WANDERERS are expected to confirm the departure of sporting director Chris Markham this week and begin the process of finding a replacement to head their recruitment department.
The Bolton News understands that Markham has parted ways with the club after four years, having played a major role in the selection process for current head coach Steven Schumacher.
Formerly with the Football Association and Huddersfield Town, the 38-year-old was brought in as technical performance director in January 2021 to replace Tobias Phoenix, changing his official title a couple of years later after the board established links with external data company Ludonautics.
Though Markham and Evatt had success in the transfer market, reaction has been more critical in recent windows. This season’s inconsistency and failure to challenge for an automatic promotion spot has now ultimately led to both men leaving the club.
It is thought that Bolton will look to bring in another figurehead before the end of the season to lead their recruitment and analysis department and that Schumacher’s job as head coach will not change.
Possible contenders include Neil Dewsnip, who worked with the Bolton boss at Plymouth Argyle and whose late father Jimmy was also a youth coach at Burnden Park in the nineties, helping to bring a number of Merseyside-based players through the club’s ranks.
Wanderers made it four wins out of five in the league on Saturday as they came back from 1-0 down to beat Shrewsbury Town 3-2 at the Croud Meadow.
Schumacher admitted it had been an unsatisfying first half performance but a goal from Eoin Toal on his birthday and two from John McAtee put the Whites level on points with next weekend’s opponents, Leyton Orient, and Charlton Athletic in the final play-off spot.
More than 1,600 supporters travelled to Shropshire and the head coach believes their backing was one of the key factors which got his side the momentum they needed in the second half.
“Even before the game started we had talked about putting on a performance, go and scrap, go and fight and battle but for 25-30 minutes we didn’t really do that,” he told The Bolton News.
“We let ourselves down, they won all the second balls, and credit to Shrewsbury, sometimes you have to hold your hand up and say they were the better team for that opening period.
“But that is when you need the crowd, they did get us back into it, got us going, and when you can score three goals right in front of them it’s great.
“The substitutes made a big impact. It was a lovely pick out from Szabi Schon for the third goal, Jordi was great – I didn’t think he was on Tuesday night, and we spoke about that. When he has got that sort of speed and energy he has to give us that impetus.
“Victor came on and did his role to keep holding the ball for us, Big Chris (Forino) got some really important minutes and Josh (Sheehan), well, we know what we are going to get from him.
“It was a big call to leave Josh out at the start of the XI because he’s been outstanding the last two games for us. But with the type of game that we expected. We didn’t imagine there would be much football played but with the rain and the way the pitch was, it actually suited us to play a bit more.
“That’s why we were keen to get Josh on early as well, just to get us taking over, which is what he’s really good at.”
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