Filling the gaps: Who has been Bolton Wanderers' best back-four? And where do they go from here?

Steven Schumacher's side seven points in-between the international camps and whilst they are well above the relegation zone, the early season form has left a rather blunt wing attack, and a defence that seems to create more holes than it fills, despite the occasional performance.

In the Championship this season, the Whites have shipped 29 goals, only Derby County, Preston North End and Burnley have conceded more, with all three teams in the bottom three.

The defence has become a real problem area for Bolton, something that was on display as Wanderers made two early second-half lapses against Derby, something that in the end would cost them the game.

This season, Schumacher has used nine different back-four combinations in 15 league games. Bolton brought in five defenders in the summer to strengthen the area yet all but Ben Davies and Gaizka Larrazabal have spent time out injured. The trio of Luca Stephenson, Akin Famewo and Lewis Brunt joined Chris Forino and Eoin Toal in spending time out injured.

The injuries, alongside Wanderers getting to grips with Championship football has led to the numerous changes in personnel at the back.

Just two combinations have played together three times, with two more quartet's playing together in two games. The remaining five combinations have plated together in just one game.

Stephenson-Forino-Famewo-Conway - Three Games

Brunt-Forino-Famewo-Conway - Two Games

Larrazabal-Forino-Davies-Famewo - One Game

Brunt-Forino-Davies-Famewo - One Game

Larrazabal-Toal-Forino-Conway - One Game

Larrazabal-Toal-Davies-Conway - Three Games

Stephenson-Toal-Brunt-Famewo - One Game

Larrazabal-Toal-Brunt-Famewo - Two Games

Larrazabal-Forino-Davies-Conway - One Game

To understand the common denominators, you have to look at how each quartet has fared.

Wanderers most recent backline and the team's first of the Championship season. These four have played as a collective in three games, Preston North End, Charlton Athletic and Derby County.

As a group, they have conceded four goals with one clean sheet and all games were played with Jack Bonham in net.

The collapse against Derby puts the biggest blemish on this group, conceding two simple goals at the beginning of the second-half, whilst the late goal conceded against Preston had seen a number of changes to the Wanderers team.

This group secured one of the Whites four clean sheets this season, coming in a back's to the wall showing against Charlton Athletic. Arguably the only game that Bolton have showed they can take a lead and defend it, with little to no mistakes on the defensive side of the ball.

Schumacher's second back-four of the season involved Stephenson dropping out with injury and Brunt deputising at right-back, rather than Larrazabal.

This group has played together twice, conceding once and being another to collect a clean sheet for Wanderers.

Thanks to a generational Bonham performance, this defence secured a 0-0 draw with Queens Park Rangers before staying as a collective for the following home game against Lincoln City.

Against the Imps, the majority of the story was down the other end as Bolton failed to take their chances. That being said, the goal that Wanderers conceded was right out of the Lincoln play book and highly-avoidable.

Larrazabal's first iteration into the Bolton defence came in a back-four that has appeared together just once.

A more attacking defence and one that came about after Schumacher chose moving the ball forward over playing a central defender on either side of the group.

The game in which this quartet was deployed in came at Sheffield United, in 3-2 loss at Bramall Lane.

Pushing forward, the move worked as Bolton scored two quality goals on the road. Going back, Wanderers conceded three soft goals, including Romeo Donovan's last minute winner that saw the Whites head back to Lancashire with no points.

Another one-and-done back-four saw full group of central defenders come together.

This group have been deployed just once, as Schumacher attempted to recreate the performance that saw Bolton draw 0-0 at QPR after conceding the soft goals at Sheffield United.

Instead, in that game against Millwall, things would fall apart as Bolton conceded four times, but this group can only be deemed responsible for the Lions opener, with Josh Sheehan being sent-off and Brunt limping off before Wanderers conceded the final three goals of the game.

Since then, Schumacher has not returned to this back-four.

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The third-single-use back-four saw Max Conway and Larrazabal return whilst Toal joined his first defensive line of the season.

This group played in the 3-2 defeat against West Ham United, the game being Gavin Bazunu's first in a Wanderers shirt.

For the most part, this back-four worked well. Sam Dalby lost his man for the Hammers second, and Bazunu was at fault for the away side's winner.

A more attacking group, it held off the newly-relegated side well in a match that Bolton deserved a point from.

Bolton's joint most used back-four consists of Toal and Ben Davies in the middle with Larrazabal and Conway on the flanks.

The group have played in three games together, conceding a total of five goals. The back-four played against Cardiff City, Norwich City and Stoke City. Two wins and a draw.

Against Cardiff, the group secured Bolton's second clean sheet of the season in another backs-to-the-wall performance, one that Wanderers would win thanks to a late Thierry Gale goal.

Against Norwich, it would be another win but the Whites would concede three in the process. Going forward both Conway and Larrazabal were effective but got caught out defensively, with Conway missing too many tackles.

The same can be said for Toal and Davies, who contributed in Bolton conceding the second and third goals.

Following the international breaks between games, the back-line was kept intact as Stoke City visited the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

In the 2-1, it was a lot of the same, this time with Bolton not managing to put their chances away. Wanderers also conceded two soft goals, set pieces once again being an issue for this group.

One of two iteration's that Wanderers have played with Brunt in central defence saw them return to a system that had Famewo in the left-back position.

This group played in two different games for the Whites, conceding a total of six goals, five of which came in one game.

The first came against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 3-1 win. The back-four combined well to keep Wolves quiet for the majority of the game but were guilty of two defensive lapses, one was thwarted by Bazunu, that changed the game, and the other came for the oppositions only goal.

The second game for this group saw a Middlesbrough side put five past them. Defensively, the majority of the goals cannot be put down to the groups performance though the away side's third was true calamity, once again coming from a set-piece.

Brunt's second back-four where he has been utilised in central defence and it resulted in a clean sheet.

This group were deployed against Southampton, securing a 0-0 draw with the Saints that saw Bolton put on one of their best defensive performances of the season.

What made the single performance most impressive is the opposition it came against, with the Whites keeping the hosts to just two shots on target and only three big changes.

Another four that have been just deployed once, this iteration came against Bristol City, with Forino returning as Toal joined the injury list.

This group conceded three goals in the 3-2 loss against Bristol City. The first of which was incredibly poor, once again being a close range finish that was missed by the backline.

The second two goals came as the defensive group changed with substitute's so it is hard to full judge the group. After conceding early on, it had regrouped and fixed the assignments. At the time of the changes, it looked as though Bolton were heading for three points and the loss of Forino and Davies contributed the Wanderers losing the game.

Statistically speaking, there are two groups that have shown they at Bolton's best option so far.

Stephenson-Toal-Brunt-Famewo have not conceded a goal together, collecting the 0-0 draw at Southampton. Although, the group has only played together once.

Brunt-Forino-Famewo-Conway have played together on two occasions, conceding just one goal in the loss to Lincoln City.

The two groups that have played together three times have conceded more than four goals, each collecting one clean sheet.

So there is no set group to choose from, but are there common denominators?

Famewo. The former Hull City sits in both groups and leads the team in a number of statistics from the back, being versatile both centrally and on the left. Brunt has not performed to the same level, but fits the same bill.

What makes the two so important is the way the defensive group is put together. The best set for Schumacher's team includes playing once central defender on either flank. After it worked with George Johnston last season, it has continued to be Wanderers best option this season.

Toal or Forino has to be in.

The pair sit in the top three for clearances and blocks per 90, with Forino leading interceptions and aerial clearances.

At present, there isn't a single player who hasn't made a defensive mistake but the formula going forward from the statistics is clear.

Schumacher's team need to have a specialist central defender in one of the full-back spots, either Brunt on the right, or Famewo on the left. Centrally has to include either Forino or Toal, with Forino leading the statistics so the more obvious option.

Finding a settled defence could be paramount for this team going forward.