Gaizka Larrazabal is asking Bolton Wanderers supporters to keep the faith. The midfielder spoke to BBC Radio Manchester after Tuesday's 3-2 defeat to West Ham, insisting that results will improve and that better days are not far away.

A narrow defeat, but still a defeat

Losing 3-2 is a very different proposition to losing 4-0, and the scoreline at least suggests Bolton competed for large stretches of the match. But the Championship does not reward moral victories, and a loss is three points dropped regardless of how the game looked on the night. Bolton will know that themselves.

What the defeat does underline is that confidence and promise have to be converted into points on the board. A tight scoreline can mask underlying issues just as easily as it can hint at genuine progress, and supporters have every right to weigh Larrazabal's optimism against what they have seen across the opening weeks of the season.

Adapting to the second tier

Larrazabal acknowledged the challenge of adapting to English football, a recurring theme for any player arriving from abroad. The Championship is a physically demanding environment: high tempo, minimal recovery time between fixtures, and very little margin for error. The division punishes sides that are still finding their feet, and Bolton are clearly in that process.

The player's candour is welcome. Talking up adapting to a new league is not the same as making excuses; it is an honest assessment of where he currently stands. The question for the coaching staff is how quickly that adaptation can be accelerated, because the fixture list waits for no one.

What Bolton need now

Positive attitudes are fine, but they need to be backed by results in short order. The Championship table is unforgiving in September: a slow start can leave a side chasing points for the remainder of the campaign, and the gap to the top six or the safety buffer above the drop zone can widen quickly if the run of losses continues.

Bolton have shown in recent weeks, including against West Ham, that they are capable of scoring goals and creating problems for opponents. The defensive side of the game remains the area that needs addressing most urgently; shipping three goals at home to a fellow Championship side is not the foundation a promotion-chasing or mid-table-safety-seeking team can afford to build on.

Larrazabal's belief that "the wins are going to come soon" reflects the spirit inside the dressing room. That spirit matters, but it is worth remembering that four decent performances in a row do not automatically signal a corner being turned. Bolton supporters will want to see consistency, not just confidence.

The bigger picture

With the early-season picture still forming, Bolton sit in a position where every home fixture is an opportunity to gather points in front of their own supporters. West Ham, also a Championship club navigating their own rebuild, proved too strong on the night, but the manner of the 3-2 result at least shows this Bolton side has an attacking outlet worth building on.

The coming weeks will be more revealing than any interview. If Larrazabal and his team-mates can translate their stated belief into three-point returns, the optimism will look well-founded. If the losses continue to pile up, the encouraging words will count for very little indeed.

Frequently asked

What was the score between Bolton and West Ham?
West Ham beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2 in a Championship fixture played on Tuesday, 9 September 2026.
Who is Gaizka Larrazabal at Bolton Wanderers?
Gaizka Larrazabal is a Bolton Wanderers player who has been adapting to English football since joining the club, and who spoke to BBC Radio Manchester following the 3-2 defeat to West Ham.
How are Bolton Wanderers doing in the Championship this season?
Bolton have had a difficult start to the Championship season, suffering a 4-0 defeat and now a 3-2 loss to West Ham, though the players remain publicly optimistic that results will improve soon.