Steven Schumacher has pushed back against any suggestion that Bolton Wanderers have been caught cold by the Championship, insisting his side are competitive in the vast majority of their matches even if the points tally does not yet reflect it.

Bolton currently sit 19th in the table after 13 league games, a run that includes four wins but also a sequence of three winless matches in which they have shipped eight goals. The most painful of those was a 5-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough, but Schumacher was keen to frame the broader picture rather than dwell on individual setbacks.

"I don't think we're surprised by the level. It's going to be difficult," Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester. "But I think what I've been most impressed with, there's only one game out of the 13 that we've played in the league that we can honestly come off the pitch and say, 'you know what, they were miles better than us.'"

That solitary game, in Schumacher's assessment, was the QPR fixture, where he felt his side did well to salvage a point. Everything else, he argued, had offered Bolton a genuine platform to take something from the match.

The most recent evidence of what he means came on Saturday, when Bolton led Bristol City 2-1 before eventually losing 3-2 at home. It was the second time in recent weeks that a lead had been surrendered in the closing stages, having also dropped points against Sheffield United in similar circumstances.

"I know that we haven't got all of the wins or we've been punished sometimes and we've had points in the bag and it's gone in the last minute like Sheffield United and on Saturday, but that's what this league can do to you," Schumacher said. "It is punishing and it's something that you've just got to get over quickly because before you know it there's another game and you can't dwell on it for too long."

That kind of late-game vulnerability will be a concern for supporters, who have watched Bolton concede eight goals in their last three matches. The back-to-back home defeats in particular will have tested the patience of the Trot Pack faithful. In the Championship, where margins are fine and form can shift quickly, an inability to see games out tends to cost clubs dearly over a 46-game campaign.

Bolton's return to the second tier this season is their first in several years, and the squad has been assembled with that in mind. Earlier in the campaign they posted a 3-1 win at Wolves, which was their third victory in four matches and briefly lifted them to 14th. That spell showed what the side is capable of, and Schumacher was clear that confidence in the approach has not wavered.

"I said to the players to stick with it and keep believing because you're just doing loads of things well," he added. "For large periods of that game on Saturday we looked like the team that have been at this level for years."

Whether the squad can translate those periods of composure into sustained results is the challenge that now faces them. At 19th, Bolton are not yet in serious trouble, but the Championship has a habit of punishing dropped points in the autumn. With an immediate opportunity to respond against Bristol City already behind them, the next fixture will offer Schumacher's side a chance to demonstrate that their manager's confidence is well placed.

  • Bolton's record after 13 games: 4 wins, 19th in the Championship table
  • Recent winless run: 3 matches, 8 goals conceded
  • Best result of the campaign: 3-1 win at Wolves

Frequently asked

Where are Bolton Wanderers in the Championship table?
Bolton are currently 19th in the Championship after 13 league games, with four wins from their opening matches of the season.
What did Steven Schumacher say about Bolton's form?
Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester that Bolton have not been caught out by the quality of the Championship, arguing that only one game in 13 saw them clearly outclassed, and urged his players to keep believing in their approach.
How many goals have Bolton conceded in their recent winless run?
Bolton have conceded eight goals in their last three matches without a win, including a 5-1 home defeat to Middlesbrough and a 3-2 home loss to Bristol City.