Despite the competition offering managers the chance to rotate and experiment with their teams, Keith Hill seems keen to maintain his tried and tested formula against Manchester City’s Under 21s in the EFL Trophy tonight.
The EFL Trophy, or the Leasing.com Trophy to give its ‘official’ name, is an often controversial competition among EFL clubs for a myriad of reasons.
An ever-changing format and introduction of Premier League youth teams are just two of the reasons why the competition suffers from the lowest attendance figures in the top four divisions of English football.
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There are definitely some benefits to be found with the competition though, not only does it give teams a shot at a trip to Wembley and some silverware but it’s also the perfect opportunity for managers to experiment with their squads ahead of crucial league matches.
However, given Keith Hill’s pre-match comments, the Bolton boss is looking to maintain a tried and tested formula when Manchester City’s Under 21s travel to the UniBol tonight.
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While we wait for confirmation about tonight’s line up, we can all but guarantee that the team that takes to the field will be nearly identical to the one that dispatched Bristol Rovers last week to earn Bolton’s first win of the season.
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This comes as a result of Bolton’s Under 23s’ Professional Development match last night against Wigan which saw both Dennis Politic and Connor Hall feature meaning that involvement in tonight’s clash with Man City’s youngsters is unlikely.
The reason why Keith Hill seems keen to maintain a consistent starting 11 stems from a desire to “build momentum” in the team in order to extend Wanderers’ winning streak from one match to two.
Man City’s Under 21s will be no pushovers, however, as they have already beaten both Rochdale and Bradford City in the EFL Trophy this season and lead Wanderers’ group in the competition.