Pre season friendlies at Macc, Preston, Tranmere and Dale

[bwfcdan94]

First game was when I was 8, Arsenal away, strangely I didn't go to a single Bolton game the whole time I lived in Horwich.

[BWFC_Insane]

The negative side of me can see 0-1 being a common scoreline at home this season if we dont sign someone who can score, or help us get the best of beckford.

Don't think that is particularly negative. Just accurate.

[William the White]

I didn't go to today's friendly... A mate did. This is his text...

This brings ineptitude into disrepute. No movement, no midfield guile, no cutting edge, no passion. It's going to be a long season. Beckford up front on his own. Useless. Friedman out!

[TKIZ!]

If that's the comment from someone who went them I'm a little bit worried. I honestly think Beckford works better when we have a 'Number 10' who can hold the ball up for him (The Juke role last season). Looking at the lists of available players (the freebie list) there isn't much so DF is going to have to work a miracle here.

[truewhite15]

Lets have a little perspective, shall we? This was a PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY against a side who finished 6th in the Dutch Premier League last season. Yes, we lost, to a 15th minute free kick, but Vitesse weren't cutting us open at will, and as the game wore on, we made a few chances ourselves.

Both teams were running at about 70%. There weren't any risks being taken. Feeney looks dangerous. Pratley didn't play well; the game just stopped whenever we gave it to him. We played a 433 formation where the three centre midfielders are quite close to each other. Danns played better as the more advanced CM than Pratley did. Beckford played much the same as the entirety of last season, but sometimes shows glimmers of movement that will get us goals, especially from Feeney's deliveries. The back 4 looked relatively stable. Spearing and Medo the same.

We didn't shame ourselves against very good opposition, and could (had Danns not been denied rather acrobatically by their keeper) have come away with a draw. This is not a game for whinging and whining and moaning, unless you've already made your mind up that we're shit.

[bobo the clown]

It's just the. fans pre-season whinge-up True White. It's about getting the right set up, not the accuracy.

Everyone wants us to do well, just that a lot aren't expecting us to. If DF doesn't hit the ground running this season he's going to get a lot of stick. A heck of a lot.

[Prufrock]

Yep, it's not about the quality of the criticism at this stage, just making sure everyone gets a good run out and a few practice boos before we start in anger next week. Obviously you can never tell but I think we're in good shape with Pratley and Beckford the early go-to booees.

[truewhite15]

Yep, it's not about the quality of the criticism at this stage, just making sure everyone gets a good run out and a few practice boos before we start in anger next week. Obviously you can never tell but I think we're in good shape with Pratley and Beckford the early go-to booees.

[ChrisC]

Today was mega shite.. Some good stuff in small doses from Feeney. Defending was horrendous at times with players literally walking past defenders.

Lots to improve on before the Watford game.

Definitely think the players have a fear of playing at the Macbok though.

[Peter Thompson]

Today was mega shite.. Some good stuff in small doses from Feeney. Defending was horrendous at times with players literally walking past defenders.

Lots to improve on before the Watford game.

Definitely think the players have a fear of playing at the Macbok though.

Sounds like sticking with Freedman was a masterstroke by Mr Gartside.

We'll be up by Easter...

[truewhite15]

Today was mega shite.. Some good stuff in small doses from Feeney. Defending was horrendous at times with players literally walking past defenders.

Lots to improve on before the Watford game.

Definitely think the players have a fear of playing at the Macbok though.

Sounds like sticking with Freedman was a masterstroke by Mr Gartside.

We'll be up by Easter...

You could try, for once, not being so miserable and actually give the team a chance before writing them off.

It's just a thought.

[Puskas]

Yep, it's not about the quality of the criticism at this stage, just making sure everyone gets a good run out and a few practice boos before we start in anger next week. Obviously you can never tell but I think we're in good shape with Pratley and Beckford the early go-to booees.

I don't understand why only Pratley and Beckford should be the booees.

If you can't be arsed booing the team, don't turn up. You may as well be at home.

How are the shitcunts going to learn if no one boos them?

[Montreal Wanderer]

Wrexham details for tomorrows junior squad ...

For those wishing to attend the game, it will be held at the Racecourse Ground, Mold Road, Wrexham, Wales, LL11 2AH with kick off at 7.45pm.

Wanderers fans will be housed in the Yale Stand (turnstiles 1-4) with admission prices as follows:

Adults - £10
Over 62s & U21s - £5 ... I thought ageism was illegal now ?
Over 80s & U16s - £2

As usual for smaller gates it looks like only one stand will be used. That's, as above, the Yale stand (named after Elihu Yale, founder of the top class US University & a Wrexham born man). That is the 'paddock' stand at the rear of the ground.

I think you will find, if you check carefully and ignore Welsh claims that though Yale is buried in Wrexham he was born in Boston Mass. He was not a founder of Yale (see James Pierpont et al.) but came to bear his named following a donation Cotton Mather secured from him.

[Prufrock]

Yep, it's not about the quality of the criticism at this stage, just making sure everyone gets a good run out and a few practice boos before we start in anger next week. Obviously you can never tell but I think we're in good shape with Pratley and Beckford the early go-to booees.

I don't understand why only Pratley and Beckford should be the booees.

If you can't be arsed booing the team, don't turn up. You may as well be at home.

How are the shitcunts going to learn if no one boos them?

Interesting.

The rival school of thought being of course that if you boo them all equally there is no incentive to play better. This is actually the approach it seems Douglas 'Milton' Freedman is advocating.

[Norpig]

Was reasonably content we could do reasonably well this season until today when I saw the accumulation of this summers work. I realise that it is only pre season and they are a far better team than we are but we cld have got roasted today if they had been more clinical in front of goal.

we got hit on the break too often today. The space between the defence and midfield you could have drove a truck through it!! We tried to play from the back but the midfield disappeared off up the field meaning it was punted forward or passed back to the keeper to punt forward.

We did improve in the second half especially when Lee came on for the very ineffective Pratley and Beckford went off for Wilkinson.

My problem is not that they lost to the better team but we seemed not to have learned from last season. We gave the ball away too cheaply and then did not have the energy to get the ball back quickly.

Early days but we definitely need more forward thinking players Feeney the only bright spot going forward. Hopefully the competitive edge with give something a bit extra next week but unless Beckford is given some help it is going to be a very long and unrewarding season.

[irie Cee Bee]

Was reasonably content we could do reasonably well this season until today when I saw the accumulation of this summers work. I realise that it is only pre season and they are a far better team than we are but we cld have got roasted today if they had been more clinical in front of goal.

we got hit on the break too often today. The space between the defence and midfield you could have drove a truck through it!! We tried to play from the back but the midfield disappeared off up the field meaning it was punted forward or passed back to the keeper to punt forward.

We did improve in the second half especially when Lee came on for the very ineffective Pratley and Beckford went off for Wilkinson.

My problem is not that they lost to the better team but we seemed not to have learned from last season. We gave the ball away too cheaply and then did not have the energy to get the ball back quickly.

Early days but we definitely need more forward thinking players Feeney the only bright spot going forward. Hopefully the competitive edge with give something a bit extra next week but unless Beckford is given some help it is going to be a very long and unrewarding season.

Mark Davies?

[Il Pirate]

Lets have a little perspective, shall we? This was a PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY against a side who finished 6th in the Dutch Premier League last season. Yes, we lost, to a 15th minute free kick, but Vitesse weren't cutting us open at will, and as the game wore on, we made a few chances ourselves.

Both teams were running at about 70%. There weren't any risks being taken. Feeney looks dangerous. Pratley didn't play well; the game just stopped whenever we gave it to him. We played a 433 formation where the three centre midfielders are quite close to each other. Danns played better as the more advanced CM than Pratley did. Beckford played much the same as the entirety of last season, but sometimes shows glimmers of movement that will get us goals, especially from Feeney's deliveries. The back 4 looked relatively stable. Spearing and Medo the same.

We didn't shame ourselves against very good opposition, and could (had Danns not been denied rather acrobatically by their keeper) have come away with a draw. This is not a game for whinging and whining and moaning, unless you've already made your mind up that we're shit.

40 Years ago mate, 40 years ago.........................................

[bobo the clown]

The Evening News report

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/bo ... t/11384546._/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"Wanderers were not playing badly but the formation did not seem to suit personnel with Medo and Spearing doing virtually the same job".

The old issue with the twins.

Look, they are two of our best players, but so are Bogdan and Lonergan and we don't play both of them together. If he wants to play the both he has to find different roles. This s as plain as day ... it was for the first half of last season too. I thought he'd learnt.

Play Medo further up ... he has that ability ... or only play one of them because it's a lost player. We ay as well play wit 10.

[officer_dibble]

Well pratley surely wont start next week? Spearing danns and mark davies, with two wide ones would be my choice.

Should at least get some supply to beckford even if he cant hold it up.

[wigan white]

Was reasonably content we could do reasonably well this season until today when I saw the accumulation of this summers work. I realise that it is only pre season and they are a far better team than we are but we cld have got roasted today if they had been more clinical in front of goal.

we got hit on the break too often today. The space between the defence and midfield you could have drove a truck through it!! We tried to play from the back but the midfield disappeared off up the field meaning it was punted forward or passed back to the keeper to punt forward.

We did improve in the second half especially when Lee came on for the very ineffective Pratley and Beckford went off for Wilkinson.

My problem is not that they lost to the better team but we seemed not to have learned from last season. We gave the ball away too cheaply and then did not have the energy to get the ball back quickly.

Early days but we definitely need more forward thinking players Feeney the only bright spot going forward. Hopefully the competitive edge with give something a bit extra next week but unless Beckford is given some help it is going to be a very long and unrewarding season.

This 100%. In the first half we only played 1 decent ball to Feeney, but looked more dangerous in the 2nd half when we used him more. I rate Danns highly but he looked lost on the left. And as for Beckford, not once did he attack a ball put into the box, instead he waited forbit to come to him making it easy for the defenders to defend against it. As for Pratley, hes just wants to play the ball backwards and had no awareness of the no.10 role.
I understood its just a friendly, but it was obviouds to see our weaknesses and the more worrying part is that it's the same weaknesses as last season.