Bolton Wanderers urged to find Luca Connell 2.0 as "biggest weakness" is identified | OneFootball

FLW's Bolton Wanderers has admitted that he has been disappointed by their academy products.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Bolton Wanderers have endured a challenging 2024-25 season, struggling to build on the momentum of last year's near-promotion via the play-offs.

Many pundits tipped the Trotters as favourites for automatic promotion, but inconsistency has plagued their campaign. Promising spells of form have been undone by frustrating runs of defeats and draws, preventing them from establishing themselves in the top six.

The club made a bold decision mid-season to part ways with long-serving manager Ian Evatt, replacing him with Steven Schumacher. While Schumacher initially sparked an upturn in results, recent fixtures have stalled their play-off push.

Nevertheless, Bolton remain firmly in contention, with the race for the play-offs incredibly tight. A strong finish could still see them secure a coveted top-six spot, but there is little margin for error.

One area that could provide a boost is the academy. Introducing fresh, youthful energy into the squad might be the spark needed in the final weeks. However, in recent seasons, academy prospects have been given limited first-team opportunities at the club - something many fans hope will change.

Bolton urged to provide academy products with more opportunities

To get a Trotters take on the issues facing academy products, Football League World spoke to their resident Bolton fan pundit, Liam O'Meara.

O'Meara believes the academy is one of the club’s biggest weaknesses and insists that a clearer pathway must be established for young talents to break into the first team.

"This is probably the biggest weakness at our club in terms of our ability to develop academy products into first-team players," O'Meara said.

"The last one who really broke into the team and stayed was Luca Connell, who is now doing very well at Barnsley.

"We haven’t really had a production line. We've had the odd player come through, play well, and then move elsewhere to succeed - Chris Basham and Danny Ward spring to mind.

"As for the current crop, we have Max Conway, who is on loan at Crewe and seems to be doing very well there. He is highly regarded by their fans and looked good in his pre-season appearances, so he’s the standout name.

"Sonny Sharples-Ahmed has made a couple of first-team appearances this season, which is promising. There are a few others in and around the squad, but in terms of a ‘wonderkid’ - that might be pushing it."

Bolton need to create a pathway for Conway and Sharples-Ahmed

Bolton’s recruitment cannot be faulted, but what supporters crave most is a homegrown talent to rally behind.

For the Trotters, this remains a pressing issue, and Steven Schumacher must focus on developing prospects like Max Conway and Sonny Sharples-Ahmed - both of whom have the potential to make an impact.

Conway has been particularly impressive on loan at Crewe Alexandra. Despite the Railwaymen losing momentum in recent weeks, his performances have been crucial in a solid defensive campaign for the Cheshire club.

Sharples-Ahmed, meanwhile, remains more of an unknown quantity. However, his regular presence on the bench should translate into increased game time - especially if Bolton’s play-off hopes begin to fade in the closing weeks of the season.

The Trotters must rethink their approach to academy graduates as integrating young talent could provide the spark needed to propel the club back into the Championship in the coming years.