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

...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.

Someone needs to play there...

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.

Carling Cup - Bolton v Macclesfield

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.

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

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;

Central Midfield

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.

Chelsea - 1 Bolton - 0

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.

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

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 Bolton Midfield

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.

Formation against Manchester United

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.

Calm down calm down!!!

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.

West Ham United 1 Bolton Wanderers 3

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.

Established in the Top Flight (Fulham and Bolton Wanderers)

These two clubs play each other in the opener on Saturday, so this will be a season/match preview. These two clubs and Blackburn were promoted to the Premier League in 2001. They are the only group from the last 20 years to see all three members stay up. And ten years later, none have been relegated, and all have qualified for Europe on multiple occasions. They have also all gone through several management shifts and some big-time relegation scares. But they are still here.

Mark Hughes has just taken over at Craven Cottage, and most think he is the right man for the job. I agree. He is a good manager, and not only will he stabilize a club that was in danger of regressing after Roy Hodgson left, he will also push them forward, possibly even into the top half of the table. He does have some issues to deal though.

At the moment, the defense, a real strength for them last season, seems to be falling apart. Two particular pieces of rather bad news have come out int he past few days. Phillippe Senderos, whom the cottagers were hoping would be an upgrade over Aaron Hughes and an excellent partner for stalwart Brede Hangeland, has snapped his achilles on international duty for Switzerland, and he will be sidelined for at least six months. This hurts, but not as much as the latest statement from goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer. The big Australian was very good last season, and without him they could have slipped further down the table. He has been linked to Arsenal for most of the summer, and now he has come out and said he wants to go. Trouble is, Fulham have absolutely nothing behind him. This is a squad with a solid and deep attacking midfield, a good variety of forwards, and some hard tacklers in the middle of the park. They have to sort the situation in goal out quickly though.

As for Bolton, Owen Coyle has stabilized the club just in time for their tenth season in the top flight. Whereas Fulham will be looking to push back into the top ten this season, I think the Wamderers will be trying to consolidate their position, a move further up the table will be the goal next season.

Bolton's strength is in the midfield. Lee Chung-yong and Martin Petrov are both pacey and skillful, and they will be counted on to keep Fulham on the back foot. There is an abundance of power and technique in the middle, with young destroyer Fabrice Muamba winning ball after ball with his, uh, uncompromising style. As soon as he wins it, he passes it off to silky smooth Stuart Holden, who will use his pace and passing ability to bring it forward and allow the wingers to get ahead of play and put in quality crosses for big Kevin Davies to win in the air.

Fulham have their own hard man in the midfield, Dickson Etuhu, partnered by skillful (but aging) Danny Murphy. The match up in the middle, Etuhu and Murphy versus Muamba and Holden, could determine who takes the points on Saturday. I think it will be a fast paced, end to end affair, with a lot of chances created on both sides. Whoever displays better finishing will take the three points. I think Bolton may win the battle on Saturday, but Fulham will win the war, by finishing one spot ahead of Wanderers in the league table come May.

Toronto FC v. Bolton Wanderers New Look 4-2-3-1

It figures, doesn't it? My beloved Bolton Wanderers finally come to the US on a preseason tour, and they do not play anywhere near New York. Instead, they are playing Toronto FC as I write this. It is 1-1 at halftime.

I have been thinking the past week about what formation Bolton will play this season. Owen Coyle seemed to play 4-4-2 at home and 4-5-1 on the road last season. But I think he has learned some things from last years Champion's League and the World Cup. 4-2-3-1 has become the most effective formation in football.

Interestingly, that seems to be the formation Bolton are playing against Toronto tonight. Fabrice Muamba and Joey O'Brien were the holding midfielders, with Martin Petrov, Mark Davies, and Matt Taylor the attacking 3. Taylor was really getting forward, oftentimes actually ending up ahead of Kevin Davies, who was the lone striker. I think Matt Taylor is poised for a bounce back season, as he was in poor form for most of last year.

As for the general formation, I really like it, and I think Wanderers have the personnel to play it. Muamba will definitely be one of the holding midfielders, a real destroyer who I think is going to get attention from England manager Fabio Capello as this season continues.

The second deep lying player needs to be a passer, someone who can get the balls Muamba wins and put the attackers into good positions. Sean Davis is probably the favorite for this role, but I can see Ricardo Gardner spending some time there, or maybe even Stuart Holden. Although as I write this Gardner is looking very lively on the left wing. Anyway, I think Tamir Cohen and Joey O'Brien are too similar to Muamba to play with him.

If it were my decision, it would be Stuart Holden. He is just so impressive every time I see him play. He is an excellent passer, has a good shot on him, and just doesn't give the ball away. He is decent sized, strong on the ball or challenging for it, and not afraid to put in a tackle. Just great composure, and he puts in very accurate free kicks. He also runs miles, and that is especially important, because for all his gifts, Muamba is not a very cultured passer. His midfield partner will need to get close to him in order to control the ball and initiate the attack.

Bolton sign Bulgarian winger to stabilize young midfield

I just had to use this break in World Cup action to give an update on my mighty mighty Bolton Wanderers. Owen Coyle has managed to sign a top class left winger who was never able to establish himself at Manchester City due to three managerial changes, fitness issues, and a revolving door of player acquisitions.

Fact is, Martin Petrov is class. He showed it for Bulgaria, he showed it in Germany, and he showed it at Atletico Madrid. He even showed it in spurts at Man City, where he had to fight his way into the team past a flotilla of big name, big money signings. For me, this is the Coyle equivalent of when Sam Allardyce signed Jay-Jay Okocha for Bolton back in 2002.

Petrov runs at defenders with pace, puts in a good cross, and scores goals. He can play on either wing, and given the youth and versatility Wanderers have in the midfield, he will be allowed a good deal of freedom to attack.

I have to say, I really like the way the midfield is shaping up. We still have several veterans such as Matt Taylor, Ricardo Gardner, Tamir Cohen, and Sean Davis (who is really like a new signing). But it is the kids we are excited about. Some of the luster has faded from Joey O'Brien (24 years old) and Chris Basham (21), but if they ever return to fitness, I still think they can be useful players, if nothing else for their versatility.

After he put on a show for a surprising South Korean team at the World Cup, all eyes will be on Lee Chung-yong (22). He will receive a much needed rest over the next few weeks, and take his place as one of the first names on the team sheet once the season starts. But he is just the tip of the iceberg in a loaded stable of midfield youngsters.

Fabrice Muamba has established himself as a destroyer in the center of the park. His passing improved dramatically following Coyle's arrival, and as the 22 year old continues to improve, an England call-up is looming in the not-too-distant future.

Mark Davies is also 22, and so thoroughly dominated Arsenal last January that William Gallas decided the only way to stop him was to brutally fracture his leg. Davies will be back at full strength this season, and gives Bolton a tireless box-to-box central midfielder willing to defend and attack with equal aplomb.

Stuart Holden (24) is perhaps the most intriguing of all. He can play on either wing or in an attacking central role, and may be able to provide the creative spark Wanderers have been lacking in the middle of the park. He looked outstanding in the US warm-up matches before the World Cup, and many soccer fans stateside are perplexed as to why he did not feature more in the US campaign once the tournament started. I am fine with it, because he will be fit, well-rested, and ready to contribute once the season starts.

Bolton Wanderers 4 Wigan Athletic 0

Brilliant result for the Wanderers! And the play was outstanding as well. Wigan had a few bright moments, Hugo Rodellega was a constant threat, but overall Bolton really dominated the match. And the onslaught of goals can only help the player's confidence, especially considering who scored them.

Johann Elmander scored the first. I don't know that any player has ever needed a goal more than he did. Hopefully he will build on this moving forward. In fact, I predict he will do so emphatically. My bold proclamation is that he will score 5 goals in the next 8 matches, and finish with 10 in all competitions for the season.

Fabrice Muamba has been a rock defensively for most of the season. He defended well under gary Megson, but offered nothing going forward in Megson's ultra-conservative system. Even when he has gotten forward more under Coyle fans behind the goal have been well advised to wear helmets. But recently his composure on the ball has improved, and his supreme athleticism and pace allows him to get into excellent positions. If he starts offering something going forward, the 21-year-old immediately becomes one of the top holding midfielders in the Premier League.

But the immediate news for the Wanderers and their supporters is that the club has put some considerable distance between itself and the relegation zone. And, given results elsewhere, Bolton can start to look at catching clubs above them, rather than nervously glancing back at the clubs behind them.

A Little More on Fabrice Muamba

I think a few things have contributed to the marked improvement in Muamba's play recently.

1. Natural maturity. Lest we forget, the boy is still only 21, and needs to continue to mature. Part of that is knowing what your strengths are. Muamba no longer attempts 40 yard cross-field balls because he has realized that he doesn't have that ability.

2. Tactics. Since Owen Coyle has come in he seems to have instructed Muamba to play shorter passes and not look for the long ball. His philosophy is to keep possession, rather than lumping it up the pitch as quickly as possible.

3. Positioning. It seems that Coyle has instructed other players, especially in the midfield, to get closer to Muamba when he wins the ball, so he can play shorter and more accurate passes. Tamir Cohen has struggled with this a bit, but Ricardo Gardner did it brilliantly today.

It really comes down to Coyle putting players, particularly Muamba, in a position where they can succeed, which is all a good manager does.

Wanderers Earn Replay

Bolton dominated the first half, but squandered several chances and were only up 1-0 at the half. Spurs really came into the match in the second half, although Bolton still created some chances. Sam Ricketts, again playing centre-half, gave away a stupid penalty, raising his arms over his head and blocking a pass in the box. Luckily, Huddlestone took the penalty quite poorly for Spurs and Jussi Jaaskelainen was able to save it. Overall, a draw was probably a fair result, and they will do it all over again at White Heart Lane.

As for individual players, a few stood out. Zat Knight played very well before going with some sort of injury, which has to be a huge concern for Owen Coyle.

Johann Elmander was outstanding in every aspect of the game except finishing, which is still a problem. He held the ball up well, ran at the defence when he could, and created chances for himself and others. In fact, his quick one-two with Lee Chung-Yong and excellent cutback set up Kevin Davies for Bolton's goal. This just showed that when he is able to play off another striker in a true 4-4-2 setup, he is a very dangerous player.

Fabrice Muamba was great in midfield, winning ball after ball and harassing Tottenham's creative players into mistake after mistake. His finishing was also poor, but he is still young, and if he can improve himself technically over the next year or two, he will really turn into a top class player. We have already seen him improve his passing this season through maturity. He doesn't panic as much, plays the simple pass, and gives the ball away far less than he did a year ago.

Paul Robinson was poor again. Nothing more to add really.