Bolton Wanderers manager Steven Schumacher says keeping the club in the Championship in the forthcoming season would be a success.
The Trotters beat Stockport County 4-1 in the League One play-off final in May to secure promotion to the second tier in what Schumacher described as a day the fans will “remember for ever”.
But the 42-year-old said the focus immediately turned to Championship survival within 48 hours of lifting the trophy at Wembley Stadium.
“Literally on the Tuesday morning, we were straight into a recruitment meeting about what the list now looks like for the Championship,” Schumacher told BBC Radio Manchester.
“It dawned on us then, this is going to be a challenge and this is what we’ve got to try and do better as a club to improve and keep trying to push ourselves to get to the next level.”
After seven years outside the Championship – including one season in League Two in 2020-21 – Schumacher said Bolton now “just need to try and establish ourselves”.
“If we can sustain ourselves at this level next year, I think that is a success,” he said.
“We’re coming into it with not an unbelievable budget. We’ll come in as one of the lower budgets in the league.
“So we understand the task at hand, the level and the step up to play in the Championship and to compete week in, week out is really difficult.
“For us, we just need to understand where we’re at and securing Championship status will be, I think, a realistic opportunity.”
Bolton have already signed two players in the summer transfer window, bringing in defender Ben Davies from Rangers and Scotland Under-21 midfielder David Watson, but released centre-back George Johnston, who has since signed for Luton Town.
“The most important thing is that we get a squad that’s capable of competing at this level,” Schumacher said.
“So whoever we bring in, we can’t afford to waste any money. We don’t have that luxury. So we need to make sure that we get our recruitment strategy right.”
‘We’re ready for this opportunity’
Schumacher previously won promotion to the Championship with Plymouth Argyle in 2023 before taking over at Stoke City midway through the 2023-24 season.
Despite being sacked by the Potters five games into the following campaign, Schumacher says he does not have a point to prove at this level.
“I’ve got here twice now through two different ways, with two really good clubs,” he said.
“Obviously my time was cut short at Stoke City when they made the change and from that moment onwards my objective was ‘OK, what’s next?’.
“And when Bolton Wanderers came, I saw it as a club with an opportunity to get back to this level and then hopefully kick on and go beyond.
“That was the reason why I took this job and I’m really pleased with it and I feel as though we’re ready for this opportunity to go and pit ourselves against some really good clubs next year.”
Bolton will start their Championship season with an enticing Lancashire derby at home to Preston North End on Saturday, 15 August.
“It’s brilliant. The atmosphere, you can guarantee is going to be rocking against a local rival in Preston who are an established Championship team,” Schumacher added.
“We will go into it with confidence and hopefully we will get off to a really good start.”
