Bolton Wanderers host their first home game of the new League One season this weekend when they take on Wycombe.
15.07.2022 - 07:25 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Ian Evatt has revisted playing Dapo Afolayan in a strike partnership for Bolton Wanderers in pre-season to give some food for thought ahead of the new campaign.
Afolayan was Bolton's top scorer last season with 14 goals in all competitions. He played a range of positions during the campaign including on the left wing, in the number 10 role and in a strike partnership.
The former West Ham United youngster lined up alongside Dion Charles in the earlier pre-season friendly against Watford in midweek. Afolayan and Kieran Lee were both on the scoresheet as the Whites won 2-0 with their best performance of pre-season so far.
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Evatt believes some of Afolayan's best performances in the second half of last season came in a strike partnership alongside the likes of Charles. He felt the duo 'caused carnage', with the 6-0 thrashing of Sunderland among the games which spring to mind.
The Wanderers boss wanted to use the behind closed doors friendly as a chance to look and revisit Afolayan in that central role. Though clear that might not be his favoured position when the season gets under way, Evatt was keen to see Afolayan in the role as an option.
He said: “We’re just looking at things. We can always play a double pivot and a 10. Today we went on pivot and two eights but we’ve got that flexibility to be able to do that. We’ve got midfielders that are probably suited to that eight role rather than a 10.
“Dapo when I looked back at last season, I think his best games in the second half of the season were as a nine, so there was at home for example, him and Dion caused carnage.
“I just wanted to revisit it. I’m not saying
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