of real promotion push at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.