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.

Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City

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!!!!!!

Owen Coyle Wants Goals!

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?

Distracted

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.

Newcastle United v Bolton Wanderers

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.

The Right Wing

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...

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.

Starting XI v Wolves

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.

Tom Huddlestone

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.

Bolton v Stoke City

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.

West Bromwich Albion v Bolton Wanderers

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.

Good Result for Bolton!

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.

Wanderers Draw

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.

4-2-3-1 (Continued)

In my last post I discussed the possibility of Bolton playing a new formation this season, and gave my opinion on who would make up our best deep-lying midfield two. Today I am going to address the lone striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

The 1 is a straight choice between Kevin Davies and Johann Elmander, and I think most Wanderers supporters would say there is no doubt who should be chosen. An interesting option coming off the bench late in matches could be Riga, whose pace and movement would give tired defenders a lot to worry about.

There are 2 distinct ways to manage the attacking 4 in this formation, and both involve a lot of movement to create space. Under Joechim Loew, Germany used a 4-2-3-1 with a traditional centre-forward in Miroslav Klose. In this system, there is a lot of movement and interchange between the three attacking midfielders, as well as overlapping runs by the full-backs, but the striker remains relatively stationary in the middle of the park, hopefully near the opponents 12-yard box. This is the first way to manage this formation, and probably the most appropriate for use with Kevin Davies. And Owen Coyle's signing of attacking left-back Marcus Alonso from Real Madrid seems to point towards this tactical attack.

The second tactical option is to use the lone striker as more of a playmaker, scoring goals himself, but also bringing the midfield into play and allowing them to contribute to the goal tally. It almost removes the centre-forward designation and makes the 4 attacking positions entirely interchangeable. This is best displayed at AS Roma, where Francesco Totti pulls the strings from the front of the attack. Kevin Davies is not suited for this role. Johann Elmander might be, but there is very little patience for him in Bolton at this point.

So, unless another striker is on the way to the Reebok, it will be Kevin Davies up top, and he will need to do a lot not just in holding the ball up, but in quickly bringing the midfielders into the attack.

Ivan Klasnic

This Croatian hit-man is in some ways a poor man's Dimitar Berbatov. I think he runs and presses a bit more than the Bulgarian, but no one is going to mistake him for Carlos Tevez. But he scores goals. He is a finisher. And the Bolton Wanderers have nine other players on the field to run around a lot. Just a few more goals from Klasnic in those games where Kevin Davies and Johann Elmander missed absolute sitters from 3 yards out and Bolton would be tenth instead of fifteenth in the table right now.

What I am trying to say is, "Sign him!" Klasnic is on loan for the season from Nantes in France's 2nd division, and Bolton has the first option to buy him this summer for £1.4 million. Owen Coyle needs to complete this deal. Unless he has £25 million to spend and can afford to buy a more complete striker, Klasnic is needed at the Reebok. He has scored 7 goals in 11 Premier League starts. Kevin Davies has started 36 league matches and scored 6 goals. Elmander has started 15 league games and scored 3 goals.

Some may want to sign a bigger name striker, but who? Who will sign with Bolton that we can afford? Dave Kitson? David Nugent? Steven Fletcher?

I haven't heard many other names, and none of the names I have heard excite me. It has to be Klasnic. Sign him up Owen!

Chelsea v Bolton Wanderers

The Wanderers make the long journey down to London Tuesday, and the chances of them coming back in a good mood seem slim. Chelsea are at the top of the league, 1 point clear of Manchester United and 3 points ahead of Arsenal, and judging by their current form they have no intention of relinquishing that position. Bolton, on the other hand, have lost 3 in a row and only remain 5 points clear of the relegation zone because of other club's terrible form.

If I were Owen Coyle, I would use this match to experiment a bit. Bolton have not scored in (I believe) 8 of their last 11 league matches. It is time to try something new. We are likely to get anything from this match, so why not go for it. Put on a show, attack, attack, attack, and see what happens. To be fair, the problem has not been creating chances really, but putting the chances created on target. Here are some suggestions;

Attack wide with the fullbacks: Chelsea play very narrow through the midfield, and this is an area where they can be exploited, but Paul Robinson cannot be involved. I would play Gretar Steinnson at right-back and Sam Ricketts at left-back. They can both get forward, and there will be space to put balls into the box.

Ivan Klasnic. He is the only forward that we have who makes you feel like he is going to score every time he touches the ball. I think he could play off Elmander quite well, but Coyle, much like his predecessors, would sooner drink hot piss than drop Kevin Davies, so that will not happen, but I can live with Klasnic and Davies up top.

Move Jack Wilshere inside. Everyone keeps saying he will move inside eventually, just do it now. It worked when we did it with Stuart Holden, and I think Wilshere is a similar player. He will see more of the ball, and it will allow us to get some legitimate pace wide in the person of Vladimir Weiss. It is a very young, very attacking midfield, but I like it. Why not give it a try, we have nothing to lose.

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.

Bolton Wanderers v Wigan Athletic

It's another relegation 6 pointer for Bolton as they host a Wigan side who are loaded with confidence after defeating Liverpool on Monday. Bolton have had to make some changes as Sam Ricketts is suspended.

Andy O'Brien (a disaster waiting to happen) comes into central defense, which does not bode well for the Wanderers.

Tamir Cohen returns from suspension and steps right into central midfield. Cohen has been solid, if unspectacular, this season. A large part of the support has not taken to him, but Bolton's best performances this season have come with him on the pitch.

Johann Elmander has been playing quite well, but still has struggled to find the back of the net, his fine strike for Sweden notwithstanding, and if he misses another tap-in this week the predictable groans and Ivan Klasnic chants from the moodier amongst the supporters will only serve to sap his confidence even further.

Speaking of moody, winger Vladimir Weiss is one again starting from the bench, which the 20-year-old will be unhappy about. I would like to see both he and Mustapha Riga get a solid chance to show what they can do, but injuries and red cards the past few weeks have prevented it.

As for relegation, Burnley and Wolves also face each other today, and they will be even more desperate than Wigan and Bolton for 3 points. We could see both these matches drawn, which is fairly common for these high pressure encounters, but if Wigan or Bolton manage to take all 3 points they will go a long way towards securing top flight football for next season. For me, the traditional 40 point threshold will put a club 13th or 14th in the table at the end of this season. A win for Bolton would give them 32 points, and while they should't pack up their boots and go on holiday if that happens, 32 points may keep you up this season.

West Ham United vs. Bolton Wanderers

This is a big match between two teams trying to pull away from the relegation battle and settle into mid-table mediocrity. West Ham currently sit 13th with 27 points and goal differential of -8. Bolton are 15th with 26 points and a -19 goal differential. Hull City and Burnley play Everton and Arsenal this weekend, so it is a good opportunity for the Wanderers or the Hammers to put some distance between themselves and the bottom 3.

It will be interesting to see what team Owen Coyle picks, especially in the central attacking positions. Of course Kevin Davies will start at forward, and I would expect to see Lee Chung-Yong and Jack Wilshere on the wings. But Stuart Holden and Mark Davies are both unavailable because of injury, and Tamir Cohen seems to have fallen out of favor. That leaves Matt Taylor, who has been in poor form most of the season, or Vladimir Weiss, who really doesn't look to be capable of playing in the center of midfield.

I think most Wanderers supporters would like to see Wilshere moved into the middle with Weiss on the wing. I don't know if Coyle will do that away from home, we might see the return of Ricardo Gardner.

The other questions is who will partner Davies up front. Ivan Klasnic has returned from injury, but Elmander has continued to start, and he scored an outstanding goal for Sweden Wednesday. I am very much looking forward to seeing the team sheet tomorrow morning.

Bolton Wanderers 1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0

Bolton were triumphant today in a huge battle at the bottom of the table. The biggest news is probably that Bolton finally had some good luck. After watching balls go off the post, penalties not given, ridiculous own goals and the like always seem to be against Bolton, today we finally had some benefits in this regard. Wolves had three shots hit the post, and two of them could have gone in if they had been an inch or two closer.

Another big piece of news was Owen Coyle's team sheet. It was a very attacking team, with two strikers (Davies and Elmander) as well as 3 attacking midfielders (Wilshere, Lee, and Holden). All 3 of the young midfielders played exceedingly well. Elmander, as usual, played well overall but was let down by his poor finishing. Kevin Davies was poor, as he has been for most of the season. His basic job is to hold the ball up and create opportunities for his quicker, more talented teammates, yet he has not been doing that recently. Every time he gets the ball it just stops, and any attack Bolton had been executing based on quick movement into open space just dies. Then, with all options vanished, Davies plays an ill-conceived ball that gives possession back to the opposition.

Stay bright today though, Wanderers have got 3 points, moved out of the relegation zone, finally scored a goal, and hopefully quelled some of the negativity that has been creeping up in the support.