Perfection, remarks Ian Evatt on a regular basis, is an impossible pursuit – and so to pick holes in what has been an encouraging start to the season at Wanderers may seem churlish.

Sat sixth after nine games on 17 points with a tasty month of October fixtures stretching out ahead, there is genuine cause for optimism around the University of Bolton Stadium as the winter months start setting in and the table takes shape.

Historically, this has not been a kind time of year for the Whites, or Evatt, but the Bolton boss will feel more confident that his bigger squad can cope better with a daunting schedule than it has in the past. Indeed, the squad rotation system introduced over the last couple of months has been established with this stretch of fixtures in mind.

Wanderers’ good start to the 2021/22 season wilted 12 months ago thanks to a mix of inconsistent form and wretched luck with illness and injuries, culminating in one spectacularly stormy evening at Plymouth Argyle, which changed the club’s course completely.

This year Bolton look better prepared. Competition within the squad is high but the disappointing penalty shootout defeat at Tranmere Rovers in the Papa John’s Trophy raised questions about preparedness, and some of Evatt’s most trusted players now appear to have something to prove after the international break.

Last season’s player of the year Dapo Afolayan is arguably the best example.

Displaced from his favoured position on the left-side of attack after a change in system, the former West Ham man had mixed success as he toggled between number 10 and central striker. He has started four of the last nine, three of which have been in the cup competitions, and Bolton’s record with him as a starter reads two wins, three draws and two defeats from seven games.

He came off the bench to score the winner against Peterborough United on September 17 but struggled to get into the swing of things a few days later when he started against Tranmere in the Papa Johns Trophy.

Afolayan is one of Evatt’s prized assets but even accounting for the sacrifices he has made on position, his form has not yet hit the heights it did last term.

Aaron Morley has also experienced the first real ‘bump’ of his Wanderers career, starting just two of the last seven.

Lauded for his performance in victory against Wycombe, the Radcliffe-born playmaker looked to have started the season in fine form. His fortunes dipped, however, after the defeats against Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth, after which he dropped to the bench.

Morley was another player who failed to grasp an opportunity at Tranmere – and with George Thomason in fine form, he may well have to wait his turn a little longer for another go.

Jon Dadi Bodvarsson looked forward to his first full season with Wanderers, having enjoyed an excellent few months on his arrival from Millwall at the start of the year.

The Icelander had not been happy at his former club and felt his fitness had suffered as a result but after a good pre-season some unfortunate minor injuries have stopped him getting any traction.

He scored against Salford in the Carabao Cup but hasn’t yet looked at his sharpest – something that will surely come with time.

Like Afolayan, Morley and Bodvarsson, Declan John finished last season looking strong. The wing-back had been relatively unchallenged in his time at Wanderers yet the summer arrival of Jack Iredale and latterly Owen Beck has suddenly given him something to think about.

Evatt insists each of his wing-back options provide something different but if judged on consistency of performance, it has been Iredale who has got himself ahead in the first nine games.

Rumours of John moving elsewhere at the end of the transfer window were laughed off by the Bolton boss but the Welshman clearly has something more to do if he is to get a more favourable share of game time.

Kieran Sadlier started seven of Wanderers’ last eight games last term, slotting into the right wing-back role vacated by injured loanee Marlon Fossey.

Conor Bradley’s arrival in the summer, along with the Northern Ireland international’s electric start to the campaign, has blocked off that particular avenue for Sadlier – and like Afolayan, the current formation does not allow him to drop into the wide attacking slot that may well be considered his strongest.

A fine volley in the second half at Prenton Park provided a timely reminder of Sadlier’s attacking abilities. Few walked off the pitch that night, however, with any stronger claim on a starting place.

Evatt has adapted his line-up according to opposition and with a handful of teams in the lower half of the table coming up, the time may be right for a different approach, which could be good news for players like Sadlier who have had to bide their time so far.