Latest news with #StevenSchumacher
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Plymouth Argyle need 'someone who will stick around'
Plymouth Argyle have started the search for their next head coach after Miron Muslic left last week to join German side such as Jack Wilshere, Rob Edwards, Ian Evatt and Michael Duff are being put forward by fans as possible options to succeed Joe Bell from the Green and White podcast, which follows the ups and downs of Argyle, says stability is key after three different managers since Steven Schumacher left the club 18 months ago."When you think about the last couple of years, we had so much stability before Steven Schumacher left," Bell told BBC Spotlight."Since he departed for Stoke, we've lost all semblance of stability."It's our fourth search in a very short space of time for a head coach and we need to find somebody who's going to stick around.""I hope it's a swift appointment, but it needs to be the right person," he added."Somebody who has promotion credentials in English football, preferably in this league, and maybe someone who isn't a flash name who won't be as attractive to other clubs when they're doing well at Argyle."If we can find that mix - and I don't know where we find them - but if we can get that together, we'll have found the right man."
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The key dates for Wanderers and their rivals ahead of transfer window
With the summer transfer window opening this weekend, here are all the key dates you need to make note of. The EFL window begins from Sunday, June 1 but will only stay open for 10 days initially. It will then close again until Monday, June 16 when it will remain open until deadline day on Monday, September 1. The deadline has also been brought forward to 7pm, which means clubs will be required to complete deals before the usual 11pm cut-off point. The EFL explained why the changes have been made for the upcoming window in an official update earlier this month. It read: 'Due to an additional FIFA Club World Cup registration period introduced ahead of the start of the FIFA Club World Cup, the EFL and its clubs have agreed that the summer transfer window shall operate for an additional 10-day period from Sunday, June 1 2025 to 19:00 on Tuesday, June 10 2025. 'This is due to the transfer window being unable to exceed a total of 89 days. 'The FIFA regulation on this matter permits the member associations of clubs playing in the FIFA Club World Cup to establish this exceptional registration period, and there is therefore likely to be considerable transfer activity taking place across the world's major leagues during this time. READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers prediction made in early 2025/26 League One table 'The EFL therefore believes that its clubs should also have the opportunity to be active in the market at this time. 'The FIFA Club World Cup is set to take place between 14 June 2025 and 13 July 2025.' Steven Schumacher is heading into his first summer as Wanderers boss, having succeeded Ian Evatt in the hot seat several months ago. The head coach will be looking to put his stamp on the squad following the departures of Ricardo Santos, Gethin Jones and Nathan Baxter, which were confirmed in the retained list several weeks ago. Supporters are also eagerly awaiting the 2025/26 fixture release, which takes place at 12pm on Thursday, June 26.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Schumacher 'positive' as Wanderers' pre-season preparations start to take shape
THE first games of Wanderers' pre-season have been put in place, with Steven Schumacher's side set to face Barrow and Shrewsbury in July. Bolton's summer schedule will include a game at the So Legal Stadium (Holker Street) on Tuesday, July 15 (kick-off 7pm). Wanderers will then travel to face Shrewsbury at the Croud Meadow on Tuesday, July 22 (7pm kick-off). Players are due to return to the training ground at the end of next month, with Schumacher confirming a 'trip' was planned as part of the preparations for the new campaign. The fixture list is announced at midday on Thursday, June 26, with the League One season commencing on the weekend of August 1. Schumacher is expected to make several signings this summer and has already been linked with a string of goalkeepers including Chelsea's Teddy Sharman-Lowe, QPR's Murphy Cooper and, most recently, Crystal Palace's Owen Goodman, who is on loan with League Two play-off finalists Wimbledon. Although changes are afoot, the Bolton boss insists he has also seen signs around the squad in inherited that bode well for the future. 'We fell away a little bit towards the end, now injuries played a big part in that,' he explained. 'We had 12-13 senior players out who had all been playing – good, senior players who you'd miss, and any squad with that number of injuries suffers. 'Also, getting the squad to play how I want to play, without that balance, it just wasn't possible. It has been difficult but we will address that over the summer with recruitment if we can. 'I have seen loads of positives, the running stats have been higher, we have had a lot more opportunities in transition which is how I like to jobs" target="_blank">work, we have seen certain things in the team which looks like the style we want. 'But we also know we need some other players as well to execute that style and carry out the gameplan. We have got good players here, but we fell short, we need better players that can help us play exactly how I want to play next year.' Schumacher is confident he will be able to bring in players this summer who can complement the existing squad and ensure a sustained push for promotion next season. 'I am positive about it,' he said. 'When I came here in January and went through the interview process, spoke to Sharon and Nick, they said it was going to be difficult and that there would be ups and downs with the way the squad was, the balance of the squad,' he said. 'I understood that but I genuinely did feel we could make the play-offs, I was honest about that. We didn't manage to do that but I also had one eye on next year and if we didn't do it, what does next year look like? 'I have a really good idea now, I have had four months to assess the group and for me it's really clear to see what needs to be done and what has to get better.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
What went wrong: Reviewing the 11 signings made at Bolton Wanderers this season
AS Wanderers fans look towards next month's transfer window, it seems only fitting to review last season's recruitment and why it failed so miserably to get the club into contention for a promotion place. In the first of a series of articles reviewing what went wrong at the Toughsheet, and why the post play-off black cloud refused to shift, we start by reflecting on the 11 signings made by the club after Wembley, the impact they made, and whether they now have a future under Steven Schumacher. Chris Forino scored the winner against Wigan Athletic in one of the high points (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd) Became Wanderers' first summer signing, with the club claiming to have fought off 'fierce competition' from Championship and League One rivals to bring the defender in on a free transfer from Wycombe. Well-regarded at Adams Park, his arrival did come with a warning that his injury record had thus far prevented him from realising his full potential. And for the first half of the season, that proved disconcertingly correct. Injured after the Carabao Cup defeat at Arsenal, it wasn't until March that we saw Forino at his best, and his late-season performances suggest he could be a key figure for Steven Schumacher next season. His unflinching honesty in post-match interviews and jobs" target="_blank">work with the community arm of the club also reflect well. Verdict: Fifteen starts out of 56 isn't good enough but if Forino can keep fit, he has the tools to be a success with Wanderers. Though he arrived with a broken leg from his time with Cheltenham, the Northern Ireland international did get fit in time to feature in the early rounds of the cup, putting down some markers as he chased first choice Nathan Baxter for his place in the team. After an injury to Baxter presented a burst of games in October it wasn't until January that Southwood really got his chance. And though it was Ian Evatt who reinstated him, Schumacher kept faith and cemented him as number one until March. Southwood conceded 17 goals in a 13-game run but was dropped against Stockport after Schumacher reviewed some of the data accrued in his first few weeks, which indicated Baxter was the better bet. A poor run, with only two wins from Baxter's eight starts, saw Southwood drafted back in for the final two matches but promotion hopes had long faded. Verdict: Contracted for next season and not without his supporters at Bolton, it seems likely Southwood will have to scrap again for the number one spot with a summer signing. The third arrival of the summer was a wildcard. Costing a reported £200,000 from Crawley Town, Lolos was high on confidence after winning the League Two play-offs. 'It's important that we get fresh people in, with a fresh outlook and fresh positivity,' said Ian Evatt, eager to move on from his own play-off disaster. But an injury on the opening day of the season at Leyton Orient clipped what had been an encouraging summer and though Lolos returned with a memorable winner against Peterborough, his place in the team has never looked secure. Verdict: Clearly talented, but versatility can be a disadvantage and is it hard to see where Lolos fits into the jigsaw for Schumacher. Scott Arfield never got going in a Bolton shirt, and then signed for Falkirk in January (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd) Bolton's dressing room needed some experience, and Arfield's CV was as good as anyone's but the Scot was coming off the back of a full season in MLS and never looked remotely ready to play a part at Wanderers. Arfield went on to have success with Falkirk after leaving in January, so maybe in time he could have made an impact. His name had become synonymous with the faltering recruitment and a toxic environment at Wanderers, though, and it was the right call to go. Verdict: Not the only signing who will be remembered for the wrong reasons this season – but it just didn't happen for the former Burnley and Huddersfield midfielder. Reports on the continent claimed Bolton paid out £700,000 to sign the Hungarian from Fehérvár, and the culture clash as he went straight into a pre-season friendly at Port Vale was something to behold. Schön did his best to live up to his billing as a wing-back, and in truth he has never lacked for a shred of effort all season long. He did look happier once switched to the wing by Schumacher, however, even if he suffered from the same inconsistencies around the penalty box as so many of his team-mates. Verdict: Schumacher says he wants to play wingers, so Schön will have a chance next season, but he will need to work on that end product. With Evatt trying to bed in a new midfield shape, Matete's addition on loan from Sunderland looked a great fit. He knew the way out of this division too, which felt like an important psychological boost to the dressing room. The reality for Matete was that he impressed in fits and starts. His two goals against Lincoln in December were a high point, and there were times when his ability to carry the ball through midfield set him apart. Sadly, a frustrating tendency to cough up possession in his own half also led to a few moments of frustration, and a three-game ban issued for violent conduct in Evatt's last game in charge against Charlton was a big blot on his copybook. Verdict: Had worked with Schumacher before at Plymouth but the magic never really returned. Will invariably be sent out again this season by the Black Cats. Jordi Osei-Tutu briefly looked to have overcome his injury issues this season (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) The seventh signing of the summer came so close to being a lucky one, and if Wanderers can find a way to get Osei-Tutu fit, confident and trusting his own body again, they do have a real talent on their hands. Costing a reported £250,000 from VFL Bochum in Germany, the former Arsenal trainee was a gamble, given his injury record in the last few seasons. And after damaging a hamstring playing in the Very Trophy group stages at Barrow, he managed just three starts all the way to mid-December. But things did pick up and his conditioning did improve. Schumacher got a run of games out of him through March and April, only for more injury issues to strike at Barnsley. Verdict: An archetypal Wanderers signing of late – talent, promise but so much injury baggage. His fee was officially undisclosed but referred to as 'seven figure' by Evatt, the deal for McAtee had been slow going. The striker had been impressive at Barnsley the previous season and from afar he had the sort of mettle and devilment Bolton had lacked. A long summer spent on the periphery at Luton didn't help, but McAtee has since admitted his early-season conditioning wasn't good enough. He was moved from pillar to post as Evatt tried to make his new tactical system work and was eventually told to play as a number nine when the whole experiment was scrapped. With a lack of alternative options, Schumacher had to do likewise. A return of 12 goals was not terrible but Bolton fans have been left feeling short-changed. Verdict: One of Wanderers' many stray number 10s and secondary strikers, and one who has rarely looked the player he was on loan at Barnsley. Needs to be better. Initially earmarked to sign in the summer, a deal for Murphy had to be shelved because of injury. When Bolton came back in for him in January, the defender hadn't even made his debut before Evatt departed the club. The young Irishman never quite found his niche, often used as a left-back or left wing-back, he seemed more comfortable being asked to defend rather than push on. A few errors clearly eroded his confidence, and he goes back to Tyneside hoping his next loan will be more comfortable. Verdict: Never looked like being a success. Wanderers spent much of last summer wrestling Peterborough United for number 10 Randall, with Darragh McAnthony claiming the bidding went above £2million. After talks broke down, Randall had a complex half-season of fallouts and reconciliation with Posh, and by January Bolton were back again – this time having a £1.2m offer accepted. It is not the player's fault that he walked into a toxic atmosphere at Wanderers, nor that he did so without really being settled off the pitch and living out of the team hotel. But football is an unforgiving business, and the price tag meant his inconsistent form in the last few months has been magnified. Verdict: Schumacher can get more out of Randall. And if the player can lay down some firm roots with the club, he has the talent and ability to be a game-winner next season. Kion Etete failed to make any sort of impression during his time with Bolton (Image: CameraSport - Lee Parker) Signed on loan from Cardiff City in the Twilight Zone between Evatt's departure and Schumacher's arrival, this was without doubt the most damning piece of evidence against Wanderers' recruitment of all. Leave aside a troubling debut, a penalty conceded minutes after coming off the bench, Etete simply never looked close to fit enough to make any dent in League One. A list of niggling injuries ended with him declaring himself unfit with a dead leg before the end of the season, the tone of Schumacher's voice saying everything as he reported it at the time. Verdict: Been a long, long time since a signing went this bad.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Straight From the Stands: Wanderers fans on recruitment and goalkeeper changes
Relationships are the name of the game, By Liam Hatton IT is very early days, but Steven Schumacher this week spoke positively about his dialogue so far with incoming Sporting Director Fergal Harkin. The gaffer himself knows only too well about how important it is to have a transparent and healthy relationship with those higher up on the recruitment side of things, with his time at Stoke City serving as a reminder. Nothing concrete has ever come out of his departure from The Potters and the circumstances behind it, but what we do know is that last summer Stoke saw a new head of recruitment take over. Prior to that in February 2024, Jon Walters replaced Ricky Martin as Technical Director. So, it would be fair to say that Schumacher's time there saw an influx of change, something he had not really witnessed at Plymouth Argyle. Twelve incoming signings and four loans were made in the summer window for Stoke whilst 19 players left the club, which would automatically classify as a huge upheaval in anyone's books. The year before that saw Stoke make 18 new signings. Steven Schumacher's time at Stoke City saw a lot of changes behind the scenes (Image: PA) The point here is that Schumacher knew he was walking into a tough scenario, but maybe the task was just too big judging by the chopping and changing behind the scenes. From enjoying a settled environment at Plymouth with people he was familiar with to what transpired at Stoke, he knows now how important it is to have the right people alongside him. Which brings me to the appointment - albeit not official yet - of Jimmy Dickinson from Plymouth. Dickinson worked with Schumacher in Devon as Head of Recruitment and will now join Bolton in the same capacity, working alongside Schumacher and under the remit of Harkin. Whilst Schumacher's relationship with Harkin will be key, it definitely helps the manager knowing that he has a familiar face who he has an established rapport with, which has produced a squad that has been promoted in the past. I can't sit here and tell you anything about Dickinson really, but we can just go off his signings at Plymouth, which included Bali Mumba, Morgan Whittaker and Finn Azaz. Again, Plymouth fans will probably have a different opinion and be thankful he's gone, but the step up to the Championship and Argyle being some of the lower spenders in that league probably didn't help matters. You can identify all of the players you want, but the budget also needs to be there. As for Bolton, the structure is now in place and we are relying on a mini-masterclass from Harkin, Schumacher and co. There are links to players such as Ryan Ledson, Jamie Jellis and goalkeeper Teddy Sharman-Lowe, but at the moment, these are all just rumours. The main thing to take from this news is that Schumacher has the personnel in place with his own staff, a Head of Recruitment who he has worked with before and a promising start to his relationship with Harkin. It bodes well, now we need to see if the proof is in the pudding. Teddy Sharman-Lowe is one of the keepers said to interest Bolton this summer (Image: PA) A new number one between the sticks? By Lee Sidebotham OVER the summer, I'll be discussing the strengths and weaknesses in each position within our team and how I think we could improve with the options currently at our disposal and the possibilities within the transfer market. This week I'll be giving my take on the goalkeeping position. Personally, I would have liked to see Nathan Baxter stay. In my estimation, he was one of the best shot-stoppers in the league and the perfect replacement following James Trafford's departure. I believe his injury halfway through last season was the single biggest factor in us not gaining that second automatic promotion spot. However, Luke Southwood has surprised many this season. After impressing throughout the cup competitions, he was picked over Baxter in the league in January and the fight for the number one shirt constantly went back and forth. I guess when we do sign a new keeper, the big question will be does Southwood keep his place in the starting eleven? We've all read the rumours about signing Chelsea youngster Teddy Sharman-Lowe on loan after impressing for Doncaster this season. I've seen a lot of people online say we shouldn't loan in this position, and we should get a full-time replacement on the books. But I personally don't mind this option or signing Sharman-Lowe for a year. He played every single game for a side that won League Two this season and kept thirteen clean sheets. It's hard to argue with that record and not consider taking him on. Chelsea also have another keeper available this Summer. The 22-year-old Lucas Bergstrom is a completely different type of goalie to Southwood. He is a towering 6ft 9ins shot-stopper with one cap for Finland and has experience playing in the Swedish First Division and in the Europa Conference League for the Blues. He also played for Peterborough during the 2022-23 season, who finished just behind us in the Play-Offs. If Chelsea don't keep him on this year, he could be a very good free agent to bring in. Another permanent option could be Freddie Woodman who has recently been released from Preston North End. Steven Schumacher spoke previously about how there is very little Championship or higher league level experience within our squad. Woodman certainly ticks all those boxes. Maybe I'm stretching it a bit with this option, but if the opportunity came, I think we should absolutely take him. Tottenham's Alfie Whiteman is also out of contract at the end of the season. While he's never played a game for the first team, he has been a constant backup in European matches and a handful of Premier League games. Baxter had a similar history let's not forget. Whoever we decide to bring in, it's important we can call upon them when needed. We've all seen in previous years what can happen when we don't have two solid goalkeeping options.
