Musings

Was that a tumbleweed I just saw?

2012-01-15T10:48:00.001-05:00

Some of you may have noticed a distinct lack of activity on Musings this month. There is a reason for that. I have been offered, and accepted, the opportunity to write for a Bolton Wanderers blog called Lion of Vienna Suite, on the SB Nation network.

Given that this blog receives heavier traffic than Musings, and is part of a massive network with a heavy promotion element, this decision was a no-brainer (kind of like dropping Paul Robinson). My two online homes will link to each other. While my analysis and commentary about Bolton Wanderers will appear exclusively on Lion of Vienna Suite, Musings is not going dark. It will serve as an archive of my previous Bolton-related writing, while also presenting a platform for me to express my opinions on other world events, such as political intrigue, pop culture madness, and San Francisco Giants happenings (Melky effing Cabrera, that's really the best Sabean could do??!!).

So, it's a brave new world, I hope you will join me there.

Sam Ricketts

2011-12-31T09:31:00.001-05:00

...is back. And he is playing left back. Thank goodness. Even if he is not match fit. Even if he is not match sharp. Even if he is still on crutches. All of that could be true, and he would still be better than Paul Robinson.

Bolton Wanderers v Relegation (and Aston Villa)

2011-12-09T14:36:00.001-05:00

If you look at the past several seasons in the top flight, there is always a club that is "too good to go down." Newcastle held that title at one point, and West Ham has held it three or four times. Leeds and Southampton in 2004 and 2005 were too good to go down. Millwall and Birmingham played in Europe the seasons after they went down. It kills me to say it, but this season's Bolton team has that feeling.

Big names are underperforming; Gary Cahill, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Kevin Davies, Martin Petrov, Tuncay, Paul Robinson

Injuries have exposed a lack of depth and creativity; Stuart Holden, Lee Chung-yong, Tyrone Mears, Sam Ricketts, Marcos Alonso, Ricardo Gardner

Bad luck seems to play a part in a lot of results; Red cards, shots off the post, flukey deflected goals for the opposition.

A bad start puts the club in a substantial hole; 9 points from 14 matches in one of the worst Premier League starts in recent memory.

The good news, which is also almost inexplicable news? We can still get out of it quite easily. Six clubs are averaging a point or less per match. Another six, up to Aston Villa in ninth, are within six points of the relegation zone. There are six league matches in the next 25 days. The bottom half of the table is going to look like it was put through a blender on January 5th.

Amongst these 12 clubs, whomever finds a good run of form over the next month could move up ten spots and give themselves a huge cushion against the relegation battle.

Wanderers are certainly a club capable of this. It all starts tomorrow against Villa. I have said it before, what we really need at the Reebok is a 0-0. And then another. Followed by a gutsy 1-0 win. We might like more than 5 points from Villa, Fulham, Blackburn, but I think the squads mindset is more important. If we can just show some defensive solidity, the rest will come.

UEFA Champions League

2011-12-09T01:26:00.001-05:00

Let's review. Manchester City needed to beat Bayern Munich to have any chance of advancing out of Group A. They did, but it didn't matter. Napoli won, so they will join Bayern in the knockout stages. Both will be threats in the next round, although the Germans are probably joint favorites to win the tournament. City will be disappointed, but it may be better for the club in the long run. They can now focus on domestic matters, and I believe they will win the league. They also have a very good chance to win the Europa League. It is not the European trophy they wanted, but it could give them substantial momentum going into next season's Champion's League.

CSKA Moscow ended up joining Internazionale in the next round. Neither looks likely to go very far. Inter are old and slow, CSKA are short on talent. All evidence of Group B will be disposed off very shortly.

I thought Group C would make a splash, and it did. Manchester United join their neighbors in the Europa League, Benfica and FC Basel go through. Neither have a chance of winning the trophy, but both are frisky enough that other clubs will want to avoid them. Rosters that are old and slow will have particular problems with these two. The aforementioned Inter Milan will desperately want to avoid FC Basel.

Ajax lost and Lyon won by a combined 9 goals. Group D was left in chaos. Real Madrid are co-favorites to lift the trophy in May, Lyon looked dead a few days ago. But now the French club have a few months to regroup and maybe even add some talent to the squad. I predict Arsenal will draw Lyon in the next round.

Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen go through in Group E. There were some twists and turns, but this was what most expected way back in August.

Same with Arsenal and Marseille. A few surprises in Group F, but ultimately what we all knew was inevitable.

Group G give us Apoel Nicosia and Zenit St. Petersburg. Both are both nice stories, but the fairy take should end after the round of 16.

Group H was the most predictable of all. Barcelona are favorites to defend their title, and AC Milan have finally gotten younger after many years of futility with an aging squad. The Italians are probably not a threat to Barcelona and Real Madrid, but they may be in a year or two.

Tomorrow's draw will give us a good idea of who might be a surprise entrant to the last eight, and who might have their European adventure ended prematurely.

UEFA Champions League Groups

2011-11-25T11:38:00.001-05:00

There is only 1 match left in the group stages, and though several question marks remain, most of the big boys have assured themselves of advancement to the round of 16. Bayern Munich, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal, and Barcelona are through as group winners. That's 5 spots. AC Milan have also qualified. No surprises there.

Group A looked difficult from the outset, and despite Villareal's performance, has lived up to its billing. Napoli play Villareal in Spain, and while it is no sure thing, the Italians seem likely to get at least a point there. That means, in order to advance in their first Champions League appearance, Manchester City have to defeat high-flying Bayern Munich. The game is in Manchester, and already-qualified Bayern may rest some players, but the Blues are still behind the 8 ball at this point. It may be Europa League for them.

It's unclear whether Lille, Trabzonspor, or CSKA Moscow will take second in group B, but it doesn't really matter, all of them look like cannon fodder for one of the big boys listed above in the round of 16.

Group C is where things get really interesting. Manchester United, finalists three of the past four seasons, looked to win this group in a walk, but the last time they didn't get out of the group stage, Benfica had a lot to do with it. United's 2 draws at home have put them in trouble, but they do control their own destiny. Scoring goals has been easy for the Reds (having forwards like Chicharito will do that), it's defending that the problem. They are playing Basel in Switzerland, and it's win and you're in for both sides. Benfica are at home against a weak side with zero points so far, and look just about guaranteed to go through.

Group D looks decided. Ajax would have to lose and Lyon win by a combined 7 goals for the French side to go through ahead of the Dutchmen.

Group E has worked out the way most people would have expected. Racing Genk, despite a couple of heroic draws, are a non-factor. Any two from Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, and Valencia can go through depending on final matchday results. The Germans are in the driver's seat. They play Genk and have a 1 point lead at the moment. A draw puts them through. That leaves Chelsea and Valencia playing what should be a thrilling fight to the death in west London.

Arsenal have clinched Group F, but any of the other three teams can go through. Borussia Dortmund are the longest long shot, they would have to win by 7 goals and get help from Arsenal. Marseille are in the driver's seat, but Olympiakos still have a good chance, depending on what kind of team Arsene Wenger puts out to face them.

Group G is an absolute shit show. Shakhtar Donetsk were most people's favorites going in, and they are going to finish last. Any of the other three can go through, but none of them look likely to pose a challenge to whomever they play in the knockout stages.

And Group H is already decided.

There are some dead rubbers, as you are always going to see in the group phases, but some big clubs need a result to go through. Should be some fun matches to watch.

Downward Dogs

2011-11-23T15:03:00.001-05:00

Bolton Wanderers are struggling right now, more for consistency than anything else. Under Owen Coyle, Bolton have always been a Jekyll & Hyde team, not just within a season but often within a match. In the first half of last season, we scored (often more than once) when we were on top, and rode our luck when we weren't. This year's problem is that whenever we play poorly we concede goals, and lots of them.

Some would say that bad luck with injuries has caused this defensive frailty. Dedryck Boyata, Marcos Alonso, Tyrone Mears, Sam Ricketts, and now Joe Riley have all missed time. That argument is valid. My first choice back four if everyone were fit would probably be Mears at right back and Alonso at left back, with Boyata and Gary Cahill in the middle. However, all the blame can't be placed on injuries. Zat Knight, Gretar Steinnson and David Wheater are certainly capable defenders, and both performed quite well last season.

Our defensive problems cannot be solved by personnel alone.

I think Coyle is going to have to give up some of his stubbornness to solve this problem. This may sound like anathema to many Wanderers supporters, but what we need at this point in time is a hard-fought 0-0 draw. And then another one. And then a scrappy 1-0 win. I don't want to go back to the Megson days, but a certain amount of defense is purely mindset. And we just don't have that mindset right now.

The best way to get that mindset may be a short-term return to the 4-5-1 formation of old. This is my team for the coming weekend's fixture against Everton.

Jussi
Steinnson, Cahill, Wheater, Gardner
Reo-Coker, Muamba, Mark Davies
Eagles, Klasnic, Petrov

I Don't Want to Get Carried Away...

2011-11-06T15:39:00.001-05:00

...But what a performance! Bolton Wanderers really got it right today. Anyone who has been paying attention knows that scoring is not our problem. Only Chelsea, Arsenal, and the 2 Manchester clubs have more goals than Bolton. The five goals was great, yes, but the defense was far more significant going forward. The difference? Fabrice Muamba and Nigel Reo-Coker working together as a pair of holding midfielders. Reo-Coker handled the center of the pitch fairly well, with support from Mark Davies. Mumba had one job; Protect Paul Robinson. And he did it with aplomb.

Chris Eagles also seemed to get the message. For all of his skill going forward, and he was impressive today, Bolton's problem is not scoring goals, it is keeping them out. Protecting Robinson, who is clearly our weakest least, is critical. Maybe in a few weeks, when Ricardo Gardner is back from suspension, when Marcos Alonso and San Ricketts are back from injury, this will no longer be an issue. Robinson will be nowhere near the first team, and Bolton will be climbing up the table. However, until we get those players back, Muamba would appear to have a very important job to do.

The definition of Insanity

2011-10-29T09:18:00.000-04:00

Doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result.

Relevent example; Owen Coyle starting Paul Robinson at left back each week and expecting him not to be directly responsible for conceding goals.

Now, I know some might consider the continued involvement of Kevin Davies just as egregious, but I addressed this in September most recently, and in April, plus a time or two before that. It is a different type of problem.

At least Kevin Davies has been a valuable member of our squad for many years, and he can probably still contribute in a part-time role. Robinson however, is crap, and has always been crap. As long as Robinson is starting we will be in trouble. Most clubs don't even bother attacking the right side of the Bolton defense.

The whole league can see it, why can't Owen Coyle?

Unchanged Side?

2011-10-22T08:07:00.001-04:00

That is what Owen Coyle will probably do today against Sunderland. He will name an unchanged side from last week's win over Wigan Athletic. I think this is a mistake.

Watching the match against Wigan, I couldn't help but think that the 3-1 scoreline flattered to deceive. Wigan had a lot of space in midfield, and Sunderland have a much better midfield than Wigan.

The primary danger man is Stephane Sessegnon. He is quick, creative, a great passer, and will sit just behind the striker. I think he needs to be accounted for, and in my opinion, the best way to do it is to play a 4-5-1 formation. A lot of players looked good last week, and they should keep their places, but Captain Kevin Davies hasn't looked good since early 2010. I would drop him and bring in a midfielder.

Jussi
Boyata, Cahill, Wheater, Gardner
Reo-Coker, M. Davies
Petrov, Pratley, Eagles
Ngog

Disgraceful

2011-10-02T20:59:00.004-04:00

I really don't even know what to say at this point. I will try to write something later in the week.

Stuart Holden Heartbreak Horror!

2011-09-29T15:07:00.001-04:00

Terrible news. Bolton's American talisman, after one game back, a 2-0 win over Aston Villa in which Holden was every bit the puppet master he had been before his injury, has to have another surgical procedure on his knee, sidelining him for six more weeks.

Now it is true that Bolton have had a shocking schedule to start the season. They have already faced Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal, with Chelsea to come this Sunday. But the fact remains, they are bottom of the table, with three points from six matches. I believe, partially because of the fixtures played thus far, Wanderers can recover from this. But a healthy Stuart Holden (not to mention a healthy Lee Chung-yong) is critical to any grand revival. In his absence, it may be time for a change of system and personnel. My proposal;

Jussi
Gretar Steinnson, Gary Cahill, Zat Knight, Dedryck Boyata
Mark Davies, Fabrice Muamba
Martin Petrov, Tuncay, Gael Kakuta
David Ngog

Basel's 3-3 Win against Manchester United!

2011-09-28T10:55:00.002-04:00

First thing, this was an incredibly open match, something you don't often see in the Champion's League. Both clubs were bombing forward, creating loads of chances, trying to score at every opportunity, and generally leaving themselves wide open to counter attacks. It could have very easily been 5-5 at halftime, United's 2-0 lead at that point flattered to deceive. Each side came way with a point, but I suspect the Swiss club's changing room was a far cheerier place. They got a point at Old Trafford. Alex Ferguson can't be happy with 2 points from two matches in Europe.

However, Ferguson only has himself to blame. Possibly the biggest reason United has run rampant in the Premier League this season is the Scot's willingness to let his high octane youngsters run free. He has put the reins on in Europe though. Maybe wisdom is the better part of valor, but Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, and Park Ji-Sung didn't look experienced and composed, they looked slow and unimaginative.

This is not a new problem. Ferguson has always been conservative in European matches, often too conservative. You can make an argument (and many people have) that given the talent and resources at his disposal, and the teams he has assembled, Sir Alex should have more than two Champion's League trophies. Since he took over in 1986, AC Milan have won it 5 times, Barcelona have won it 4 times, and Real Madrid have won it 3 times. Hell, Porto have won it as many times as Manchester United.

Suffice it to say, it will be very interesting over the next few months to see if the hot shot youngsters that are tearing apart the EPL will be allowed to strut their stuff in the midweek matches. I don't think they will, and this timidness will prevent Ferguson's lifting of a third European Cup.

UEFA Champions League-Bayern Munich v Manchester City

2011-09-27T15:00:00.000-04:00

Champions League returns today, and the marquee match-up features the pedigree of Bayern and the pocketbook of Man City. There are big names all over the pitch, inlcuding on the bench, as Arjen Robben and Carlos Tevez will not feature from the start.

For me the most important player on the German side is Bastian Schweinsteiger. He has to control the match from central midfield if Bayern are to get a result. The movement of Man City's front 4 (David Silva, Samir Nasri, Edin Dzeko, Sergio Aguerro) is sublime, and Munich's suspect backline will be eviscerated if their midfield maestro cannot effectively shield them. That's only half the job though. Everything Bayern do going forward is also dependent upon Schweinsteiger. Franck Ribery, Thomas Muller, Mario Gomez and Toni Kroos provide great movement and skill in their own right, but they can't create without number 31 pulling the strings. I thought he was the player of the tournament at the 2010 World Cup, ahead of even Xavi and Iniesta, and he will need to put in that type of performance tonight.

Gareth Barry and Yaya Toure will be charged with stopping the Bayern leader. I just chuckled a bit. We may see Nigel de Jong relatively early on in this one. I just don't think Schweinsteiger can do it though. Man City just have too many threats. 2-1 to the blues, an impressive away win.

Someone needs to play there...

2011-09-25T19:16:00.002-04:00

When I lived in Hawaii, I often visited Kapiolani Park on Saturday afternoons to join in the myriad kick-arounds that were taking place. The hardest part of these informal matches was finding four (more often 3) people willing to play as a defender. The title of this post was the usual refrain in eventually convincing someone to step to the back of the attacking queue. Bolton Wanderers have a bit of the same about them at the moment. Owen Coyle's philosophy allows for central defenders and (especially) fullbacks to bomb forward at any and all times. The holding midfiedler is also given a rather long leash in his forays into the offensive end of the pitch.

Bolton are shipping goals at the moment, and more attention really needs to be paid to the defensive end. I have stated several times that I think Paul Robinson is a big part of the problem and needs to be dropped. Beyond him though, I don't believe it is a personnel problem, but a formation problem.

When Wanderers have been at their best under Coyle they have featured a central midfield of Fabrice Muamba and Stuart Holden. Muamba is a destroyer, an incredibly fit and powerful athlete who breaks up play all over the field. Holden, while quick and good in a tackle, is blessed with an amazing sense of positioning. He is always exactly where he needs to be. Now that Holden is back from injury, I believe Coyle will return to this central pairing. I still don't think we will beat Chelsea next week, but after that, when our season really begins, I think Bolton supporters will be reminded how lucky we are to have Holden and Muamba at our disposal.

Bolton in Crisis!

2011-09-19T15:37:00.000-04:00

Or so the Bolton Evening News will scream today. I don't want to be quite that dramatic, but there do appear to be many problems, particularly in defense. In my (possibly biased) mind, all of these problems can be traced back to Paul Robinson. As I stated in my last entry, Robinson is clearly the worst player in any top flight league in Europe. There is not a single football-related skill he possesses. Worse, his mere presence forces the entire team to shift out of position in a vain attempt to cover up his inadequacies. In the second half of Wanderers' game against Norwich, it reached the point where Zat Knight was just going all the way to the sideline and essentially playing left-back. Unfortunately, this left a huge gap in the middle, which led to both Norwich goals. I don't blame Knight though. Big as he is, it is impossible for one player to cover the entire left side of the field.

Long story short, Owen Coyle needs to drop Paul Robinson. Now. I don't even care who replaces him, anybody would be better, and noone could possibly be worse.

Blackburn and Arsenal; An Unlikely Goalfest?

2011-09-17T11:27:00.004-04:00

Neither of these clubs have shown themselves to be very good at defending this season. In fact, they have often looked like drunken third-graders in defense. And while both have struggled to score goals at times, it is not hard to see the potential for good attacking play. Yakubu, even when not match-fit, is still one of the best goal-poachers in the world. Players like Robin van Persie and Mikel Arteta are always going to be a threat. Although most people wouldn't expect Alex Song to be playing the incisive through balls. I have been waiting a year for Arsene Wenger to actually play van Persie with Marouane Chamakh, and when he finally did, the two combined for a goal within ten minutes.

Another factor, the Lancashire skies opening up and sending a driving, cold, hard rain to Ewood Park. I have been in this rain, and believe me, it is like no other in the world. There is a bitterness to it, a large black cloud following you around and making you feel as if your skin is almost being clawed away. It's horrid.

Steve McManaman, who was commenting on the match, put it best; "There's more mistakes in the rain." There are going to be own goals, keeper mistakes, referee mistakes, and plenty of misplayed balls in these conditions. It was a hell of a match to watch, a great spectacle.

The bigger question; What does this result mean for these two clubs going forward?

I don't think it does much for Blackburn Rovers. They looked better than expected in attack today, but that was aided by two Own Goals and poor conditions, not to mention inexplicably poor defending by their opponents.

Those opponents have allowed 12 goals in their last two trips to Lancashire. They bought two defenders and three central midfielders in August, yet that has only made Arsenal's well-documented defensive frailties look even worse. And they have another Lancashire challenge very soon when they play Bolton Wanderers. Let's hope they haven't sorted the defense out by then.

In all likelihood, Arsenal will right the ship. They have too much talent in the squad for this too continue. The Gunners will not be challenging for the league title, but I think they will end up back in the top 4 in May 2012.

The Long Slow Sunset of Kevin Davies

2011-09-17T00:03:00.001-04:00

For the last ten years, through four managers and hundreds of matches, Kevin Davies has pretty much been the first name on the teamsheet for Bolton Wanderers. He has never been seriously injured, and has served as club captain for the last few seasons. There were a few occasions when Davies had to be shoehorned into the team as a right winger, but for the most part, he has earned his position on merit. Never a prolific goal-scorer, he has been an effective player none-the-less, creating opportunities for teammates and managing several 10 plus goal seasons.

It has always been a delicate balance for KD though. The manager has had to calculate the perpetual fouling, the easily given up possession, and the poor finishing in front of goal, then compare it to the myriad of headers and resulting flick-ons, the numerous free kicks won, and fairly reliable ten goals a season. Unfortunately, in the last year or so, Davies' scale has finally tipped in the wrong direction. At this point, Owen Coyle is playing his skipper purely based on reputation.

Now let me be clear. I don't think anyone should panic based on the past couple results, Bolton's schedule the first six weeks of the season is just absurd. I am not particularly concerned about the results, it will be at least another month before I even look at the table. But I am concerned about the performances. Two players' performances in particular. The first one, as you may have guessed, is Kevin Davies. As I stated above, he is pretty much an institution at The Reebok. However, he is probably our fourth-best striker at this point. Will Coyle have the guts to drop him for the good of the club?

Paul Robinson is the worst player in the Premier League. He has single-handedly cost us at least five goals already this season. I just hope Coyle has finally seen it. I understand there have been times when we have had no other option, and the ideal replacement, young Marcos Alonso, has a broken leg at the moment. Another capable replacement, Sam Ricketts, is still recovering from a long-term knee injury. Can Dedryck Boyata play left back? How about Gary Cahill, or even Nigel Reo-Coker?

I don't know the answer, but something has to be done, and anything is better than Paul Robinson.

We play Norwich at home tomorrow, a great chance to get another three points and get our season back on track. If I were picking the team, this is what I would do;

Jussi
Steinnson, Cahill, Knight, Boyata
M. Davies, Muamba
Petrov, Tuncay, Kakuta
Klasnic

It's All in The Finish

2011-09-11T10:46:00.000-04:00

A few years ago Manchester United beat Roma 7-1 in a Champions League match at Old Trafford. If you watched the match though, the reds did not look particularly dominant. They had the same amount of possession as Roma, and Roma actually created more chances. So why was it such a shellacking? Finishing. Manchester United had 7 shots and scored 7 goals.

Yesterday at the Reebok, Manchester United had 11 shots on goal. 6 were blocked by Bolton defenders, 5 found the back of the net. Now don't get me wrong, Manchester United is playing tremendous football right now, but they are going to come back to earth at some point. The club has some tremendous finishers, but this level of efficiency is just not sustainable.

To give some context, the top goal-scorers in the world, the big names that everyone knows, score a goal for every 5 shots, about a 20% success rate. Wayne Rooney, for example, in 2009-2010, had 40 goals in all competitions. It took him 257 shots to get those goals. That's about 15%. In 2010-2011, he had 17 goals on 169 shots. That's about 10%. This season, he already has 11 goals on only 44 shots. That's 25%, and that is not going to continue.

Robin van Persie was at 19% last season. Darren Bent, coming off of 2 straight twenty-goal seasons, is at about 20% over that time period. Didier Drogba's best season was 2009-2010, when he scored a phenomenal 44 goals. That took him 222 shots, a conversion rate of just under 20%.

Now, you might expect the top of the pile to be better than that. Cristiano Ronaldo has 4 straight thirty-goal seasons under his belt. Last season he scored a mind boggling 56 goals, including 40 in 32 league matches. His conversion rate? 16%. And Leo Messi? He has 100 goals in his last 2 seasons. He has taken just under 500 shots in that period. 20%.

My point? 5 goals from 11 shots against Bolton. 8 goals from 25 shots against Arsenal. This is not going to continue. We are more likely to see performances similar to what United did against Tottenham, wins, and for the most part comfortable wins, but 3 goals instead of 5 or 8.

What about Bolton? They scored 4 goals from 18 shots against QPR. Then 2 goals from 7 shots against Manchester City. 2 goals on 18 shots against Macclesfield in a Carling Cup match, and 1 goal from 10 shots against Liverpool. Yesterday, in the debacle against United, Bolton did not score even though they took 22 shots. Results from the last few weeks aside, I am no worried about Wanderers ability to score goals. I am worried about our ability to prevent them.

It's a Mindset

2011-08-27T08:11:00.001-04:00

At the height of the Allardyce era Bolton finished level on points with Liverpool. Goal difference gave the Reds the fifth spot in the table, while Bolton had to settle for sixth and a UEFA Cup spot. At that point Wanderers were routinely taking points of "top 4" clubs and many supporters probably considered us on level ground with the likes of Liverpool (The feeling was not mutual, as Liverpool fans don't consider anyone to be on level ground with them).

Then the dark times began, and the manager did not even attempt to compete with clubs like Liverpool.

Now, Bolton are back. There is not the talent level, nor the results of the Allardyce era, at least not yet, but the thinking has returned. This is very important. Under the Ginger Mourinho, lip service was paid, working hard for the cause and all that, but fans and players both knew we didn't stand a chance.

What Owen Coyle has brought to the club, more important than his eye for talent or tactical acumen, is the belief, the mindset, that we can win every week. Not steal a point, not avoid embarrassing ourselves, actually beat clubs, no matter their position in the table.

This should be very interesting at Anfield today. My prediction; 2-2.

Morality Play?

2011-08-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

Bolton has signed a new sponsorship deal. They call it a partnership these days, but it's with a company from Korea called Hanwha to be a new sponsor at the Reebok. Hanwha will be placing advertisements around the stadium espousing their advances in solar energy. Sounds good right? Wanderers can always use the money from something like this. There is a problem though. Hanwha produces landmines. Or to be fair, they produced landmines in the past, and may still do so.

No matter what one's political affiliation, I think we can agree on landmines being one of the most horrible inventions in human history. South Korea is one of the few industrialized countries in the world that still allows the production of landmines, although the government claims none have been manufactured since 2000.

Either way, questions remain. Are Hanwha's profits blood-money? Should Bolton Wanderers not only accept that money, but enter into a "partnership" with this company? Have Hanwha done anything wrong in manufacturing a product to meet worldwide demand?

Carling Cup - Bolton v Macclesfield

2011-08-24T21:38:00.001-04:00

Owen Coyle said he was going use our entire squad today in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup, and this was true. Tuncay Sanli's debut performance was the big story, and there are a lot of other places where you can read about that. I prefer to focus on some of Coyle's more interesting choices, today and in the future. A few inclusions were obvious; Mark Davies, Darren Pratley, David Wheater, and Adam Bogdan were definitely going to play from the start.

We miss you Stuart!

Wheater and Bogdan have clearly defined roles, they are the third-choice central defender and second-choice keeper, respectively. They are good players, and could start for several clubs in the Premier League, but the men in front of them are entrenched.

It is a very different story for Mark Davies and Darren Pratley. And this will be an important story throughout the season. For most of last season, central midfield was our strength. Stuart Holden, Mark Davies and Fabrice Muamba were always formidable, and often dominant. Then Holden got injured. Then Davies got injured. Then our lack of depth got exposed. Coyle was determined not to let that happen again. He has signed Nigel Reo-Coker as well as Pratley for central midfield depth.

But now, there are 4 players for 2 spots, and when Holden returns from injury, it will be 4 players for 1 spot, as Stuart was our best player last season and is definitely not going to sit on the bench. Every moment, every match, will be critical for these players in determining who wins the golden ticket of playing next to Stuart Holden.

My choice in a 4-4-2 is Muamba. He and Holden worked so well together, and really complement each other. I love the way Mark Davies plays, always aggressive and attack-minded, but he and Holden may be too small to play together. Reo-Coker may be the most well-rounded of the group, he does nothing great but everything well. We know exactly what he is. All of the others are so young there is room for improvement. I haven't seen enough of Pratley to form a strong opinion, but he seems to attack-minded to play with Holden, someone needs to mind the shop, so to speak.

Great Match!

2011-08-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

Shame about the result. Bolton lost, yes, but they did present themselves in an admirable manner, particularly in the last 30 minutes.

And no, I do not know what the hell Jussi Jaaskelainen was doing on the Silva goal. Sometimes a goalkeeper, no matter how reliable, just has a howler. Normally I don't talk about fashion on the blog, but the new home keeper's shirt is just atrocious. Hot pink? What is this, a Poison concert in 1987?

For me, the most impressive performance was that of Martin Petrov. That was why we signed him. When he is fit and on form, he is still one of the best wingers in the league. Now, he is not going to be that good, especially for 90 minutes, in all 38 league matches this season. But if he can keep putting in those types of crosses fairly consistently, he is going to create a lot of goals for us. His accuracy of passing, combined with Ivan Klasnic's finishing skills, will create a lot of goals for Bolton Wanderers this season.

Next is a Carling Cup match with Macclesfield, followed by a visit to "high-flying" Liverpool. Given the lack of squad depth at Bolton, it will be interesting to see if Owen Coyle presents an opportunity to some of our really young players Wednesday, or mostly sticks to the first team.

Preview-Bolton Wanderers v Manchester City

2011-08-21T09:58:00.000-04:00

Bolton and Man City are both coming off big 4-0 wins last weekend, but the ability of the two clubs to maintain those types of performances is, of course, quite different.

The match is at the Reebok, but so far this season home teams have not faired very well. This fixture also starts a very difficult run for the Trotters. After City, there is an early midweek Carling Cup tie against Macclesfield. I would say this will give some of the fringe players a chance to impress, but given our injury list and relatively lean squad, there are not a whole lot of fringe players to use. Either way, Macclesfield should be dealt with. Maybe Tuncay Sanli will get his first start, and that will be reason enough to tune in.

That's when it gets tricky. Bolton are away at Liverpool next weekend, and while I don't believe the Merseyside club is a title challenger, they are unlikely to allow the Wanderers to pick up 3 points. The international break is then followed by a visit from Manchester United. United will probably win via an Own Goal, a penalty, a dodgy sending off, and 11 minutes of stoppage time.

Then finally a winnable game in Norwich away, but after that it's Arsenal and Chelsea back-to-back. Given all that, a point (or three) from City today is quite important.

This week's hype machine in England has focused on Sergio Aguero, Man City's new signing. before the season started, Aguero's 4 excellent seasons in Spain counted for nothing, but his impressive 20 minutes against Swansea have made him a media sensation. Aguero is a hell of a talent, but I am not that worried about him today. First of all, he is just coming off an injury, and I don't think he can play 90 minutes yet. Second, his biggest problem in Spain, the whole of Atletico Madrid's problem to be honest, was that he felt games like this were beneath him, and did not bother to turn up. Let's hope the entire man City squad takes that approach today.

I think this will be an exciting, open match, and a wonderful spectacle for the league, but Wanderers just don't have the horses. 2-1 to City.

Question: What the Hell is a Frimpong?

2011-08-20T15:01:00.000-04:00

Answer: A holding midfielder for Arsenal football club who is quite exciting going forward but tackles late and recklessly. Not to be confused with a Song, a Diaby, a Flameini, or a Viera.

In all seriousness, Arsenal looked very young and inexperienced in their loss to Liverpool at the Emirates today. The refrain in the media regarding this result for the home team is going to something along the lines of "same old Arsenal," and that is not wrong.

But the second, louder cry amongst a certain segment of the English football viewing population is going to "Liverpool is back," or "The Reds are a title contender," etc.

Don't believe this. It's just not true. Liverpool are not title contenders. They are not even close. I even made a small wager yesterday that they would finish below both Manchester clubs in the final table. I can't wait to try on my shiny new Bolton shirt next May.

Liverpool have several weaknesses, and they start at the back. If I thought that Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel would be the regular partnership for central defense at Anfield, I might give them a tiny chance, instead of no chance. But it will be a cold day in hell before "Anfield Legend" Kenny Dalglish drops "Legendary Scouser" Jamie Carragher from the starting XI. And Carragher is terrible. he was always wildly overrated, but now he is a shell of his former half-decent-defensively self.

A secondary, but related problem is that the supremely talented Agger can never stay fit for more than a few weeks. And it is not as if they will receive a lot of help from other positions. Right Back Glen Johnson plays no defense. None. And holding midfielder Lucas, while very useful, just isn't the type of pacy destroyer you need in front of a shaky back four like Liverpool have.

So, long story short, Luis Suarez will take your breath away, Andy Carroll will lumber his way into double digit goals, Steven Gerrard will throw all of his toys out of the pram when he returns from injury and realizes he is no longer first choice, and Kenny Dalglish will struggle to control it all. He will be forced to stick with the local heroes, Gerrard and Carragher, even though neither is one of his best 11 players. This will further highlight their defensive frailty, and prevent them from breaking into the top and returning to the Champions League.

What a Start!!!

2011-08-14T10:47:00.000-04:00

As I wrote yesterday, Gary Cahill is top class. Owen Coyle says he wants to offer him a new contract, and that negotiations are ongoing. The next few weeks will show whether the Scot is being sincere, or trying to drive up the price (A frugal Scotsman, what a shock).

That said, QPR did create some chances, and Bolton will need to tighten up the defending a bit, as much as is possible when carrying the useless sack of meat that is Paul Robinson up and down the pitch. I saw two weaknesses yesterday, and Robinson was definitely one of them. He just provides very little going forward, and is a train wreck defensively. Just about every threat comes from his side. And the attacks in the middle have every space, because Cahill and Zat Knight shift to their left to cover for Robinson. Getting beat and then fouling (pictured, right) seems to be the only task Robinson is capable of completing.

Great Result yesterday, but please Owen, drop Paul Robinson!

The second problem, there is no pace in our strikeforce, none. Robbie Blake is still on his way to the other end of the pitch. Ivan Klasnic is a great finisher, as he showed yesterday, but he needs someone with pace to play off of. And Kevin Davies needs to be dropped. The ratio of balls won to possessions given away plus fouls conceded has swung decisively into our opponents favor. I would bring Tuncay into the starting XI short-term, but long term we need a pacy striker with an eye for goal to partner Klasnic.

Bolton's Starting XI vs. Queen's Park Rangers

2011-08-13T09:35:00.001-04:00

And so it begins...

Owen Coyle's first line-up is posted, and there is no doubt the manager has been hamstrung by injuries to Stuart Holden, Lee Chung-yong, Sam Ricketts, and Tyrone Mears. Tuncay will not be available as his work permit has not cleared. Now I don't know Coyle's plans, but for me, all 5 of those players would be starting if they were fit. So here is a look at what the gaffer has conjured up with our remaining squad players;

Jussi Jaaskelainen: The big Finn has been a hero at Bolton for 15 years, and one of the best bits of business in league history. I am a bit concerned that Jussi is slowing down a bit, and personally, I would have kept Ali Al-Habsi and tried to sell Jaaskelainen. He is still a very good keeper, but Al-Habsi is just as good, if not better, and much younger.

Gretar Steinnson: In and out of the starting XI, Gretar had a poor season in 2010-2011, but I don't think that reflects his true ability. Given the injuries to Tyrone Mears and Sam Ricketts, the Icelandic fullback should be one of the first names on the team-sheet for the next couple months. This will give him a big chance to play well (as he did back in 2008-2009) and establish himself as the first pick at right back for the season. He is certainly capable of it. Even though he is a little short on pace, Steinnson is very capable defensively, gets forward quite often, and puts in a good cross when given the opportunity.

Zat Knight: The giant centre-half has always had the potential to be one of the best, and under Owen Coyle he seems to have harnessed those abilities. He will be a dominating presence int he middle of the pitch for years to come.

Gary Cahill: Another top player who had a run of poor form last season that saw many in the stands at the Reebok turn on him. I still believe him to be a top class central defender, and whether he ultimately stays or goes this month, I think he will be eager to re-establish his reputation starting today.

Paul Robinson: An absolute waste of space, probably the worst player in the Premier League. For fuck's sake Coyle, start the Marcos Alonso era now!

Chris Eagles: Not sure what to expect, he is a player capable of the sublime, but he also disappears for long stretches of the match.

Fabrice Muamba: We all know exactly what we are getting with Fab, a destroyer, a physical specimen, a smart player who gets himself into excellent positions, then promptly gives the ball away or wildly smashes it into row Z. He is still very young, and he does have stretches where it looks like he is improving technically, but most of those performances feature Stuart Holden taking the ball off Fab as soon as he wins it.

Nigel Reo-Coker: Again, a player who has been brilliant and terrible over the years, sometimes in the same match. I personally think he was miscast at Villa as a holding midfielder. With Muamba kicking anything that moves in front of the back four, Reo-Coker should have plenty of chances to get forward and show his real talent.

Martin Petrov: Petrov underperformed last season, and found himself in and out of the team, but I am expecting a real bounce-back from him. There is no questioning the talent, I think he will really show it starting today.

Kevin Davies: He is past it. As soon as Tuncay is available he should go to the bench, but he won't.

Ivan Klasnic: A clinical finisher coming off a lost season because of injuries and personal problems. I like him, but he is at his best combining with a pacy striker who creates openings for him. Obviously this is not something Wanderers possess at the moment.

All that considered, we should win today. Even with all the injuries, we still have a better squad than QPR. But a season opener against a promoted team in their ground is a bad way to start the season. I am going for a nervy draw, and a lot of bitching and whinging on the message-boards afterwards.

Dark Clouds are gathering...

2011-07-31T23:16:00.001-04:00

...two weeks before the new season starts. The Wanderers are in danger of falling behind the pack very early this year. First of all, the early schedule is brutal, absolutely brutal. Our first game is what you never want to open the season, a promoted team away. Fired-up fans, fired-up players, and usually a nervy draw that looks bad later in the year when others are getting 3 points at will.

After that, we run the northwest gauntlet, City-Liverpool-United. It's quite possible Bolton could have no points after 4 matches.
Then after a one week respite (Norwich), it's Arsenal and Chelsea back-to-back. Realistically, we could have only 2 or 3 points after 7 matches and heading into the October international break.

And I haven't even mentioned the worst part; After 7 matches our best two players will not yet have kicked a ball in anger. Lee Chung Yong will be out for the season with a broken leg, and Stuart Holden is still recovering from a long-term knee injury. These are both huge losses. Holden was our player of the season last year, and Lee the same the year before. They are so important to everything we do. I am getting depressed just thinking about it.

To sum up, it will not be surprising to find Bolton Wanderers propping up the table as late as November. I think we will survive, but unfortunately, we do not look to be making any progress. I hope I am wrong.

Another USA tour

2011-07-14T20:34:00.000-04:00

And once again the Wanderers come nowhere near where I live. Oh well. The important players aren't really fit yet anyway, and I suspect we will make a couple significant signings in late August.

So I guess I didn't miss too much...

Still, it would be nice if they came to New York at some point.

Gardner Stays

2011-06-19T18:12:00.000-04:00

Ricardo Gardner may have been born in Jamaica, whom I am watching play the US in the Gold Cup semi-fina this afternoon, but he now calls Bolton home. It was this stability, and his family's comfort with the northwest, that caused Bibi to turn down Sam Allardyce's offer of a big money contract with West Ham and stay at Bolton for less money.

I have always liked Gardner, but he is no longer the marauding left-back that may have been the best in the premiership for a year or two under Big Sam. At 32, his extraordinary pace robbed by age and injury, he is little more than a role player, versatile and good for depth, but not to be relied upon. Realistically, if Gardner makes more than ten appearances next season, it is probably not a good sign for Bolton. That said, it will be nice to have him around.

Fare Thee Well Dear Wanderers...

2011-06-01T13:27:00.001-04:00

Word has been leaking out that Bolton have offered some players new contracts while letting others go. Robbie Blake has a deal for next season. Ricardo Gardner has been offered something (with a rather severe pay cut I would imagine) and he has a decision to make.

Jlloyd Samuel has been cut loose. I don't quite understand why he has been frozen out by Coyle, especially in favor of Paul Robinson. When Samuel was first choice two season ago, he had a fine year, and he was a big part of the reason we stayed up. Maybe he is just too much to deal with off the pitch.

Joey O'Brien is leaving as well. Thinking about him just makes me sad. Whenever he was fit, all four of our recent managers made him first choice in central midfield, and he always played well. He simply couldn't stay on the field. Some bodies just aren't built for the abuse of professional sports. I hope the change of scenery does him good, perhaps he can build a career somewhere else.

I am sad to see Tamir Cohen go as well. He was never going to be first choice at a Premier League club with top 10 ambitions, but I thought he was decent midfield depth.

Let's just hope Owen Coyle can bring in some upgrades this summer.

Barcelona Wins the Champions League

2011-05-29T12:15:00.000-04:00

And they deserved it. It was a great match for the first 50 minutes or so, but at that point the Catalans possession advantage started to pay off.

What's next for Barcelona? They are a fairly young team overall. Valdes is 29, Busquets is 22, and Pique is 24. Dani Alves is 28, but still has a few seasons left as one of the top right backs in the world. Javier Mascherano seems to have been around forever, but he is still only 26. Carlos Puyol is 33, and Eric Abidal is 31, both are at the tail ends of their careers, but neither is all that important to Barcelona at this point. The defense looks to be in great shape going forward.

Barcelona play a 4-3-3, and they use three legitimate forwards up top. Those forwards are chosen from David Villa (29), Lionel Messi (23), Pedro (23), Ibrahim Affelay (25), and Maxwell (29). This is probably the best attack in the world, and will remain so for several years.

This brings us to the midfield, the one place where Barcelona may have some issues. Everything they do is orchestrated by Xavi and Iniesta. Iniesta is only 27, but Xavi is 31, and both, between La Liga matches, Champions League, Copa del Rey, and international matches for Spain, play a lot of football.

Iniesta is already a little injury-prone, and that will only get worse as he ages. Xavi, as good as he has been , is not likely to stay at this level for more than 2 seasons. Euro 2012 could be his sort of last hurrah.

So hold out hope world, Barcelona may only be the best team on the planet for two more seasons.

Bolton's Goal-scoring Prowess...

2011-05-15T12:05:00.000-04:00

...may once again be dependent upon Nicolas Anelka.

No, the Frenchman will not be returning to the Reebok, but where he plays next year will have a big affect on who is up front for the Wanderers. If Anelka stays at Chelsea, that could well mean that Daniel Sturridge is available on loan for another season. As we all know, Owen Coyle would love to have the young striker back at Middlebrook Leisure Center.

However, if one or more from Anelka, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Florent Malouda, and Salomon Kalou decides to move on, Sturridge will probably feature in Chelsea's first team next season. If this scenario sounds familiar, that is because we went through the same thing with Jack Wilshire and Arsenal last season.

I think Daniel Sturridge is an outstanding player, and I want the absolute best for him and his career, I just hope that best involves a 25-goal season for the Wanderers in 2011-2012.

I Wrote It. I Stand By It???

2011-05-08T09:49:00.000-04:00

When I was writing my preview for Birmingham City, I felt they would stay up. This is what I wrote;

Will they go down? Probably not. But I think they will be in or near the bottom three all season, and if they survive it will be by a scant point or two, possibly even on goal difference. They will end up with a point total in the high 30's...

Currently, with two matches to go, Birmingham City are 16th. They have 39 points, 3 above the relegation zone, and a goal difference of -18. I get to pat myself on the back for this one.

...players, such as Christopher Samba, David Dunn, Vince Grella, and Steven Nzonzi, have to continue to perform at an extremely high level for Blackburn to be successful. If they manage to do that, 10th place. If not, 15th, or worse.

This was my verdict of Blackburn's chances, at least it was when Sam Allardyce was their manager. Given Big Sam's strength was getting the most out of players, especially aging players, his departure certainly reduced the chances of these players performing at a high level. As a result, Blackburn sit 15th, on 39 points. I am beginning to plan a trip to Vegas...

...one second thought, maybe not;

I think they will put up more of a fight than Blackpool, and they might have a chance if other clubs pick up some injuries and struggle, but I can't see this team getting more than 35 points at the most, and they will probably be closer to 30.

They are currently 13th, on 43 points. Much better than I predicted. There is a caveat though. I wrote;

This club has a likable, yet inexperienced manager in Roberto Di Matteo. I don't have the statistics at my fingertips, but I am fairly certain that promoted clubs led by young managers with no Premier League experience tend to have a rather steep learning curve.

When Matteo was fired, WBA sat 16th, with 26 points from 25 matches, a scant 2 points above the relegation zone. West Brom brought in Roy Hodgson, an older experienced manager who has beat the drop before. They have taken 17 points from the ten matches since Hodgson took over. So I was wrong on this one, but there are extenuating circumstances.

A couple more, I thought Stoke would finish 14th, they are currently 12th. I predicted 11th for Sunderland, and they are...11th. Woohoo!

Central Midfield

2011-04-28T14:14:00.000-04:00

I don't intend to blame anyone for yesterday's loss to Fulham. Bolton have been poor away from home all season, and this was just another in a long lineof performances that should be forgotten. I half expected to see Owen Coyle walking up to people at Harrods with a sweaty map and asking which way to the Thames.

That said, central midfield, thought to be a strength a few months ago, has really become a problem. Throughout a good part of this season the triumvirate of Stuart Holden, Mark Davies, and Fabrice Muamba controlled the middle of the park. Times have changed though. Holden has a long term injury, Davies has had to deal with a few niggling ankle problems, and Muamba, while impressive, has a somewhat limited skill set. In the last few matches, we have seen Johann Elmander, Tamir Cohen, and even Ricardo Gardner partner Muamba. Now, I like all three of these players, and I think each of them has something to contribute. None of them is an adequate replacement for Davies or Holden though.

Megson signing Sean Davis has been out for almost two years, and at this point, we have to say a comeback is unlikely. The same holds for Joey O'Brien. The strength of the position is OK, as long as our first choices are fit, but we need to work on the depth. As we get closer to summer, I will address each position and how important it is for us to add players. At this time, you can assume central midfield will be relatively high on the list.

Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City

2011-04-17T10:38:00.001-04:00

The team lists are out, and it is Ivan Klasnic partnering Kevin Davies up top.

Johann Elmander returns to central midfield, where he was so impressive last weekend.

Paul Robinson is back, and after two weeks on the sub's bench to avoid suspension, I am sure he will be overly anxious to kick somebody. Will be a shocker if he doesn't get a yellow card in the opening fifteen minutes.

Stoke's back four looks to be lacking pace, the best way forward might be to get Lee Chung-yong or Martin Petrov in behind. Stoke have Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant on either side. I think we will see a lot of diagonal balls early (from both sides) to try to bring the wingers into the game. That is where both clubs are strongest today.

Kickoff is less than a half hour away. Wembley is rocking. It is going to be epic. Cummon Bolton!!!!!!

FA Cup Semi-finals

2011-04-16T16:39:00.000-04:00

Some of you may have noticed that the headline for this post has an -s at the end. Yes, it is plural. There are actually two FA Cup matches this weekend.

Now, it is no surprise that the Manchester Derby has received more coverage, it is certainly more of a glamour tie than Stoke v Bolton. However, I have watched some recent sports news from the UK today, and the first match got all the coverage.

Normally this type of thing doesn't bother me, but this match at Wembley is a big deal for Stoke and Bolton, and to not even get a mention on a 60 minute sports news program seems awfully disrespectful.

Whenever I Think I Know What I am Doing...

2011-04-09T14:33:00.001-04:00

...I look back at my preseason predictions. Just a few gems;

On Wigan, currently bottom of the table, I wrote;

A couple injuries and some bad breaks could pull the Latics down into the relegation battle, but more likely they will have one or two good runs of form that will be just enough to safely ensconce them in the 13-16 range of the table.

On Wolves, currently 19th;

I think Wolves will struggle to match last season's point total, and they may be relegated by March.

Well, I guess those aren't too far off, but look at what I wrote about West Ham, whom Bolton tore apart this afternoon;

When all is said and done, West Ham United will still be in the Premier League. They may give their supporters a scare, much like last season, but I think they will ultimately be pretty comfortable. They could finish as high as tenth, or as low as fifteenth.

They are only 1 point from safety, so I could ultimately be proven correct, but wow, did they look bad today. I don't know why, but I overate West Ham based on their raw talent every single season. They will probably leapfrog Blackpool though, and I was spot on about the Tangerines;

There will be a draw against a big team, maybe even a home win against a top 4 side, an inspiring performance away from home in London or Manchester, and a lot of fun afternoons that the supporters should make sure they enjoy, because this is a one season adventure.

I will leave you with my prediction for the current 16th place club, Aston Villa. A hint, I was miles off;

I will withhold final judgement until a new boss is appointed, but it is safe to say Villa have a wide range of possible results this campaign. If they get in the right manager, and keep hold of their best players, another top 4 challenge and top 6 finish could be on the cards. On the other hand, if they get in the wrong manager, they could fall out of the top 10 altogether.

Later this week I will take a look at the rest of the bottom half of the table. I expected one of those clubs to contend for the Europa League, but then they fired their manager...

Owen Coyle Wants Goals!

2011-04-09T09:46:00.001-04:00

Bolton's manager has put out an extremely attacking lineup for today's home match against West Ham.

It's a little unclear what the formation will be, but I will try and discern what I can.

Zat Knight partners Gary Cahill in his return from injury. Consequently, there is not even a place on the bench for David Wheater. Coyle has played our two most attack-minded fullbacks, Gretar Steinnson and Marcos Alonso.

Fabrice Muamba will hold in front of the back four, while Martin Petrov and Lee Chung-Yong will rampage up and down the wings. Now this is where it gets confusing. Kevins Davies and Daniel Sturridge are up top, but where is Johann Elmander playing?

Some on the message boards think it will be a 4-3-3, but that would require Lee and Petrov tuck inside and match up against Scott Parker and Mark Noble. I can't see that happening. In fact, I think Elmander will continue to show his versatility by taking over Stuart Holden's playmaker role in the center of the pitch. And you know what, I believe he will do a job for us.

This team seems to confirm that the manager has given up on the idea of Bolton keeping a clean sheet, and he is just going to try to outscore the opposition. I think we will succeed. Final prediction; Bolton 3, West Ham 2.

Bolton Wanderers v West Ham United

2011-04-08T22:08:00.000-04:00

I am not as down on the Fabrice Muamba-Tamir Cohen central midfield pairing as some supporters, but it does leave us lacking creativity in the middle of the park. For a more detailed preview, check out this entry at the Manny Road blog.

Distracted

2011-04-08T21:38:00.001-04:00

Maybe distracted is the wrong word, but I feel like some of the intensity has left this Bolton side in the last couple league matches. I can't say I blame them. They sit eighth in the table on the magic 40 points, they have an epic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley coming up, their free-flowing style of play has made them media darlings, and they no longer have an insane red-haired man screaming at them every day.

The supporters have joined this party as well, they are talking about the trip to London, talking about summer signings, and generally enjoying a great season.

The media has also joined in. In fact, this article in the Bolton Evening News focuses not on the game at hand (West Ham visits tomorrow), but on the summer plans of Johann Elmander, whom Owen Coyle desperately wants to keep at the Reebok.

I would like to see Elmander stay, and I think there is a good chance he will. Johann knows he has a good situation in Bolton, and he has been nothing but appreciative towards Coyle for revitalizing his career. Many supporters have been bleating about loyalty and what not, but I have no problem with him letting his contract run out. He's 29 years old, this will probably be his last big contract, and I don't blame him for wanting to keep all of his options open.

If Elmander does stay, Coyle will have to make a difficult decision. Given our style of play, the respective players' ages, and their levels of ability, Kevin Davies and Elmander can no longer play together up front. Now don't get me wrong, Kevin Davies has been a great captain and a brilliant servant to Bolton Wanderers Football Club, but the time has come for him to transition into a part-time role. He has always been a class act, but I am not sure how the big man will take this, especially after being the squads focal point for so many years. Coyle will have to handle it delicately.

Mental Mistakes

2011-04-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

When it comes to sports, no player is ever perfect. No matter how good an athlete you are, there are balls you can't reach, attackers you can't catch, shots you can't reach, etc. It's physics, it's reality, and much as we wish it wouldn't, it sometimes intrudes on our little world. However, these are physical mistakes. Everybody is going to make physical mistakes, and these are easily forgiven.

Mental mistakes on the other hand, are an entirely different animal. Most mental mistakes are avoidable, and usually pretty easily so. Flying into a challenge with both feet off the ground 80 yards from goal in the first ten minutes of a Champions League match is certainly avoidable. Doing so twice, in the first leg of the biggest match in your club's history, is downright stupid. As Peter Crouch trudged off the pitch today, the fans at the Bernabeu Stadium chanted, "Tonto, Tonto!" This means, "Stupid, stupid!" I see no reason to argue with them.

USA 1 Argentina 1

2011-03-27T16:59:00.000-04:00

I didn't watch this whole match, only about 60% of it. And it is only a friendly, which the US probably took far more seriously than their South American opponents. But I thought the Americans were impressive. They spent a lot of time defending, however they did a good job of it, their positioning was solid, some of the young players looked very capable, and whenever the US did put together an attack, there was really a sense of a legitimate threat.

Stuart Holden will be missed on both sides of the Atlantic, but the US actually looks better equipped than Bolton to cope in his absense.

Stuart Holden

2011-03-21T10:39:00.000-04:00

The American midfielder has been Bolton's player of the season without a doubt, but now he is out for six months. Just a terrible blow for the club as well as the player, who has had bad luck time and again in his young career.

I just hope that Holden can come back as good, or even better, than he has been this season. At 25, he should be just entering the peak of his footballing powers. The worst part is that it looks like he will miss the start of next season as well. He his having surgery today, hopefully we will know more after that. Just gutted with this news.

Manchester United 1 Bolton Wanderers 0

2011-03-20T12:05:00.000-04:00

I hate Manchester United. I usually don't traffic in that sort of emotion. Honestly, I don't get into rivalries all that much. I usually think it is just another team that we have to beat, but over the past 2 seasons I have really grown to hate Manchester United. The smugness. The sense of entitlement. The xenophobia. The blatant intimidation. And worst of all, the lack of talent or ability.

When I see Alex Ferguson pointing at his watch and basically saying, "You cannot blow the whistle until my team wins," I just want to vomit. And then, the worst part, THE INTIMIDATION WORKS! The referees in England listen to him. Inexplicably, illogically, the referees listen to him.

I am trying to articulate why I hate them, but who cares. I just do.

I hate Manchester United.

FA Cup Quarterfinals

2011-03-13T13:43:00.000-04:00

Wanders are going to Wembley for the first time since 2000! I was attending Uni in Bolton at that time, living in Orlando Village at Thynne Street, right across the way from the Cattle Market and just down the road from a chicken slaughterhouse.

We lost to Aston Villa in the semi-final that year, but times have changed. I know several Bolton fans would like to see us face Manchester United if we get to the final, in a replay of 1958.

I am just glad to see the club progressing. In less than two years Owen Coyle has completely transformed Bolton Wanderers from a drab, unmotivated group under Gary Megson to an exciting, hard-working, high-scoring barrel of fun.

My hope is that the additional cup matches, plus the fact that we have already reached the magical 40 point mark in the league, will allow some of the fringe players an opportunity to show us what they've got.

Luis Suarez

2011-03-06T10:58:00.000-05:00

It's the 40th minute of Liverpool v Manchester United, and the home side has just gone up 2-0. Both goals have been scored by Dirk Kuyt, but both have been set up by Suarez.

The Suarez signing was widely mocked in England, with most pundits making a joke about him being a good goalkeeper (because of the handball on the goal line at the World Cup), then a reference to Afonso Alves (a South American striker who scored a lot of goals in Holland, the flopped in England), but really not knowing anything about Suarez himself. If they had watched any of Uruguay's matches prior to the Quarterfinal against Ghana, they would know that Suarez was outstanding in every facet of the game. He and Diego Forlan were the best strike-partnership at the World Cup.

I think Suarez will have one and a half or two fantastic seasons for Liverpool, and then, much like Fernando Torres, move on to a bigger club.

Bolton Wanderers 3 Aston Villa 2

2011-03-05T21:47:00.001-05:00

What a match! Another outstanding end-to-end affair at the Reebok. Bolton didn't play as well as they are capable, in fact, Aston Villa will feel rather hard done by after this one, but you have to take advantage when you are on top. That means finishing the chances you create.

In Ivan Klasnic and Daniel Sturridge the Wanderers have two top class finishers. And Gary Cahill is not too shabby either. Remember, in roughly 25 matches last season, before his shoulder problem, he scored seven goals.

Overall, there were some defensive blunders, and the finishing by Villa was not great, but both sides played very well in attack. More importantly, this win puts Bolton on 40 points for the season, with nine matches to go. I think mid-table was always the goal, and we should be able to push on after this, well clear of the relegation battle. It is probably a little early for a return to European competition, and I think we will fall short of that, but an eighth place finish in Coyle's first full season, with a good portion of the squad (Wheater, Lee, Holden, Muamba, Davies, Alonso, Cahill) under 25, bodes very well for the future.

Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers

2011-02-27T11:23:00.000-05:00

It is a miracle of biblical proportions that this match finished 1-1. Anyone who watched the action for any extended period of time would have expected a 5-5 goal-fest. Johann Elmander was on the right wing again, a decision many people are questioning, but he ended up getting a Newcastle player sent off and actually had a pretty good match overall.

Once again though, all eyes were drawn to Daniel Sturridge. This kid is an absolute beast. Four goals in four for Bolton, and he does everything well. Incredible skill on the ball, power, a good shot with both feet, creates chances for his teammates, and whenever he gets the ball I feel like the entire stadium comes to their feet, almost in expectation that something spectacular is going to happen.

I also have to mention young Marcos Alonso, who got another start at left-back. Many Bolton supporters didn't like this, and wanted Gretar Steinsson, who was on the bench, to return to the starting XI. Apparently, these Bolton supporters only watch the first 20 minutes of games. Much like against Fulham last weekend, Alonso had a nervous opening period, highlighted (lowlighted actually) by a couple poor touches and a questionable challenge on Leon Best. However, much like the Fulham match, Alonso grew in confidence as the game went on, and by the end was looking dangerous going forward and putting in some critical challenges at the back.

Owen Coyle has some decisions to make at the back, as Steinsson, a right-back, and JLloyd Samuel, a left-back, have both returned from injury recently, although I suspect it will be another week or two before either is fit enough to play 90 minutes. Personally, I would return Steinsson to the starting line-up at right-back, but also keep Alonso at left-back. As I wrote previously, he is getting better every match, certainly will be a class above our other fullbacks very soon, and will only continue to improve if he is on the pitch.

FA Cup Fifth Round

2011-02-19T18:54:00.001-05:00

Bolton Wanderers are traveling down to London to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage. And there had better be a winner, because neither of these clubs can afford a replay.

Bolton are quite shorthanded at the back for this one. It is not just how many you lose that hurts you, but who you lose. Sam Ricketts is Owen Coyle's most versatile defender, he can play anywhere along the back 4. So when there have been injuries in defense, Ricketts has often been the man to pick up the slack. But this time it is Ricketts who is hurt. And that leaves Bolton without a recognized right back for tomorrow's match.

Things will be fine in the middle, Gary Cahill and David Wheater is a good pairing. Young Marcos Alonso will probably start at left-back. He is obviously short on experience, but he has played a few cup matches this season, and he should be adequate enough, although Clint Dempsey is available for Fulham, and the American winger is in fine form this season.

My big concern, as usual, is Paul Robinson. He is a Welsh disaster waiting to happen (kind of like the children of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas) at left-back, his natural position. And tomorrow he will most likely be playing right-back. Truth is, I don't even want to think about it.

Overall, I think it is going to be a good match, and whichever club wins has as good a chance as any to get all the way to Wembley.

Champions League Star Peter Crouch?

2011-02-15T20:45:00.000-05:00

The goal was really made by Aaron Lennon, and his run was so good that even he couldn't screw up the cross. AC Milan really did not look a threat. Zlatan Ibrahimovic created a few chances late, but for most of the match you would have thought Tottenham were the home team.

In my humble opinion, AC Milan are a spent force, and their current position perched atop Serie A only speaks further to the steep decline in the quality of that league. It's hard to see anything but a fairly easy home win for Spurs in the second leg of this tie.

As for Tuesday's other match, Schalke have an away goal and Valencia are not known for traveling well, especially to Germany. It's hard to see anything other than the German side advancing to the last 8.

David Wheater

2011-02-14T22:26:00.000-05:00

I thought this deal was a bargain at twice the price for Bolton (I admit I was not alone), and approximately two appearances into his Wanderers career, it appears I was right. Two games for Wheater, two clean sheets for Bolton.

To be fair, that is probably oversimplifying things. He may be a more complementary partner though, for Zat Knight or Gary Cahill. Cahill and Knight are both so big, it somewhat limits their mobility. Don't get me wrong they both have good pace, and move pretty well for their size, but Wheater may be just a bit quicker. I have yet to see any results from the scan on Zat Knight's knee, but I am hopeful that he will only miss a week or two. Wheater is certainly an excellent replacement, but I will be happy when we have three healthy, classy central defenders on the roster.

The situation in defense aside, it was a fine performance against Everton, and hopefully it will herald a return to form for Bolton.

The Right Wing

2011-02-12T09:43:00.000-05:00

Daniel Sturridge is a monster, he really has to start for Bolton Wanderers. As I wrote in my last post, Owen Coye is not dropping Kevin Davies. That is the pairing up top. Against Tottenham, Johann Elmander started on the right side of midfield. He worked hard, and he is certainly skillful, but this left us with no pace on the right wing. And the fact that Matty Taylor and Paul Robinson were the combination on the left side meant we had no pace on either wing. We are just not going to win many matches that way.

If it were up to me, Rodrigo Moreno and Lee Chung-yong would be the starting wingers. It seems more likely that Lee and Martin Petrov will be Coyle's preferred pairing.

I am very interested in seeing the starting XI when Bolton play Everton on Sunday. The more pace in the team, the better.

The Boys a bit special...

2011-02-05T00:27:00.001-05:00

Daniel Sturridge debuted with a goal, giving Bolton a deserved win over Wolves at The Reebok.

What will be interesting to see is the starting XI for this weekend's away match against Tottenham. A lot of Bolton supporters are calling on Owen Coyle to play Sturridge from the start. The funny thing is they are split almost down the middle on who to drop to the bench from the current forwards, Johann Elmander or Kevin Davies.

The truth is that Coyle, much like Gary Megson, Sammy Lee, and Sam Allardye before him, will never drop Kevin Davies of his own accord. That means the only way Sturridge starts is if Elmander drops to the bench. Elmander has 10 goals this season, but has not been scoring a lot recently.

I think the decision should be made based on the matchup. Harry Redknapp claims Spurs are down to one healthy central defender. If whoever he starts there are bigger, stronger enforcers, then Coyle should start with Sturridge and his pace. On the other hand, if 'arry starts three fullbacks across the backline, then Wanderers might be better served bludgeoning them to death with Elmander and Davies.

An Absolute Tonking

2011-01-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

And to be honest, we were due. We have an inconsistent goalkeeper, subpar fullbacks, a swashbuckling style, and a manager who has no qualms throwing on 4 forwards when we are behind in the second half. It was inevitable that at some point we were going to concede 4 or 5.

I don't think there is a need to panic. We are in a poor run of form right now, but the Chelsea match Monday was not as bad as the scoreline would indicate. The loss away to Stoke is the only game this month where you could say Wanderers played terribly.

I think fitness issues and some injuries have contributed as well. I would not be surprised if we beat Wigan in the FA Cup on Saturday and that starts a good run of form for us. I still think we will end up mid-table. And one of the hallmarks of a mid-table team is inconsistency. So all the supporters who are freaking out just need to relax, drink a beer, and shut their pie-holes.

Transfer Speculation

2011-01-23T15:10:00.001-05:00

Bolton have been linked with a few players over the past month or so. There are really only two types of transfers in January; The Foregone Conclusion and The Complete Shock.

The Complete Shock is what happened to Sunderland last week, when Darren Bent suddenly and unexpectedly announced he was moving to Aston Villa. Nobody had a clue it was happening until it was done.

The foregone conclusion is what happened with Edin Dzeko moving to Manchester City. Or David Wheater coming to Bolton. It is reported for a long period of time, both clubs acknowledge the deal is being negotiated, and even the player himself states for the record what is happening.

Bolton have already signed their foregone conclusion in Wheater. All of the rumors and gossip that exist in the netherworld in between these two types of transfer lead to nothing 90% of the time. So I ma not going to get excited about Carlos Vela, or Sebastian Larson, or Ricardo Fuller, because none of them are likely to come to the Reebok. If Owen Coyle makes another signing, it will be like Vladimir Weiss last January. Out of nowhere, not a big name, and probably a loan deal.

I'm Back.

2011-01-22T06:54:00.001-05:00

Good day loyal readers and Wanderers supporters. I have spent the past couple weeks happily wandering the hills of Spain and Morocco, but now I am back, and ready to talk some football. Bolton play Chelsea in a couple days, and that will no doubt be an interesting match; However, I would like to spend today's posts addressing transfer speculation. And believe me, about 95% of it is unfounded, unrealistic, unlikely to ever even be discussed, speculation.

First the confirmed signings; Andy O'Brien went to Leeds. I liked him, he was what they call an "honest" player, but he was barely up to premier league quality at his best, and he is well past that now. I wish him luck.

Tope Obadeyi's loan deal with Shrewsbury Town expired. He is back with Bolton after making nine starts for town and impressing no one. He is still only 21, but he won't feature for the first team, and probably will be let go this coming summer. We have had a few of these over the past few years, winger/forward types with a lot of pace and little else. None of them have worked out. It does not appear Tope will be the first.

David Wheater signed from Middlesborough for roughly £2.5 million. This is a great signing. He is a very impressive, very young player who gives us great depth and talent at central defender. Many people see this as a sign that Owen Coyle is being forced to sell Gary Cahill, but I don't think this is true at all. Granted, Cahill may go during the summer, but not before then. And for the rest of the season Wanderers will have three big, strong, fast center-halves who are all good on the ball. It's a brilliant bit of business, and a bargain at twice the price.

That is what we have done so far, so far being two thirds of the month. But there is always a flurry of action late in January, so in my next post I will address some of the players rumored to be arriving at the Reebok.

Chelsea - 1 Bolton - 0

2010-12-31T10:57:00.001-05:00

Chelsea had a spell of about five minutes in the second half of this match where they really looked a threat. They scored their goal, had an effort cleared off the line, and forced a good save out of Jussi Jaaskelainen. Other than that, they looked a lot like Arsenal at their absolute worst. Loads of possession, but no cutting edge, no chances created, no evidence of even the desire to score a goal.

Bolton on the other hand, looked fairly good, especially during the first half. One of the TV analysts even argued that Wanderers had created the better chances. A lot of this was down to Fabrice Muamba and Stuart Holden (Pictured, Below). Chelsea's three-man midfield of Michael Essien, Ramires, and Frank Lampard is probably worth £60 million, and they were dominated by the two central men in the Bolton midfield.

Muamba and Holden covered more ground than the Chelsea three, snuffed out any threats they made, and created some chances at the other end. Just an epic, box-to-box performance, from two players under 25 who cost a combined £5 million. Both have recently signed contract extensions, and neither has shown any desire to leave Bolton.

If Bolton can keep this spine together for the next few seasons (Zat Knight and Gary Cahill in defense, Muamba and Holden, not to mention Mark Davies in the midfield, and Johann Elmander up front), we may see a return to the glory years under Sam Allardyce, when challenging for a European spot was a yearly occurrence.

Bolton Wingers

2010-12-28T00:15:00.001-05:00

At the start of the season many analysts thought that the biggest strength of this Wanderers team would be its wingers, Lee Chung-yong and Martin Petrov. That has not quite come to pass. But the wing play has been important. Matt Taylor scored today, and he will be very important over the next several weeks, as Lee will be playing for South Korea in the Asian Confederation's championship.

Petrov has had an up-and-down season, and there is no guarantee that he will start against Chelsea on Wednesday. It may be time for young Rodrigo Moreno to get his chance.

No matter who comes into the starting XI for Lee, they will have to shoulder a lot of responsibility, as the Korean winger has become an integral part of Bolton's attack.

Owen Coyle has some big decisions to make.

Bolton Wanderers v West Bromwich Albion (or That Damn Peter Odemwingie)

2010-12-23T09:43:00.001-05:00

The Nigerian striker will be fit again to play Bolton on Boxing Day. He is pivotal to what West Brom do, and will make things difficult for the Wanderers. Not only does he score (6 goals in 11 matches), but his presence and intelligent movement creates space as well as opportunity for the Baggies' midfielders.

If I am honest, Odemwingie (pictured, right) is exactly the type of player Bolton tend to struggle against. Of course, we have only kept one clean sheet all season, so I think it would be fair to say we struggle against most strikers.

These two clubs played to a draw a couple months ago, in a wide-open attacking match that was one of the finest spectacles of this season. West Brom will have had two weeks to prepare for this match because of weather-related postponements, while Bolton are coming off an away loss in one of only three matches played last weekend. Whether this provides an edge to either side on Sunday I am not sure, but going into a run of four matches in eleven days, we may see some squad rotation on both sides.

The weather has been ridiculous in the British Isles, well below freezing with a lot of snow. It is absurd to play soccer in these conditions, but that is England. I believe Owen Coyle will have to give some of the fringe players a chance over the next few weeks just to keep the most important stars from burning out. In some areas, such as right-back, central midfield, and both wing positions, we have seen rotation in the last month or so, and I think that will continue. Gretar Steinsson, Sam Ricketts, Stuart Holden, Mark Davies, Martin Petrov, and Matt Taylor have all missed matches recently, and I think each of them will only play three out of the four games over the festive period.

I am a little concerned about Zat Knight. He has not looked to be feeling any effects of overuse, but he has not missed a match all season, and that could start to wear on him as we get up towards 40 games played.

Paul Robinson has also played a lot, and I think young Marcos Alonso, who is finally fit, will get at least one start in the coming weeks. Hopefully he will play well and seize the starting position from the subpar Welshman.

Fabrice Muamba is probably the player we can least afford to rest, but he runs so much, and plays with such a high level of effort, that Coyle has to be careful with him.

The biggest concern is Lee Chung-yong (pictured, above). Not only has he been playing non-stop for over two years, but he will be leaving in January to play for South Korea in the Asian Cup. We knew that when we signed him, and I don't have any problem with him leaving. However, the South Korean manager's goal is to win the tournament, not to make sure that Lee is fit and rested for the final three months of the Premier League season. Maybe those goals are not mutually exclusive, we will see. I have to admit though, I am looking forward to seeing a lot more of Rodrigo Moreno in the coming weeks.

Sunderland

2010-12-19T22:35:00.000-05:00

There is no doubting the talent of this Sunderland squad, and they have shown that talent, especially at home, against several clubs in the top half of the table. They looked very good while beating Bolton on Saturday, yet it was only 1-0, and the Trotters had several chances late that could have very easily lead to an equalizer. To make my point, this is what I wrote about Sunderland in my season preview;

This Sunderland squad is actually pretty close to Steve Bruce's Wigan and Birmingham squads. He always puts a talented group of players together, they always finish pretty comfortably mid-table, analysts always expect them to push on into the top half, and they never do. 11th sounds about right for this club.

And I am afraid that about sums it up. They are flying high now, but Steve Bruce teams are just a tease, not the real deal.

The Bolton Midfield

2010-12-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

Fabrice Muamba was dropped to the bench today in favor of Stuart Holden and Mark Davies in Bolton's central midfield. Mark Davies was sent off for 2 yellow cards. Muamba and Holden scored Bolton's goals.

Holden just turned 25, Mumba and Davies are both 22, and all three have exhibited substantial improvement as the season has progressed. Going into the season, it was thought by many (including me) that Bolton's strength would be their wingers. Yet Lee Chung-yong and Martin Petrov have both displayed uneven form through the first 16 matches in the premier league. The spine of the team (Strikers Kevin Davies and Johann Elmander, Holden, M. Davies, and Muamba, central defenders Zat Knight and Gary Cahill, keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen) has been Bolton's strength this season.

Today's performance against Blackburn was good overall, not great, but the important thing, three points, was attained, and the Wanderers still find themselves riding high, sixth in the table for another week.

Martin Petrov

2010-12-02T21:29:00.001-05:00

It's a big match for the Bulgarian winger against his former club. He left under a black cloud, and he was not shy about criticizing the weatherman. Petrov had some problems with injuries while at Eastlands, but he was always impressive when he was able to get on the pitch. I am sure he is dying to prove a point this Saturday, but it is up to Owen Coyle to decide how Petrov can do so most effectively for the team.

Petrov generally doesn't play 90 minutes. He has only completed one game in nine starts for Bolton this season. To be fair he has competed all three that he has started for Bulgaria, so he is certainly fit enough to play the whole match if need be. Coyle has to make the decision on how to best use Petrov's energy and emotion. Will he start him, hoping that he can create mayhem straight on from kickoff, or will he save him for the 60th minute, an impact sub in the last half hour of what promises to be a close, hard-fought match.

Personally, I would like to see Petrov start on the right wing. Let him use his pace, cut inside and shoot with his rifle of a left foot. Man City will play a conservative 4-5-1, with three holding midfielders, and there will not be a lot of space for Bolton's attackers to operate. A special bit of creativity, a moment of brilliance from Petrov, could be the difference between the two teams. I think he scores the winner for Bolton.

Manchester City

2010-11-30T23:37:00.001-05:00

Bolton will be visiting Eastlands this weekend, and it will be an interesting clash of styles between the Wanderers and the Citizens. Bolton have shown themselves to be an attacking, free-flowing offensive club this season. Man City, on the other hand, have been a very defensive-minded group, a tactical philosophy which has generated a lot of criticism for manager Roberto Mancini.

Just park in front of the goal...

City have 26 points from 15 matches, Bolton have 23, but they have gained their points in very different manners. Bolton have outscored their opponents, a leaky defense allowing 22 goals, yet scoring for themselves 28 times, fourth most in the league, and only one goal behind mighty Chelsea. Manchester City have only scored 20 goals, middle of the pack, but they have conceded a miserly 12 goals, 2 more than Chelsea, but 4 less than anyone else.

The home team will play a 4-3-3, with all three midfielders being very central, holding players. Bolton will play an attacking 4-4-2, with two true wingers pushing up alongside the strikers for long spells of the match. A key man will be Stuart Holden, who will hopefully be recovered from last week's leg injury and able to feature from the start. I have no doubt that if he is fit he will go back into the team, the question is who will be dropped. Fabrice Muamba will start in the holding role regardless of match-up, but any combination from Holden, Mark Davies, Lee Chung-yong, Martin Petrov, Matt Taylor, or even Rodrigo Moreno could make up the other three midfielders.

As for Wanderers defensively, the biggest threat for City is enigmatic Italian Mario Balotelli. He has been playing on the left side of the front three, which would match him up with Bolton's right back. This is why I think we may see a return of Gretar Steinsson to the starting XI. He kept Gareth Bale in his pocket a few weeks ago, and Owen Coyle will be hoping he can do the same to Balotelli.

Blackpool

2010-11-26T11:25:00.001-05:00

Blackpool currently sit twelfth in the league table, with a relatively impressive 18 points from 14 matches. They have been a scoring threat, with 21 goals, but they have conceded 27, the most in the league. It has been a wild ride so far though. Way back on August 4th, I wrote this about the Seasiders;

There will be a draw against a big team, maybe even a home win against a top 4 side, an inspiring performance away from home in London or Manchester, and a lot of fun afternoons that the supporters should make sure they enjoy, because this is a one season adventure.

So far, Blackpool have drawn against Everton, beaten Liverpool, and had several other fine afternoons, defeating the likes of Wigan and Newcastle quite soundly. I am hoping they don't have another of those fine afternoons against Bolton this weekend, but it is a distinct possibility. Despite all this, they are only four points clear of the relegation zone, and clubs such as Everton, Aston Villa, and Fulham are almost certain to leapfrog the Tangerines. I still think Blackpool will go down, but it is going to be close.

Brilliant!

2010-11-21T19:44:00.000-05:00

Bolton Wanderers are showing themselves a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League. The dismantling of Newcastle on Saturday was just phenomenal to watch. So what has changed in the past month or so to move Owen Coyle's men up the table.

Most notable change, consistency throughout the match. Early on in the season, Bolton would look good in the first half, but terrible in the second, or vice versa. Sometimes it was even more severe, a dominating 15 minute spell followed by a mistake-filled 20 minutes. Things slowly improved, but poor spells were still leading to goals, and often these goals left us with draws instead of wins.

In the case of the Liverpool match, we lost after being the better team for about 85 minutes of the 90. I think that is when things changed. We were held without a goal for only the third time this season. That is when the identity of this team became clear. We have to be a dynamic, attacking team. Instead of trying to hold our opponents scoreless, we need to score more than them. Spurs came to town, we steamrolled them 4-2, and haven't looked back.

But enough analysis, for the next few days, I just want to enjoy it.

Starting XI v Wolves

2010-11-13T10:08:00.000-05:00

Johann Elmander and Matt Taylor have both been under the weather this week, yet have made it onto the team sheet. I am not a big fan of this.

If a player is trying to recover from an ankle sprain or something like that, OK, a trainer can put him through a fitness test and say he is able to play. But a stomach bug or cold just saps stamina. Starting two players who will probably have to be subbed, especially as Taylor and Elmander both run miles, really handcuffs Owen Coyle's ability to change things around during the match.

Most important, we have ready-made replacements for both these players. Martin Petrov is fit again and can easily slot back in on the left side. Ivan Klasnic has scored a couple goals recently and can certainly come in for Elmander, although to be fair, he will probably have to be taken off as well. The wild card in all this is Rodrigo Moreno. I would have loved to have seen the electric young Spaniard playing up top alongside Kevin Davies. Finally, someone with pace to run onto all the flicks from Davies winning headers.

At the very least, I would like to see Moreno come on at half time, no matter the score.

The League Table

2010-11-11T19:07:00.000-05:00

I have a rule about the league table. I don't look at it until after my birthday (November 9). Given that, after yesterday's draw between Bolton and Everton at Goodison Park (heartbreaking to give up such a late equalizer, but a draw at either side of Stanley Park is a good result) I went to Sky Sports website and took a look.

I was right about a few things. I thought Wolves would be relegation fodder and they are. Some of the clubs I thought would be establishing themselves mid-table are struggling (such as Wigan and West Ham), but I still think they have time to pull out of it. I appear to have been dead wrong about Newcastle, but let's just wait and see about that.

As for my beloved Bolton Wanderers, they find themselves in a lofty position not seen since the days of Sam Allardyce. Sixth in the table with 16 points from 12 matches and a positive goal differential. They are unlikely to remain there, I don't have any delusions of grandeur, and the defense needs to tighten up or a slide down the table could come quickly, but it looks as though a top half finish is not out of the question. Considering the mess Gary Megson left behind, and recent financial news out of the Reebok, a top half finish would be a stunning achievement for Owen Coyle this season.

Owen Hargreaves

2010-11-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

I always liked Owen Hargreaves. He was a very good, very under-rated player. He could play several positions, and play them well. He was good on the ball and could attack, he was also a great tackler and could defend. He scored goals and created goals for other players. He played at right back for England in the 2006 World Cup and was probably their best player.

All that aside, Hargreaves has played 8 minutes of top flight football in the past three seasons. To see him limp off the field after five minutes on Saturday was, more than anything else, sad. Let's face it, it was a stupid move by Alex Ferguson to start Hargreaves after being out for so long. No one was surprised at the result. And you have to think there is a very good chance that this is it for Hargreaves.

If he is done it has been a great career. He has won just about everything there is to win in club football, and he has always been a selfless player willing to do what is best for the team.

Tom Huddlestone

2010-11-07T11:38:00.001-05:00

There is no questioning this players raw physical abilities, and he has been touted as the next big thing, especially by Spurs fans, for a while now. He is still only 23 (24 next month), but I am beginning to wonder if it will happen for him. I think he is as well, because more signs of frustration have been finding their way into his game.

The latest came yesterday, when he maliciously, and very late, chose to stamp on Johann Elmander's crotch as Elmander was laying prostrate and nowhere near the ball. It was a disgraceful act (I don't see how you can even call it a challenge) and if the referee had seen it he would have been sent off. But because the referee didn't see it, the Football Association will have jurisdiction. I can't see anything less than a three match ban, and Huddlestone might deserve more.

This type of thing might be forgiven if he were still a fresh faced 19-year-old, but Huddlestone has been in the first team for five seasons now, and should be well past this sort of behavior. It is one of the stupidest things I have ever seen anyone do on a football pitch. He could practically be charged with assault. As a professional footballer, maybe he would like some bejeweled handcuffs. They could bring even more attention to him after such a cowardly act.

Gareth who???

2010-11-06T13:40:00.001-04:00

Bolton Wanderers picked the perfect time to make a statement to the rest of the league. On ESPN for the lunch time kickoff in England (Breakfast in the US), with everybody watching (including Fabio Capello), Owen Coyle's men looked magnificent.

Spurs defenders did not know what to do with Kevin Davies, who was dominant in scoring two goals while creating a third, but I want to focus on another player, Matt Taylor (pictured, right).

Taylor was making only his second start of the season in the league, and he looked very similar to what we saw from him last season. No one is ever going to mistake him for a defensive stalwart, but he covers a lot of ground on the left side, and he did a good job tracking back to defend because, let's face it, Paul Robinson needs all the help he can get.
Going forward he played some good passes, but most importantly, put himself into some great positions to score. Bolton managed to get him the ball in those positions as well, but he just could not finish. He hit the post once, and another of his attempts was saved, but he just didn't get the goals. 95% of Taylor's play is numbingly consistent, he essentially does the same thing every match. But his goal scoring is very streaky. When he is going well, it seems like he scores every week, and when he has gone a while without scoring, you just don't know where the next one is coming from. I think Taylor is more than a 15 minutes per game player, and I hope he continues to be involved from the start at least occasionally going forward.

As for the rest of the team, I don't think anyone had a bad game, and the defense did an outstanding job of containing Gareth Bale, who was everyone's flavor of the week after his performances against Inter Milan. If Bolton hope to continue to push up the table, they need to convert some of the home draws into wins, and today they did a masterful job of that.

Bolton Wanderers v Liverpool

2010-10-30T23:23:00.000-04:00

We don't like to admit that randomness plays a big part in our lives. Sure, we make comments about luck, or "the rub of the green," maybe even "the way the ball bounces," when we don't get what we want, but we hate to acknowledge, especially when things go well for us, that a part of it comes down to chance.

We could (unfortunately) see this a lot.

As far as football goes, a lot of that chance is dictated by schedule. Bolton managed to get Manchester United and West Ham when they were struggling, and we got good results from those matches. We also got Arsenal when they were going well, and we didn't get a result.

Sunday's match against Liverpool is shaping up that way. The Reds look to finally be shaking out of their early season funk. Fernando Torres is rounding into form. A new ownership group has (temporarily I suspect) calmed their fanatical supporters. Watching Liverpool's last few matches, I have just got the feeling that at some point, someone is going to get a hiding.

As you might remember from my preseason preview, I don't think Liverpool is an especially good squad, and they will struggle to qualify for Europe this season, but they still possess a few top shelf players, and on a good day, those players can embarrass anyone.

I have this horrible image in my mind of Torres and Steven Gerrard working to overload one side or the other, and just torching whichever of our vulnerable fullbacks they choose, pulling the rest of the defense completely out of position, and creating a couple of tap-ins for somebody. Then we will push forward to get back into the match and WHAM, we get hit on the counter-attack. I just hope it doesn't get too embarrassing in front of the ever more fickle home supporters Owen Coyle is trying so dearly to win over.

Ivan Klasnic

2010-10-30T11:20:00.000-04:00

In a bit of disturbing off the pitch news, Croatian international Ivan Klasnic was apparently retained by the Greater Manchester Police and questioned regarding the alleged rape of a 17-year-old woman in Manchester City Centre.

Rape is a disgraceful action, and if Klasnic is guilty he should certainly spend a long period of time, if not the rest of his life, in prison. At the very least, and this is before any confirmed information has been revealed, Klasnic is guilty of stunningly bad judgement. Being alone with a 17-year-old girl at 4 AM is not a good idea in general, and really cannot lead to anything good.

Jim Brown is a former American football player, now in his 60's, who often counsels young athletes, particularly African-Americans from the inner city. One of the first things he tells them is that between midnight and 6 AM, nothing good ever happens to a public figure, and if they stay home during this period of time, they are unlikely to have any off the field problems. Footballers would be wise to follow this advice as well.

Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers

2010-10-24T19:06:00.003-04:00

The two Lancashire clubs split the points at the DW Stadium. If only they were so gregarious with the meat pies and sausage rolls...

This was probably a fair result. Wigan's goal was offside, but they did have a few other opportunities. Bolton on the other hand barely sent in any shots, when you would think the instruction going out on to the pitch would have been to shoot early and often, from all distances and angles, to test the shaky and dropped in August goalkeeper Chris Kirkland. I would say he played a good game, but he didn't, he just wasn't tested at all.

With the exception of one or two wild tries from Martin Petrov, none of the Bolton midfielders made any effort to have a shot at goal from outside the box. And we just weren't getting any space inside the box.

Hugo Rodallega looked dangerous at times for Wigan, but he didn't appear to be strong enough physically to cope with Gary Cahill and Zat Knight in defense. Stuart Holden had another great game, he is quickly becoming one of the most impressive young players in the Premier League.

Bolton still have only one loss this season, and their away form has been very solid, but they need to start turning some draws into wins if they are going to climb up the table.

Ali Al-Habsi

2010-10-23T01:33:00.001-04:00

Wigan and Bolton play each other this week, and Wigan will not be allowed to use their on-loan goalkeeper. This is a big blow for them. Al-Habsi nearly single-handedly beat Tottenham at White Hart Lane earlier this season, and his insertion into the starting XI really kicked off a surge in form for the Latics.

Now Roberto Martinez is making noises about signing our Omani international on a permanent basis. Hang on a minute there Sparky. We've got a line of succession to think about here.

As for the match today, I think Bolton will get a result. They have been very solid away from home this season, and are probably a better team overall. I think a 1-1 draw is likely, but the Wanderers could steal a win if they get a bit of luck.

Also look for a big change in what has been a very consistent starting XI for Bolton. I think Martin Petrov may be dropped in favor of Mark Davies, with Stuart Holden moving out to the wing. His goal against Manchester United notwithstanding, Petrov's form has not been good. I don't think this would be a permanent move, but away from home, against a physical team that packs the center of midfield, Davies is a good guy to have on the pitch.

Brazilians in Europe

2010-10-20T07:25:00.001-04:00

There are so many of them! Everyone from AC Milan to Shahktar Donetsk has at least one or two Brazilians, often as many as seven or eight. Some of the lesser known clubs from places like Romania have more than half of their team consisting of Brazilians. Not a lot of defenders in that group though. Or more importantly, holding midfielders. Now I am not talking about destroyers, everyone has those, I am talking about cultured ballplayers who get stuck in, as the English would say, but also pull the strings and play the passes that create the opportunities for the more attacking players.

However, when it comes to those more attacking players, that is where Brazil really shines. And the big names are nowhere near the most impressive of them.

So, what was the problem at the World Cup? I think it is pretty simple. When your greatest strength is your attacking flair, and your manager insists on playing a very defensive formation and style, you are not going to win anything. A manager's job is to put his players in a position to succeed. Dunga just didn't do that in South Africa. Would they have beat Holland or Spain with a more free-flowing return to the days of the Samba Boys? I don't know. But it surely would have been more fun to watch.

Bolton v Stoke City

2010-10-18T22:54:00.001-04:00

Many people are blaming the referee for Ivan Klasnic's eventful yet brief appearance on Saturday, particularly his flurry of yellow cards and resulting dismissal. But I really don't see that the referee did anything wrong. Klasnic (pictured, left) probably should have been sent off for grabbing a Stoke player by the throat before his first yellow. He was out of control and has only himself to blame.

But back to the football itself. This was a great game to watch, open and attacking on both sides. And Bolton were able to grab all three points at the end following Klasnic's superb finish. I suspect this may be the Croatian hitman's best role, that of a super sub in the final half hour or so. In all honesty, I would rather see Kevin Davies make way for Klasnic at about the 70 minute mark, but we are unlikely to see a Johann Elmander and Klasnic partnership anytime soon.

This was a great three points for Bolton though, we've made it through a challenging run of fixtures (Manchester United, Aston Villa, Arsenal), and it is important that we take maximum points, especially at home, against clubs that are going to be around us in the table. It's Wigan away next Saturday, then a tough run of Liverpool, Spurs, Everton. You have to figure that all three are eventually going to put a good run together, let's just hope those runs start after we have played them.

Some Event at The New Wembley

2010-10-12T22:00:00.000-04:00

At the start of England's match against Montenegro today Kevin Davies was the only forward on the bench for Fabio Capello. This was because of injuries more than anything. Gary Cahill was also on the bench, and you could argue, on current form, he has been better than either of the players in the starting XI this season. Whether he is or not, one would have to say, the inclusion of 2 Bolton players in the England team verifies Capello's claim that he would choose his squad based upon the amount of playing time each player is receiving at his club, and what he is doing with those opportunities.

Davies did get off the bench, Cahill did not, and England were held at home. I must admit, given the arrogance and sense of entitlement England supporters display, results like this are pretty enjoyable.

Stuart Holden Starts for The USA

2010-10-09T23:01:00.000-04:00

I thought Holden would be a breakout star for the US at the World Cup, but he didn't get on the pitch. In hindsight, he wasn't really fit after a rushed recovery from a broken leg. However, he has been a revelation for Bolton in the center of the midfield through the first two months of the season. Holden gets to show his versatility tonight though, as he is starting on the right wing for the US against Poland.

I just hope he doesn't get injured again on international duty. His poise on the ball and distribution in midfield is critical to the way Bolton play under Owen Coyle. And let's face it, in between World Cups the US has a 3 year lull until qualifying for the next tournament begins.

Kevin Davies for England!!!

2010-10-06T21:36:00.001-04:00

A few years ago Bolton beat Manchester United 1-0, and Kevin Davies, playing wide to the right of Nicolas Anelka, absolutely battered Patrice Evra. There were several questionable challenges and incidents of the ball between the two players, and in all honesty both deserved to be sent off. It was Davies at his best and worst.

I was feeling the need to gloat about this victory on the following Monday, so I phoned World Soccer Daily, a North American call-in show, to taunt one of the hosts, Howard, who was a Manchester United supporter. As soon as I got on the air I shouted, facetiously, "Kevin Davies for England!" Howard, irritated at his team's defeat, proceeding to rant about Davies' inadequacies for a good long while before his broadcast partner explained to him that I was joking. Unfortunately for England fans, the joke is on them.

Now, don't get me wrong, as a Bolton supporter I really like Kevin Davies, he has been a rock over the last decade, and a central part of Wanderers' recent success, but you would be hard pressed to convince me or anyone else that he is an international class striker. This call-up says a lot more about the state of the England strike force than it does about Bolton's captain.

I just hope that if Davies plays against Montenegro he doesn't get injured.

West Bromwich Albion v Bolton Wanderers

2010-10-04T22:03:00.002-04:00

The second half of this match was some of the best football you are ever going to see. Just a thrilling, end-to-end affair, the technical ability, the tackling, managers matching wits, it was all there. A great advertisement for the game, as well as for the new positive attacking mentality that has been present at many clubs who would have previously been expected to pack it in and play for a draw. In all honesty, it was far greater spectacle than the Chelsea v Arsenal snoozefest down in London.

A draw was probably a fair result, although both clubs had several opportunities to secure all three points. Martin Petrov may have got a deflected goal against Manchester United, but he appears to have left his scoring boots in a brothel somewhere outside Sophia. One player I really want to mention for West Brom is Peter Odemwingie (pictured, below). He has been a absolute revelation since he arrived, and it was a real coup for Roberto Di Matteo to sign him.

In my season preview, I wrote of West Brom;

They count on midfielders Chris Brunt and Graham Dorrans to provide the goals, as principal striker Roman Bednar just can't get it done at this level. Brunt is only 25, a Northern Irish international who has always shown a knack for scoring goals, and Di Matteo will rely heavily on him.

This statement was correct when I wrote it, before a racist banner in Moscow convinced Odemwingie to depart for greener pastures. He gives them a threat up top that creates more space for the creative midfielders (James Morrison was also outstanding Saturday) and allows them to play a rather expansive game, although they are still conceding too many goals, and I believe they will still find themselves in the relegation fight come spring. But when they are given space, as Arsenal learned, they are one of the more dangerous clubs in the league going forward.

As for Bolton, they should have won this match, and they will have to turn some of these draws into wins if they are going to climb up the table, which their play dictates they should do. As has been pointed out in many other spaces, Johann Elmander has been a revelation this season, and long may it continue. Along with Stuart Holden, he has given Bolton a real stability in attack, bringing a degree of class to the middle of the park. These two players have really blossomed under Owen Coyle,, and are a big reason why Bolton are 5th in the league in scoring.

All in all, I believe both of these clubs are happy with their position, and growing with confidence from recent results, heading into the international break.

Will the Real Wigan Athletic Please Stand Up?

2010-10-02T12:16:00.001-04:00

Many people had Wigan dead and buried after they opened the season with a 4-0 loss to Blackpool and a 6-0 shellacking by Chelsea, but I was confident in my preseason prediction that they would finish somewhere between 13th and 16th, as long as they kept their best players and dropped goalkeeper Chris Kirkland for on loan Bolton stopper Ali Al-Habsi (pictured, right).

Well, they kept their best players, Al-Habsi came in against Tottenham, where he played an absolute blinder and led them to an epic 1-0 victory, and today the Latics played a huge match at home against fellow lower table club Wolves. It is too early in the season to panic, but it is this sort of match, at home against a relegation struggler, that teams look back on and regret not getting three points from in May.

I predicted Wolverhampton would go down, probably by March, and I stand by that. The few quality players they have already have been relegated at other clubs in their careers, and they are probably better-suited to the Championship anyway. When Wolves were down 1-0 today, they brought on two attackers in the 81st minute. One was Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who has always been good at lower levels, but just can't cut it in the Premier League, and the other was Marcus Bent, who I don't believe has ever had a double digit goal scoring season at any level.

I commend Mick McCarthy for making the positive substitutions and trying to get something out of the game, but Wolves are too weak defensively to have more than a few attacking players on the field, and Hugo Rodellega promptly scored a second goal to guarantee Wigan an important victory.

Champions League Thoughts

2010-09-29T16:39:00.001-04:00

Partizan Belgrade and Arsenal played a very strange match. Three penalties, two missed, as well as some strange goals, and other questionable challenges, all added to Arsenal's usual reluctance to punish inferior teams. The big question for Arsenal, other than why didn't Wenger buy a better keeper this summer; Was Gael Clichy rested with Chelsea coming on Sunday, or has he been dropped for Kieran Gibbs (pictured, right)?

Ajax looked good, as I thought they would. They didn't have enough to turn over Real Madrid in Madrid, but AC Milan have no answer for the young legs and silky skills of the Amsterdam lads. Milan were extremely lucky to hold on for a point, it should have been 4-0. I really think Ajax kept Martin Jol and kept their World Cup stars because they think they are good enough to make a serious run in Europe this season. Can they win the Champions League? Probably not. If they go out in the group stage will they sell their five best players in January? Probably. But if I am one of the big clubs, I do not want to see Ajax in the round of sixteen.

Chelsea obviously did not need Didier Drogba in their last European match, but I thought Marseille was an entirely different proposition. They can be lackadaisical in defending though, which is why John Terry scored a fluke of a goal in the first 8 minutes.

Real Madrid are similar to Arsenal in that they always make things more difficult than they need to be. Especially since Jose Mourinho is trying to shoehorn several players into his 4-3-3 system that don't appear to fit it very well. The egomaniacs that run the club are unlikely to buy the water carriers that Mourinho needs, so I still think this will be a short stay in Madrid for the Portu-geezer. Given that, Auxerre just don't have the quality needed to compete at this level.

Good Result for Bolton!

2010-09-27T19:22:00.000-04:00

But they probably deserved the win. Nemanja Vidic and Johnny Evans struggled against Johann Elmander and Kevin Davies, and Bolton had several opportunities to secure all three points. The referee didn't allow Fergie time, the customary 47 additional minutes for Manchester United to steal an undeserved victory, because Bolton was showing more of a threat, and the added time would have been a disadvantage for Mr. Ferguson and his merry band of misfits.

Seriously, Manchester United's midfield is only occasionally impressive (because Paul Scholes is old, and can't perform in every match anymore), and they lack the depth to affect the game from the bench. Stuart Holden bossed the game from the center of the park, and Lee Chung-yong, along with Martin Petrov, finally had the effect Bolton fans have been waiting for.

All in all, a good result for Bolton, a lucky point for United, and some momentum for the Wanderers heading into and important run of (winnable) fixtures. There are worries (no home wins, a tendency to concede soft goals), but Bolton have seven points from six difficult games thus far, and their play is continuously improving and evolving as the squad becomes more comfortable with Owen Coyle's system. Things are looking up.

Formation against Manchester United

2010-09-23T17:01:00.037-04:00

Strange as it sounds, this may be a good time to play United for Bolton. Just before a big Champions League match-up, teams can be distracted from the job at hand. And United have a big one at Valencia on Wednesday night. Alex Ferguson may decide to rest some players against Bolton, which has proved disastrous in the not so distant past. But there is another reason I think Bolton could get a result here.

Wanderers strength, the midfield, especially central midfield, is Manchester United's weakness. Either Scholes or Fletcher will be rested on Sunday, but Ferguson doesn't even have the personnel to rest both. And the replacement will be Michael Carrick, who is useless. Bolton can exploit this weakness, but I believe that to do so Owen Coyle will need to abandon his beloved 4-4-2.

Coyle will also need to switch around some players in the team, which he does usually seem willing to do, even after a good performance against Aston Villa (The performance against Burnley was not as good, but given the 8 changes that were made, it's not really relevant to the form of the first team). I think he will have to go with a different formation to create the best match-ups against Manchester United. Basically, a 4-1-2-3.

How would this work? Fabrice Muamba sits in front of the back four, and he has one job, pressure Paul Scholes (or Carrick, if he plays instead). Do not allow the playmaker space to play those little through balls Scholes in particular is so good at.

Just in front of Muamba we need two midfielders who will cover ground and pressure United, but also provide a threat going forward. That should be Stuart Holden and Mark Davies.

The front three will have to work hard. They will all have to run miles, provide pressure on United's defense, and show composure on the counter-attack opportunities Bolton get. Kevin Davies will spearhead this attack, but I think interchanging movement with all three players is the best way to create chances, so Davies won't be in the center the entire match. On one side, Martin Petrov, who is an intelligent footballer, and capable of pushing inside when needed. On the other side, Rodrigo Moreno. Pace, pace, and more pace from the young Spanish lad. He may only last 45 minutes, but he can wear down the likes of O'Shea or Neville and maybe, just maybe, create the crucial chance for the Wanderers.

Kickoff!

2010-09-21T15:02:00.000-04:00

My prediction for the starting XI was spot on, and after a scant 9 minutes, young Rodrigo Moreno has already had a shot on goal. If the early action is any indication, this is going to be an open match...

Carling Cup - Burnley v. Bolton Wanderers

2010-09-20T18:56:00.003-04:00

The home supporters will have nothing better to do than shout obscenities at Owen Coyle, but I don't think that will really have any bearing on the match itself. I think Brian Laws will play his entire first team, as his aforementioned supporters will be baying for blood. Owen Coyle, on the other hand, will send out what is essentially a B team for this one. The thing is, I like our B team.

Adam Bogdan will continue in goal, and the lad has shown definite potential, it will be no surprise if he is our number one keeper in a few years.

Due to injuries and suspensions, the back-line will be very similar to what we will see against Manchester United in the league on Sunday. Gretar Steinsson at right-back, as usual, a partnership of Zat Knight and Sam Ricketts in the middle, and the one change, Marcus Alonso at left back. All eyes will be on Alonso, as many in the Bolton universe would like to see him replace Paul Robinson in the first team, and the sooner the better.

The midfield is where we will see some big changes. We know that Mark Davies and Matt Taylor will start, and it is very likely Tamir Cohen will be in the first eleven as well. And given the players available to Coyle, I think he will play a 4-2-3-1.

The attackers would then be Robbie Blake, Ivan Klasnic, and Rodrigo Moreno (pictured, above). Blake spent a long career at Turf Moor, and I think his reception will be a lot friendlier than Coyle's. Klasnic is still working his way towards match fitness, but he is such a natural finisher that he could fall out of bed and score goals. But in attack, much like Alonso in defense, all eyes will be on the young Spaniard.

I think this team is solid at the back, and I don't think Burnley have enough to break them down. Conversely, I like the chances of Klasnic getting a goal, and Taylor or Blake creating something off a free kick. My prediction is 2-0 to Bolton.

Manchester United v Liverpool, Who Cares?

2010-09-20T11:05:00.000-04:00

At the risk of enraging a large portion of northwestern England, this match is just not that big a deal anymore. Liverpool is just not a threat in the league. It is no different from when Manchester United play Everton, or Aston Villa, or even Sunderland. It is a club with large fan base, a few really good players, and a good deal of money to spend on transfers, but realistically, a club that will finish between fifth and tenth. Maybe they can beat one of the big clubs on their best day, but over the length of the season they just don't have the talent or depth to compete at the highest level in England.

Wanderers Draw

2010-09-19T14:04:00.000-04:00

Bolton fans have a long history of blaming Mike Dean for everything from Kevin Davies' lack of goals to global warming and fluoride in their drinking water.

In the first half of today's match, they may have had a point. Both Lee Chong-yung and Johann Elmander were brought down in the box. Neither is a player known for going down easily. The first penalty claim, involving Lee and Stephen Warnock, was debatable. It looked quite obvious that Warnock brought the Korean winger down, but Lee's touch had been heavy. You could argue that he had lost possession and was not going to get to the ball either way. I am not saying I agree with this argument, but it can reasonably be made.

The second one seemed a blatant penalty though. Elmander, after a marauding 70-yard run, got goal side of Richard Dunne. Dunne dived in and took Elmander out with a swift kick to the shin. No penalty. Now, Aston Villa supporters will argue they were also victim to some Dean gaffes. Zat Knight, already on a yellow, was involved a in wrestling match with Gabriel Agbonlahor, who had a clear path to goal if he beat the big man. Both went down, and Dean gave Bolton a free kick. But the Wanderers could have easily been down to 10 men for the third consecutive match. All things considered, 1-1 was probably a fair half-time score.

The second half, in all honest impartiality, was dominated by Bolton. They had more of the ball, they created more chances, and they just looked a bigger threat in general. Stuart Holden in particular shaved the post a few times and really deserved a goal today. Wanderers are still looking for consistency though. A very good sixty minutes against Arsenal was followed by a bad thirty minutes. A horrible ten minutes against Birmingham was followed by a good eighty minutes. Owen Coyle needs to figure out how to get ninety minutes out of this squad. Otherwise, we are never going to start turning some of these draws into wins.

Bolton have still lost only once all season, and when your only blemish is at the Emirates to an in-form Arsenal, there is no shame. And to be fair, before the match I think most of us would have taken a point away against Aston Villa, so in that way it was a good result. However, on the blance of play, you would have to say Bolton dropped two points today.

Aston Villa v Bolton Wanderers

2010-09-16T20:16:00.001-04:00

Apparently, some day soon, Aston Villa will have a new manager. He is a good manager, and the club's performances will probably improve under him. If the past is any indication, all that will do is create unrealistic expectations for the managers that come after him. Bolton have also been down this road. Only now, under Owen Coyle, is the club finally starting to emerge from the shadow of Sam Allardyce.

This weekend's match could give us a preview of this new era, as club captain and aerial warrior Kevin Davies looks very unlikely to feature. Now, you never want a player to get injured, but Wanderers are not going to be able to have a full break from the Allardyce team until Davies rides off into the sunset. The truth is, it is hard to argue that he still deserves an automatic place in the starting XI. Unfortunately, he is only one of several Bolton absentees this week. The Bolton team will look something like this;

Adam Bogdan (in goal until Jussi Jaaskelainen finishes serving a three match ban)

Gretar Steinsson, Zat Knight, Andy O'Brien, Paul Robinson

Lee Chung-yong, Stuart Holden, Fabrice Muamba, Mark Davies, Martin Petrov

Johann Elmander

Coming into the season, it was apparent that Bolton's strength was on the wings, but both Lee and Petrov has struggled to make an impression early. Maybe this will finally be the week they break out.

It will not be easy. Bolton have had no success at Villa Park the past few seasons. And Villa have a lot of attacking talent for Wanderer's makeshift defense to cope with. Especially keep an eye on Stephen Ireland. who has shown some clues that he is returning to prior form.

I am hoping for a draw here, but I am not confident.

Champions League Upsets

2010-09-15T00:16:00.004-04:00

I could also call this entry "How the Mighty have Fallen."

AC Milan and Read Madrid are both at home against clubs one would normally expect them to beat. But not this season. AC Milan have been in decline for quite some time. Italian football observers, myself included had been saying Milan were too old for a couple season's when they won the Champions League in 2007. That triumph was a combination of smoke, mirrors, luck, guile, and the brilliance of Kaka.

Several of the players from that squad are still around, but they are well past their sell-by date. The Italians have tried to prop themselves up by bringing in some younger players (young being relative), but none of them have really worked out, and financial considerations forced them to sell Kaka. In a desperate attempt to appease their supporters (especially the ultras, who will throw their flaming Vespa at you if displeased), Milan have brought in some big name attackers, although none of them live up to their reputations very often.

Milan barely qualified for this competition last season in Serie A, and I think they are in danger of missing out once again this time around. Their priority early in the season will be to advance past the group stages of the Champions League, and that will not be an easy feat in this group.

Tomorrow they host AJ Auxerre, a very defensive minded French side, and the match will not exactly be a spectacle. Basically the two sides will kick the ball around the midfield and dare their opponents to shoot. It has 0-0 written all over it, but that is probably a minor victory for Auxerre. And the French side does have some pace on the break, pace which Milan lack in defense, so a nicked goal and embarrassing 0-1 home defeat could very well be on the cards for AC Milan.

That brings us to Real Madrid, under new management by the Special One, Jose Mourinho. They have kept two clean sheets to start the season, but only scored one goal, and the faithful supporters are already whistling the players off the pitch at home after their unattractive displays. I have thought all along that Mourinho's pragmatic football was a bad fit for Real, and I doubt he will last more than one season.

Murinho's philosophy involves an organized defensive set-up, with a couple gifted attackers providing the needed goal or goals, usually a midfield playmaker (Deco, Frank Lampard, Wesley Snejder) and prolific striker (Benni McCarthy, Didier Drogba, Diego Milito). The first problem right now is that one of those positions will be filled by Cristiano Ronaldo, and he is currently injured.

The second problem, Ajax have a really good team. Now, it is no secret that the Dutch clubs are selling clubs. They are very good at finding and developing young talent, but as soon as that talent reveals itself on the international stage, a big club from a big league comes in and buys the players before a squad capable of challenging for the Champions League can be constructed. But Ajax have bucked that trend this summer. They held on to manager Martin Jol, despite a determined pursuit by Fulham, and they didn't cash in on their World Cup stars, which most thought they would. They are poised to make a run deep into the knockout stages, if only they can get out of this group. I think Real Madrid might be their first victim.

Champion's League a Distraction???

2010-09-12T15:42:00.003-04:00

This coming Tuesday and Wednesday mark the triumphant return of the group stages of the UEFA Champion's League, always a glorious and wonderful thing. At least until clubs like AC Milan and Liverpool decide that boring 0-0 draws are the best way to advance. Wait, you mean they weren't doing that on purpose? Ohhhhhhhhh.

Anyway, for some clubs, it seems that the World's biggest club competition may have led to subpar performances this weekend. Barcelona lost to, and to be fair, were soundly beaten by, newly promoted Hercules. AC Milan also lost to a new member of Serie A. AS Roma drew on Saturday, and I think we all know (and took immense pleasure from) what happened to Manchester United.

Most of the clubs in European competition, at least this European competition, are pretty much guaranteed to be dwelling in the upper echelons of their domestic league table, so they often put an almost irrational emphasis on the Champion's League. Given the prestige involved, as well as the financial benefits, it is hard to blame them.

There are some clubs making their first appearances in the competition this week, and I want to look at them for a moment. First, Tottenham Hotspur, who can be forgiven for having one eye on Werder Bremen. Truth be told, it could have been worse than a draw against West Brom. A club like manchester United or Barcelona is very unlikely to drop out of the top three, but Spurs will have a fight on their hands to make a return appearance in next year's Champion's League, so that one point they did manage to pick up away from home is a decent result. Considering Manchester City and Everton also drew, Tottenham will be satisfied I think. They will be without Jermain Defoe and Michael Dawson through most of the group stages, but Luka Modric's early substitution on Saturday looks only to have been cautionary. Now they just have to do a better job in their first match against Werder Bremen than they did against the Swiss team they played in the qualifiers.

This brings us to Braga, runners-up in last season's Portuguese league. The schedule-makers in Portugal did them no favors, as they had to play powerhouse Porto yesterday. Porto won 3-2, and it was a statement game for them, as the 2004 winners have missed the big competition this time around. And to continue the bad luck for Braga, they receive a real baptism by fire in their first ever Champion's League match, as they are away at Arsenal. If nothing else, Braga look versatile, as they were able to grind out a 1-0 win at home against heavy favorites Seville, then were able to outscore them 4-3 in a wild match in Spain.

I am looking forward to the Arsenal-Braga match, as well as Manchester United's clash with Glasgow Rangers. Werder Bremen has lost a lot of talent the last few seasons, and they are nowhere near the threat they used to be, but I think they will give inexperienced Tottenham problems. Olympique Lyon and Schalke 04 is a star-studded affair, although some of the big names no longer deliver on the pitch. Bayern Munich are missing Arjen Robben, but I suspect they will be happy to draw with Roma in what is a very weak group.

I will be back later with some comments on what I think are a few possible upsets on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Calm down calm down!!!

2010-09-12T00:29:00.002-04:00

Honestly, Bolton was not going to beat Arsenal today. It was a solid performance for the first 60 minutes or so, and yes, the sending off of Gary Cahill was unjustified, and yes, it changed the whole match. But really, Arsenal were eventually going to finish one of their 653 chances.

So put the noose away Bolton supporters, Stuart Atwell did not cost us this match. The boys from north London are just a better team than us. No surprise really. I suppose you could say that a free kick on the edge of the box rather than a Cahill red card would have led to us tying things up at two and then charging on to victory, but I think you would be wrong.

I think we can look at the match as a whole and take a lot of positives away from it. Adam Bogdan looked pretty good in his first Premier League start. He is certainly not ready to be a full-time keeper, but we should be fine while our regular keeper serves his suspension.

Stuart Holden and Fabrice Muamba were once again solid in central midfield. This is a partnership that is only going to improve moving forward.

As for the rest of the squad, they need to play better. We travel to Birmingham next weekend to face Aston Villa and possibly new manager Gerard Houllier. So far we have two points from two home games and three points from two away games, as well as a cup win on the south coast. It's a good start to the season. A result at Villa Park next week will make it even better.

Everton v Manchester United

2010-09-11T01:48:00.000-04:00

This match is interesting on many levels. The English media is focusing on the Wayne Rooney circus, but I don't really care about that. You see, Manchester United play Glasgow Rangers in the Champion's League next week, and I am sure Alex Ferguson would love to rest some players ahead of that match. But Everton won this match last season, and they always play their best against big clubs. It's not hard to imagine a scenario where Everton finally get their season started with a win and Manchester United get beat by overlooking an opponent.

United have some injury issues in the center of midfield, and that is exactly the area where they would like to rest people. You would expect that the midfield against Rangers will be Park Ji-sung, Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, and Nani. Park travelled halfway around the world to play for South Korea, so he will not start against Everton. Antonio Valencia could start on one wing, but he and Nani will probably both play a half so it doesn't really matter. The wings are not a big issue. The problem, as I stated earlier, is in the middle. I think Ferguson would prefer to rest Scholes and Fletcher this weekend, but he has no other options in the middle of the park.

I think this is going to be a close, hard-fought game with a fair amount of chances created, but no finishing. I suspect that around the 75th minute or so it will still be tied and Ferguson will be forced to use his big guns in an attempt to secure three points. And really, United have had so many deflected goals, own goals, dodgy penalties, and fortunate bounces that you expect that to win it late because Tim Howard trips on a banana peel in the 93rd minute, or some other ridiculous anomaly.

My prediction, 2-1 to Manchester United, but nowhere near deserved.

Arsenal v Bolton

2010-09-09T21:48:00.002-04:00

If anyone is interested in joining me, I will be watching this match live at the Baker Street Pub, at the corner of 63rd St. and 1st Ave., on the scenic island of Manhattan. And just to warn you, I will be accompanied by an Arsenal supporter.

As for the match, I must admit I am not especially confident of Bolton getting a result. I think Bolton will defend fairly well, and I think we will create a fair amount of chances on the break. Arsenal will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 70% possession, and they will look lovely in their movement and control about 40 yards from Adam Bogdan. It will be a joy to watch. Of course, the problem arises when the gunners fail to turn that possession into goals. Two of the players who specialize in turning the pretty passing into points, Robin van Persie and Theo Walcott, are out with injuries. That may not be enough to get Bolton any points, but it could help make things nervy for Arsenal fans.

Bolton under Owen Coyle will spend a lot more time passing the ball around on the pitch than in past seasons, but that may not be an advantage against Arsenal. However, there will be some space available, as Arsenal's defense is not exactly airtight. This may be just the game to get Bolton's wingers, Martin Petrov and Lee Chung-yong (pictured), into a good run of form. Both have started slowly this season, largely because they have been a focal point of opposing defenses.

There is one other thing that may benefit the Wanderers. Arsenal start their Champion's League campaign next week. That, coupled with the fact that most of Arsenal's players are returning from points across the globe, may encourage Arsene Wenger to rest some of his stars. I will say this, if Cesc Fabregas is sitting in the director's box wearing a suit I will be ecstatic. He has won several matches almost single-handedly against Bolton in the past few seasons. I am not holding my breath though.

My final verdict, Arsenal will leave it late, but get it done. Two goals in the final 10 minutes give the Gunners a 2-1 victory, despite a fine performance by the Wanderers, led by a rejuvenated Martin Petrov scoring his first goal for the club.

Playing for England...

2010-09-07T22:14:00.001-04:00

I understand why a player such as Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor, or even Kevin Nolan wants to play for England. In addition to the measure of pride in representing your country, it is a very public recognition for reaching a certain level of performance.

I understand all that, but international football is a harsh mistress. And once she casts her spell on you, it is nearly impossible to leave her. For every Paul Scholes, who manages to retire with dignity and career intact, there is a Michael Owen, an Owen Hargreaves, or a David Beckham, a player who ravages his body and derails his career in continued search of those elusive England caps.

This brings me to Gary Cahill (pictured). I understand his desire to play for England, and I am very curious to see how it will affect his career. Michael Ricketts career is in ruins because of his reckless pursuit of international recognition. Shawn Wright-Phillips spent several years warming the bench at Chelsea because he thought it would help his England career. The same is true of Wayne Bridge and Steve Sidwell. Michael Dawson is going to be out for months because of an injury he got playing for England. Theo Walcott, still a very young player in need of match experience, will probably miss a month after getting hurt today.

To be honest, I hope Gary Cahill keeps getting called up to the England squad (For all the criticism he receives, Fabio Capello has shown that he doesn't care if a player is at a big club or not), and keeps getting left on the sub's bench. He can't get injured from there, and as long as he is in the squad, he can't say he wants to leave Bolton to improve his England chances.

International Break

2010-09-06T17:52:00.004-04:00

I know some people will complain about the break this week, but I don't agree with them. There are international tournaments, and qualifying matches have to be played for them. Those matches need to be scheduled at times when it is possible, weather-wise, to play all around the world. Sometimes you have to accept the reality of the situation.

That said, I like the new game days for the internationals. Having the matches on Fridays and Tuesdays gives the players enough time to return to their clubs and prepare for the next weekend's matches. This is especially important for countries in places such as Asia and South America, as well as big clubs in Europe. These competing interests are never going to see eye-to-eye, but anything FIFA can do to make the relationship less antagonistic is a positive development.

In the past there were very few clubs and countries who cared about international break issues. A club like Real Madrid or Manchester United had players from around the club, and a country like Brazil or Argentina had to worry about their players making a long journey in time for international qualifiers. These days, every club and country have to worry about these logistical nightmares.

Keisuke Honda is Japan's best player, and possibly CSKA Moscow's best player as well. Everyone knows that Park Ji-sung plays for Manchester United, but his South korean teammate Lee Chung-yong is also in Lancashire, playing for Bolton Wanderers. Australians are scattered all over Europe, and South America now has footballers across the globe, and clubs from the US and Europe as well as Asia field these players.

It truly is the global game, and I for one enjoy it in all of its iterations. So if you are whining about there being no club matches this week, go right ahead, I am busy watching Belarus beat France.

Gary Cahill v Martin Petrov

2010-09-04T10:58:00.006-04:00

Some may claim that Bulgaria visited the new Wembley Stadium in London last night to play a UEFA 2012 European Championship qualifier, but all I was paying attention to were the Bolton Wanderers players that featured in the squads on either side.

Martin Petrov started on the left wing for Bulgaria, just as he does for Bolton, and he saw precious little of the ball, just as he does for Bolton. Now, some players always seem to be in open positions, but as you look closer you realize they have put themselves in an area where it is almost impossible to give them the ball. Petrov is not doing that, he is getting himself into threatening and available spots with great frequency for club and country.

So why isn't he seeing more of the ball? The answer is a bit strange. He is too clever. At least, he is too clever for his current teammates, many of whom are talented enough to find him in these positions, but rather young and inexperienced. There are also some veteran players who should be able to find him, but just don't have the technical ability to do so.

I think this will sort itself out. As youngsters such as Lee Chung-yong, Fabrice Muamba, and especially Stuart Holden become more accustomed to playing with Petrov they will learn how to find him in space. When that happens, Bolton will start to look a threat going forward, at least much more than they do now.

As for Gary Cahill, I should also include him in the group of youngsters who must learn how to play with quality, because one of Cahill's virtues is that he is a ball-playing centre-half, and he often plays a part in the distribution on the attack. But his greatest strength is defending, and he did that very well in his England debut last night. As people in England start to realize how far past it their big name central defenders are, Cahill will have an opportunity to become a fixture in the England squad.

Arsenal

2010-09-01T18:39:00.005-04:00

Arsene Wenger only named a 20-man-squad for the first half of the season, primarily because so many of his players are under 21 and do not need to be registered. But it doesn't matter how many players he named in the squad, because none of them is a top class goalkeeper. And without a top class goalkeeper, Arsenal are not going to win the Premier League.

This club certainly has the talent on the field to compete for the league title. But Manuel Almunia is a disaster waiting to happen. I don't know why Arsene Wenger doesn't see it. It must be extremely frustrating for the fans. Hell, it frustrates me, and I am not even an Arsenal fan.

Apparently Wenger finally upped the offer for Mark Schwarzer to £4 million, which Fulham found acceptable, but it was too late for them to find a replacement and get that deal done. This deal could have been done three months ago! Why wait until the last minute and take the chance that it won't go through?

I was almost going to pick the Gunners to win the league this season, especially if they managed to bring in someone like Schwarzer, or even better, Shay Given, but I have zero faith in Almunia, so it looks like another third place finish for the boys from North London.

Bolton Wanderers v Birmingham City

2010-08-31T22:36:00.002-04:00

There is good and bad to be taken from this match, the last before the international break. Bolton went down 2-0 and had their keeper sent off in the 37th minute, so to fight back for a 2-2 draw is an excellent example of this team's doggedness.

On the other hand, Bolton have two points from two home matches so far this season. It is also a draw, and overall a poor performance, against a club who will be right around us in the table and improved themselves on transfer deadline day.

But still, five points from three matches going into the break is not too bad. Now, several days of frantically reading Korean news reports, terrified that one of our best players will get injured while playing for his country.

Carling Cup - Southampton vs Bolton

2010-08-25T21:26:00.003-04:00

Bolton are through to the third round of the league cup after beating League One side Southampton 1-0. Ivan Klasnic (pictured) scored the goal for Bolton, who were not really recognizable from the team that beat West Ham on Saturday. Owen Coyle made nine changes, keeping only captain Kevin Davies and Zat Knight in the starting XI.

There were two notable debuts for the Wanderers. 21-year-old Hungarian goalkeeper Adam Bogdan has been with the club for several years made his first senior appearance in place of Jussi Jaaskelainen, who received a well-deserved rest after his heroics at Upton Park. But the player everyone who supports Bolton wanted to see was Marcos Alonso, the 18-year-old product of real Madrid's academy who made his Wanderers debut at left back.

The consensus seems to be that Alonso is an attack-minded fullback, and that it will take some time for him to acclimatize to his new country, as well as adapt to the Premier League style of play. Many thought he lacked positional sense against the Saints, but that may be more due to youthful exuberance than anything else. Bolton's current left back, Paul Robinson, is a hard worker, but very limited technically as well as athletically, and quite honestly, he is a red card waiting to happen who is lucky when a match passes without him conceding a penalty. My best estimate is that Alonso will win the starting job by Christmas. His presence and attacking flare will give Wanderers a whole new dimension on the left wing, and make it much more difficult for clubs to focus on Martin Petrov, as they have the last two weeks.