Mid-season report: Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers were expected to challenge towards the top of the Championship in 2013-14 after their surge towards the playoffs at the back end of last season.

Manager Dougie Freedman would have begun the season so determined and with eyes on promotion after seeing the side that he left behind, Crystal Palace, achieve exactly that.

However, things began dreadfully for the Trotters and it will take a momentous second half of the season if they are to challenge for a place in the top six.

Below, Sports Mole casts its eye over the 2013 segment of Wanderers' season.

August

It all began well enough as Wanderers drew with Burnley in the first game of the season before also holding recently-relegated Reading at home, with Darren Pratley scoring both goals for the Trotters in those two matches.

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Just one more league goal would be scored in August though as Bolton fell to Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Blackburn Rovers, leaving them rockbottom after five games.

Their progress in the League Cup was halted in the second round as Tranmere Rovers of League One knocked them out on penalties after a comfortable victory over Shrewsbury in round one.

September

Bolton's winless start to the season continued in September as they failed to pick up a maximum despite three home games out of four.

Leeds United edged them out to make it four defeats on the bounce before that run was ended with a draw against Derby County.

Brighton & Hove Albion were next to put Bolton to the sword before the losing would stop for two months.

October

Draws against Yeovil Town and Blackpool made it 10 games without a win before the Trotters finally broke their duck on the road at Birmingham City to climb out of the bottom three, with Leicester City loanee Neil Danns scoring the winner.

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Although they were unbeaten in October, it was still an unsatisfactory month for Freedman as his side failed to build on the win at Bolton by drawing 1-1 at home to both Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich Town, meaning Wanderers were still just two points off the bottom of the table.

November

Fortunes improved in November as Wanderers won three matches in a row against Bournemouth, Millwall and Watford, with Jermaine Beckford starting to find his scoring touch by netting in each.

Bolton couldn't make it a perfect month as they fell to a late Grant Leadbitter goal at Middlesbrough but had still moved healthily clear of the drop zone thanks to the previous victories.

December

The final and busiest month of the year was an on-off one for Bolton as they suffered three defeats, won twice and drew once.

A lacklustre home defeat to Huddersfield Town started things off before Doncaster Rovers were swept aside 3-0 to move Wanderers as high as 15th in the table.

Wigan Athletic came out on top 3-2 next time out before the jam-packed festive period saw Bolton take four points from a possible nine.

A draw against Charlton was followed by victory at struggling Barnsley before the year ended with an eight-goal thriller against top-of-the-table Leicester City.

Bolton scored all three of their goals in the first half and went in level at 3-3 at the break before going down 5-3 at full time.

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That result leaves Bolton in 18th place going into the New Year. Despite being much closer to the drop zone positionally, they are seven points adrift of both the top six and bottom three so can rightly be looking up rather than down.

Freedman has said that he will be adding to his squad in January and a striker seems the most likely purchase as David N'Gog could be sold for a decent sum.

The 2014 half of the Trotters' season should see an improvement but they will again need an almighty run of form if they are to challenge for a spot in the playoffs.