Six new faces have already entered the Toughsheet Stadium this summer, but Bolton Wanderers fans agree that more has to be done, and quickly.

In two and a half weeks, the Trotters will return to the Championship after a seven-year absence, following their third-place finish in the League One play-offs last season.

However, Bolton fans are concerned that their side is not yet ready for the season opener against Preston North End on August 15.

Last season, the Toughsheet Stadium relied heavily on loan starts at the top of the pitch, with Amario Cozier-Duberry, Mason Burstow, Ibrahim Cissoko, and Johnny Kenny all making significant contributions. Even Rob Apter and Corey Blackett-Taylor, who arrived on loan in January, offered significant minutes.

Furthermore, solid defender George Johnston and star right-back Jordi Osei-Tutu were released from their contracts this summer, necessitating their replacement. The likes of Luca Stephenson, Akin Famewo, Ben Davies, and Gaizka Larrazabal will help, but the offensive areas must be addressed.

Bolton Wanderers fans react to Steven Schumacher’s statement about his transfer.

With loan signing Kyliane Dong providing forward reinforcements this summer, there is concern that Bolton’s roster as a whole is worse than it was at the end of last season, which is not encouraging as they prepare for their first season back in the Championship.

Steven Schumacher’s team drew 1-1 with League Two outfit Fleetwood Town in their most recent pre-season friendly on Tuesday night, and while pre-season results should not be taken too seriously, that, combined with a lack of transfer activity, has Bolton fans concerned.

Those concerns were heightened after a clip of Schumacher’s post-match interview was released on X, in which he offered a clearly dissatisfied response to a question about transfer rumours, shaking his head and saying, “No, nothing, no news,” when asked about potential incomings.

He looks enraged. I’m not sure if it’s due of the performance or the behind-the-scenes. “Or, you know, a lack of behind-the-scenes work,” another commented. “Hahaha, get your purse out, Sharon; he’s fuming,” one fan tweeted, pleading with their owners to support Schumacher in the transfer market shortly.

Bolton supporters have been on a torturous path to get back to the Championship, nearly ceasing to exist in 2019 and then sliding to League Two the next year, before suffering play-off defeats in the third division during the previous many seasons.

They don’t want their second-tier stay to last a year and result in relegation, but there are concerns that the existing players have little chance of keeping them up.

Bolton Wanderers are in a similar position to other Championship clubs regarding transfers, thus the protest may be unjustified.

The six-second film that circulated on Bolton’s X pages was a sample of a longer interview that took place after their draw with Fleetwood. Even though it was only preseason, there would have been displeasure with the outcome.

Steve Schumacher spoke candidly about his unhappiness with the lack of engagement during an interview.”We can’t rush into bringing players in just for the sake of it,” the Bolton manager remarked. “If they don’t have the correct qualities, personality, or character, that’s not what we want to do; we need to ensure we get the right individuals in.

Finally, six fresh recruits have made Bolton one of the busiest transfer windows in the Championship thus far, even with the nature of the World Cup slowing down activity as elite teams wait to see how their condition of play affects sides in the EFL.

Schumacher explains that every manager will be frustrated at not having everyone in the door right now, and he reiterates his admiration for Kenny, who has been linked with a return to Celtic this summer.

Bolton fans, like any other, have every reason to be apprehensive as they go on a campaign as a smaller fish in a larger pond for the first time in almost six years.

With the step-up in level, there would be expectations that the squad’s quality would have improved further by now, but after receiving enormous support in League One, there may be a bit more expectation that the Bolton squad would be good enough, at least by September 1st.

The Trotters’ 2026/27 season begins on August 8 with a trip to Sheffield Wednesday in the first round of the EFL Cup, followed by a week in the Championship.