Pre season friendlies at Macc, Preston, Tranmere and Dale

[malcd1]

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.

I think this sums it up. In the first 20 minutes I kept having to count the players as I was convinced we were playing against 13 men. We had no space and they just took the ball off us at will. After that we got more into the game and there was very little between the two teams.

Pratley may as well not been on the pitch for all he contributed but he seemed to be playing off Beckford. This is not his best position (I'm not sure what is) and it just didn't work at all. As a result we were completely lacking up front and Beckford did nothing.

Defensively we were OK. Going forward we were devoid of ideas.

[BWFC_Insane]

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.

It is fine to play them both, two holding players is the trend now. But the problem is that as Freedman himself has said the aim is to play through the midfield to the attacking midfield played and into the striker. But Pratley being the attacking midfield player does not work in this way. He needs to play off a target man as Pratley is good at linking up and has decent movement. But to expect him to take the ball and make things happen and create and find space if just won't happen. Mark Davies maybe....

Bottom line is, and this isn't a shock, we have nowt up front and until we address that we can invent whatever system we like and it won't work that well.

[Peter Thompson]

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.

It is fine to play them both, two holding players is the trend now. But the problem is that as Freedman himself has said the aim is to play through the midfield to the attacking midfield played and into the striker. But Pratley being the attacking midfield player does not work in this way. He needs to play off a target man as Pratley is good at linking up and has decent movement. But to expect him to take the ball and make things happen and create and find space if just won't happen. Mark Davies maybe....

Bottom line is, and this isn't a shock, we have nowt up front and until we address that we can invent whatever system we like and it won't work that well.

Pratley is stealing a living....one of the worst players ever to wear the shirt- he plays like he doesn't give a toss, very lethargic TBH he sums up everything about Freedman.

[officer_dibble]

He plays like he doesnt give a toss?

Give over, you can level a lot at him (two left feet, couldnt trap a bag of cement, anticipation of a dead elephant) but he does run around like he gives a shit.

[Prufrock]

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.

It is fine to play them both, two holding players is the trend now. But the problem is that as Freedman himself has said the aim is to play through the midfield to the attacking midfield played and into the striker. But Pratley being the attacking midfield player does not work in this way. He needs to play off a target man as Pratley is good at linking up and has decent movement. But to expect him to take the ball and make things happen and create and find space if just won't happen. Mark Davies maybe....

Bottom line is, and this isn't a shock, we have nowt up front and until we address that we can invent whatever system we like and it won't work that well.

This is wrong-headed. It doesn't matter what the 'trend' is, they don't work together in that formation. They're too similar and want the ball in the same place.

If Pratley is going to play at all (and he doesn't!) it should be against shit teams as one of the deeper 2. His up and down gives something different and would make time for Spearing OR Medo alongside.

I bet their deepest midfielder had no time on the ball today though #tacticalrevolutionary #anti-Pirlo

But still, we need something better than hoping for lucky knock downs to fall to Darren f*cking Pratley.

[Peter Thompson]

He plays like he doesnt give a toss?

Give over, you can level a lot at him (two left feet, couldnt trap a bag of cement, anticipation of a dead elephant) but he does run around like he gives a shit.

It's an opinion - not necessarily right, but just an opinion or is it sheep only....

[Prufrock]

He plays like he doesnt give a toss?

Give over, you can level a lot at him (two left feet, couldnt trap a bag of cement, anticipation of a dead elephant) but he does run around like he gives a shit.

It's an opinion - not necessarily right, but just an opinion or is it sheep only....

That should be your sig.

If Darren has got 'trying' as one of his virtues, well then he hasn't got a lot.

[Riviman]

Certainly missed a player like Mark Davies, hope his toe (broken according to Freedman in the brief Q&A session) heals quickly.

[Tombwfc]

He plays like he doesnt give a toss?

Give over, you can level a lot at him (two left feet, couldnt trap a bag of cement, anticipation of a dead elephant) but he does run around like he gives a shit.

Yeah. I've got Darren playing just off Robbie Blake in my 'Bolton Wanderers Worst XI', but you can't deny he puts a shift in.

[Enoch]

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

Now there's something interesting, if you type, shitcunt, you don't get one of those annoying asterisks!

he plays like he doesn't give a toss, very lethargic

It's an opinion - not necessarily right

Shitcunt, what a lovely word.

[thebish]

bollox - i didn't realise that - is Mavis injured A-fecking-GAIN????

[Enoch]

No, bollocks doesn't get an asterisk!

[bobo the clown]

bollox - i didn't realise that - is Mavis injured A-fecking-GAIN????

He's a fragile bugger isn't he ?!

Toes can take ages to mend too ... ask Gary Lineker.

Shit.


(Enoch ... there's loads man.)

[LeverEnd]

Fanny hair.

[Prufrock]

There's basically just feck. That's comes up censored as 'feck'. As you can see.

[Enoch]

What about c*nt then?

[Gary the Enfield]

What about c*nt then?

Haven't you heard? He's Shit!

[Bruno3]

According to Dougie it's his little toe that's the problem (Mavies' not Dougie's). He's been having injections in pre season but Dougie didn't want to risk him

[thebish]

According to Dougie it's his little toe that's the problem (Mavies' not Dougie's). He's been having injections in pre season but Dougie didn't want to risk him

not risking him in a friendly is fair enough!

[Gary the Enfield]

Anyone hear any booing yesterday?

My Dad and brother said there was a smattering at the final whistle. If so, WTF?