There were boos from Bolton fans after a late error from Richard Taylor sees them knocked out of the EFL Trophy by Port Vale.
There were nine changes made to the line-up that crashed out at the last-16 stage following a 1-0 home defeat, with the team failing to score for a third straight home game and extending their winless run to five matches.
Port Vale, under new manager Jon Brady, made 10 changes but produced a solid performance and grabbed a late winner in the final minute through Ben Waine.
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher said, per the club website: “I think we need to stay calm, and obviously the game at the weekend, I don’t think it can be a better game, because if you don’t sort it out you’ll get embarrassed in the biggest game of the season.
“We looked dangerous a couple of times, but not enough, again, not what we were seeing four weeks ago. I think it comes down to the individuals. We need to just get the ones firing who were playing really well for us and trying to figure out a way of getting confidence and belief back into the performances, because that’s at the moment what we look like.
“It (Wigan) is the best game that you can possibly have and for us it starts at the next training session. We’ve got to make sure that we get the atmosphere right, get ourselves motivated and ready for it. It’s the best game that you can probably have, because if you’re not up for it, if you don’t do all the basics properly, you won’t get the result that we need.
“Frustrating, not good enough, again. We had a long chat in the dressing room, players firstly before we got in there, and then afterwards, nice and calm.
“But we need to find out what’s happening, because we’ve had four-and-a-half months of playing really well since August and four weeks of not playing really well.
“As I said on Saturday, after the last game, confidence seems to be low. Tonight, again, I think we’ve seen signs of that. I think for 60 minutes we were okay. Without being brilliant we were okay in the game, but the last 30 minutes, just probably not good enough.”
Port Vale’s Jon Brady said to BBC Sport Stoke: “I thought it was a good performance overall. I felt we controlled the first half in possession, we had some really good chances.
“I liked some of the movements that we created. Again, we have had a day-and-a-bit to work on that and the boys have produced that, which I am really pleased with.
“We had four players coming back from injury as well and getting them half a game. Overall, I think it will build confidence with the group.
“Second half, we had to show a different side to ourselves but I still think we had some really good spells away from home.
“You are going to suffer at times here and there, and I think there was one really hairy moment where the boys defended and Ben Amos is out of his goal but makes a fantastic save.
“But apart from that, they had three shots on target and the rest were tame efforts so they boys were really good.
“We had a real good two days of how we are going to build, how we are going to create, how we are going to finish the attack, how we are going to press them, how we are going to be in that mid-block or deeper block. It is just keep adding.
“We don’t want to fill them with loads but what I saw tonight, some patterns that we did and the way we played, the way we opened them up and got in, I thought was really good.”
🗣️ The gaffer praised his side’s efforts as we reached the quarter-finals of the @VertuTrophy
Watch in full on PVTV 👉 https://t.co/pW67vVG1tY#PVFC | #PVFC150 pic.twitter.com/OILJEN01px
— Port Vale Football Club (@OfficialPVFC) January 13, 2026
This is the reaction from social media users amid boos from Bolton fans after a late error sees them knocked out of the EFL Trophy by Port Vale…
@Biggusdecimus: No togetherness, taylor garbage, christie garbage. Decision making a shambles, losing the ball, kicks to absolutely no one. Player game management is trash. This is absolutely not acceptable! Decision making poor, shots on target pathetic. This season is fucking done!! FV OUT!!!
@Finley_bwfc:
disgrace.
The body language.
The energy.
The attitude.
Disgusting.
Something is seriously wrong.
#bwfc
@robf193: Fans were desperate for Schumacher to come in this time last year and I think it was one of the main reasons he got the job. His tactics are basic, can’t think of one player than he’s improved since he came in and now it seems he’s lost the dressing room. We’re in a mess 😔#bwfc
@PeteONeill_: Fans hammering the manager. Yet Sheehan, McAtee, Dempsey, Toal, Johnston, Tutu, Morley, Forino, Randall continue to down tools on another manager. Along side some absolutely dross signings who seem to have same attitude! He’ll go and we’ll all want next one gone before April 🤣
@WanderasLuke: Team full of one trick ponies. No creativity now they have been sussed but still keep trying the same fucking tricks.
@CiaranBWFC2002: Everyone involved needs to hang their heads in fucking shame. How many players, managers and owners are going to embarrass this club? The manager is a dead man walking and I honestly have no words for these players anymore. Absolute disgrace
@Jack_BWFC2021: Might get battered here but a manager can only do so much. It’s down to the players to find some confidence and fight to change it. They are the ones on the pitch and choosing not to buy into the gaffer. Evatt questioned mentality a year ago and got slammed. Nothings changed..
@bradt_bwfc:
Football ventures out
Schumacher out
Players out
Knock the stadium down and build a casino
@HangryHippo91: Every game it gets worse & worse. Im not even sure Id need 1 hand to count the players in our squad worth keeping. No heart. No desire. No game plan. No leadership. No direction. Sideways and backwards, and sideways and backwards & then we give away shit goals. We’re a joke.
@drac_uk: Sack him tonight. Save the season. I dread to think what the crowd will be next home game after we lose at Wigan and Stevenage and sign some old reject on deadline day.
@WanderasLuke: Attitude reflects leadership, and leadership starts at the very top. Got to look at more than Schumacher and the squad for this awful display that’s happening right now. Two managers, same issues, only one common demoninator that links the two.
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