THE best thing to be said of Wanderers’ pre-season so far is that it remains a drama free zone.

Of course, there have been injuries, Xavier Amaechi’s being the headline grabber, and the ubiquitous Covid self-isolations, but the unfussy way Ian Evatt’s Whites have dealt with the setbacks and gone about their business this summer is a positive sign indeed.

Here, in Barrow, we got a 90-minute performance with few bells and whistles. The game was settled with one moment of class, an unselfish ball from Eoin Doyle, a fine finish from Dapo Afolayan, and a victory preserved by a stunning late save from Holker Park old boy Joel Dixon in the dying minutes.

In between, Wanderers were tested, but never overstretched. The presence of Ricardo Santos, out with a bruised foot, was missed, and Evatt spent large portions of the second half rotating his players in rather experimental fashion.

But in common with most of the action we have seen this summer, Bolton looked content to stick with a familiar plan, and one which looks well-rooted more than 12 months after the manager’s arrival.

This has not been a pre-season of mystery trialists, with a large portion of transfer business done nice and early. Nor has there been much distraction over players’ futures, with a sizeable number of last season’s promotion winning squad trusted to carry through their form into League One.

From top to bottom, Wanderers are giving off the vibe of a settled and stable club. And for those who have followed its recent fortunes, it is a rare feeling indeed.

Even Evatt’s first summer in charge had felt off the cuff. For all the talk of careful recruitment planning it quickly became clear mistakes had been made, and a horrific injury to Dennis Politic in a relatively meaningless game at Loughborough University set off those old alarm bells again.

It was fitting, then, that the winger should make his playing return in such calmness. Wanderers were a goal up by the time he replaced goalscorer Afolayan, his entrance greeted by an ovation as loud as anything since the crowds returned.

Politic had been the bright spot of a dour relegation campaign under Keith Hill two years ago, his technique setting him apart from anyone else in a squad that sleepwalked their way into League Two from January 2020 onwards.

Bolton have produced some fine young players in recent years but the young winger has an electricity in possession which hasn’t been present in the senior set-up since Mark Davies’s heyday.

He had little time to make an imprint on this game, save for a pot-shot from 25 yards which ended up in the stands. But to see him back in action 12 months after that horrible day in Leicestershire was worth the entrance fee alone for the 600-plus travelling fans crammed into the corner of the ground.

Politic may have to be patient before he finds his top gear again. He must also adapt his game slightly to become more disciplined out of possession in a team which simply cannot afford luxuries in League One. But if Evatt can guide him back to form and fitness, Wanderers have a real matchwinner in their midst.

If there is an area of concern in the Bolton squad right now, it is probably in the attacking areas. Amaechi looks likely to miss at least the first month of the season, and though Amadou Bakayoko has shown up well in the friendly games, Evatt still looks at least one goal-scorer short alongside Eoin Doyle if the Whites are to challenge effectively at the top end of the table.

For the first time in several years, though, Wanderers go into a season without the burden of pressure. There is expectation, of course, but from within.

The serenity is a strange feeling for fans who have had to live on their nerves in recent times but it might just be the right environment for Evatt and his team to flourish.

WANDERERS: Dixon; Jones (Crawford 77), Baptiste (Senior 77), Brockbank, John (Gordon 68); Williams (Sarcevic 56), Lee (Sheehan 56); Afolayan (Politic 60), Thomason (Tutte 68), Delfouneso (Darcy 59); Doyle (Bakayoko 68).

Attendance: 1,918