I'm Back.

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.