Great match! West Ham dominated the first half, but Jussi Jaaskelainen was epic in goal, making several outstanding saves and stopping a penalty.
Bolton really came into the game in the second half, spurred on when Kevin Davies scored a somewhat dubious goal. But the story today was Johann Elmander. He has had a rough two years in Lancashire; However, there was really a feeling this summer that he was finally ready to establish himself as a Premier League striker. He has had two outstanding matches, and scored a brace today at Upton Park.
Stuart Holden was also very good in midfield today. As capable as he is of playing in the center of the park, he has spent most of his career as a winger and still has some things to learn. I think the Holden-Muamba partnership is going to be outstanding, but it is still a work-in-progress.
The defense was a little shaky today, and Jussi needed to be great. It was obvious the Hammer's attacking philosophy was to go after Paul Robinson, and that is the right plan when playing Bolton. He is probably the worst left-back in the league. Hopefully he will not be in the team much longer. I think Sam Ricketts should replace him in the short-term, and Marcus Alonso in the long-term. We will soon find out if Owen Coyle agrees with me. Either way, it was a good three points away from home today, and four from the first six on offer. Bolton have a league cup match Tuesday against Southampton, and I hope it will be a chance to give some of the squad players a game.
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