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B Team boss Matt Craddock reckons Wanderers have made some “really positive steps” this season as they aim to bridge the gap between youth football and the first-team picture.
Craddock’s side are currently second in the Central League, only behind leaders Blackpool on goal difference at this stage.
The young Whites have also tested themselves against non-league opposition including the likes of FC United of Manchester and Atherton Colls.
Craddock has been encouraged by performances over the past few months and is also pleased to see several members of the squad getting a taste of men’s football while out on loan.
“It is a long-term project and I think we have made some really positive steps over the past six months. We are really clear on what we need to do next,” he told The Bolton News.
“The fact we are coming to teams like FC United of Manchester and competing with really young sides, we are competing in the Central League and have put on some really good performances this season.
“And the fact we are getting our players out to a really good standard for the loans, I think we are probably ahead of where I hoped we would be come Christmas.
“In the New Year, we kick on again. We have got loads more games in the Central League to complete, but really it is all about individual player development.
“We just have to have a plan for all these players and we are trying to do things a little bit differently. It will look different for every player, but I think we have come on leaps and bounds and I am really pleased.
“The club and the first team have been so supportive with what we do. Everybody from the B Team and the Academy have just been working so hard in the last six months since we have revamped everything.”
Nelson Khumbeni and Gerald Sithole were both named in the matchday squad for the trip to Shrewsbury earlier this month, and Craddock reckons it is testament to the hard work going on behind the scenes.
“(It is) fantastic, and that is the reward for them,” he added. “We talk about focusing on the processes and not the outcomes, but when (those moments) come along it is really positive for them.
“It just reflects the hard work that is going on, and our job is to try to close that gap between the Academy and the first team.
“The fact that some of these lads are getting opportunities in matchday squads and in training as well behind the scenes, I think it is a real testament to how hard they are working."
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