Mark Davies

[boltonboris]

We're fvckin cursed.

It's always key players and they're such serious injuries.

Gutting.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Balls. Poor him. Poor us.

Right, Chris Eagles, we need you. There's also Chungy, who's not as directly confrontational but can link play at speed as part of a counter-attacking unit. And you can also make a case for Ngog playing a similar role as the intelligent linkman, although not (as) capable of dropping to stiffen the midfield when need be.

Pratley has been used as our most advanced midfielder (as recently as Tuesday...) but is a different type of player: an ever-willing runner, a late-arriving goal threat. He's certainly a good player to have in that role for a difficult away game, or if we need to close a game out. I wonder if Holden will be similar: pre-injury he was always happy to get the ball and redistribute it, but more frequently over 10-15-20 yards than the more nip-and-tuck intricacies of Mark Davies. I also feel he might be happier facing goal and driving on than being the essential go-to guy, although again I'll be happy to be proven wrong.

I do think we might also look at the loan market. Nick Powell isn't a bad shout – Fergie hopes he's the new Scholes - but we'll see who Dougie might turn up: nobody predicted Butterfield...

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Wasn't pratley decent in that role?

Pratley is absolutely shocking when he has to receive the ball in a tight space, make a good first touch, and move the ball smartly on or dribble into a better position - all things that are Mavies's strong points.

Which is not to say that Pratley is useless - he is shown this season that he is useful when he isn't stuck in the middle two of a 4-4-2, where he just doesn't have the ball playing skills to survive. If he has some licence to get around and be a destroyer/make runs into the box then he's a handful at this level.

But he's no replacement for Mark Davies, sadly.

[mummywhycantieatcrayons]

Yeah, DSB has put it better than me!

[LeverEnd]

If it's the Eagles of first half of the season we might not miss him too much, although we still obviously will, but if Eagles hasn't picked up after his recent rest we are screwed.
I'm really gutted for the lad. Changed my opinion of him massively this season, always thought he was a bit of a luxury who had talent but not application. This year he's been great, I witnessed his previous injury at huddersfield where he was brilliant at times, and had the guts to play on like he tried on Tuesday. And to come back after a spell out and be MOM against Hull was fantastic.
Good luck to him and let's hope 'up to 10 months' is a cautious estimate and he's back well before Christmas.

[BWFC_Insane]

Mark Davies was pretty much a luxury that needed carrying last season.

Perhaps it was the manager or the higher level.

This season he's been pretty important when fit, to unlock the doors of championship defences.

Again, whether thats down to a manager who is more pragmatic locking the door behind him to free him more, or a lower level......

It doesn't matter, it's a huge miss either way.

[LeverEnd]

It is a big miss but he's young and keen and he'll be back. I think Dougie is what he needs as a manager. And we are on the up and can continue in this vein. I would personally make the squad repeatedly watch Roadrunner videos of Rioch's first season and how we rallied after Walker's similar injury, how Julian Darby stepped up to become a Bolton legend after being murdered by idiot fans like Eagles has been. Then I wnat Ngog to score the winner in the play-off final and declare in his post match interview that 'Eet really ees a deeeeeng dong dooo'. CMON!!!!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It is a big miss but he's young and keen and he'll be back. I think Dougie is what he needs as a manager. And we are on the up and can continue in this vein. I would personally make the squad repeatedly watch Roadrunner videos of Rioch's first season and how we rallied after Walker's similar injury, how Julian Darby stepped up to become a Bolton legend after being murdered by idiot fans like Eagles has been. Then I wnat Ngog to score the winner in the play-off final and declare in his post match interview that 'Eet really ees a deeeeeng dong dooo'. CMON!!!!

[officer_dibble]

Cnting bollocks

massive loss...been our most consistent player in a season of inconsistency

is it time to piss on the corner flags?

[boltonboris]

Mark Davies was pretty much a luxury that needed carrying last season.

Perhaps it was the manager or the higher level.

This season he's been pretty important when fit, to unlock the doors of championship defences.

Again, whether thats down to a manager who is more pragmatic locking the door behind him to free him more, or a lower level......

It doesn't matter, it's a huge miss either way.

When we changed the system (pre Wigan), he was playing brilliantly behind N'gog and for a short while was one of the stand out players in the league. There was talk of England caps and United interest.

As you say.. A huge miss.

[seanworth]

10 months? Ouch.

[YtarmyYtarmy]

Is our Statium built on an old indian burial ground ? I can't believe the luck we have, probably our most influentail/creative player at the moment, same thing happened last season with Holden. IF he'd stayed fit i think we could of maybe strung a few results togther, but after he went off on Tuesday, the rest of the team seemed at 6's and 7's.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

This is all your fault, some of you lot, you dared hope, you fools, you let hope creep in so then *BAM* the god of injuries thought 'right, i'm not having this, bolton fans having hope, putting a stop to this right away i am'

[Lost Leopard Spot]

This is all your fault, some of you lot, you dared hope, you fools, you let hope creep in so then *BAM* the god of injuries thought 'right, i'm not having this, bolton fans having hope, putting a stop to this right away i am'

I had hope...

[ohjimmyjimmy]

This is all your fault, some of you lot, you dared hope, you fools, you let hope creep in so then *BAM* the god of injuries thought 'right, i'm not having this, bolton fans having hope, putting a stop to this right away i am'

I had hope...

Yes, well, thank you Mr Spot. Nice going. Couldn't be cool could you...couldn't just stay cool, whistle, be nonchalant, pretend you didn't care, like it was the last thing on your mind.

[SmokinFrazier]

I know all fans feel their club is the most unfortunate when it comes to injuries, but this is a fecking piss-take. He's only just come back! feck feck feck

These things should even themselves out over a season or two, but I do think we've been unusually unlucky recently. How many others teams have lost as many of their best players as we have? Had Holden, Chungy and Muamba been fit all last year, I don't think we'd have gone down. With a fully fit squad this year, including Davies and Wheater, I think we'd be higher in the league we are.

We don't have that many injuries in our squad. It just seems that key players are getting injured all the time.

[Vertigo]

The poor bloke. What a load of bad luck lately.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

He'll come back with his whole face tattooed, i reckon.

[boltonboris]

Just been totting a few up off the top of my head.

Since Holden got injured...

Holden
Wheater
Ricketts
Alonso
Mark Davies
Chungy
Mears
Vela

Out for a total of about 7 years (give or take a couple of months) between them.

Not even mentioning Muamba & Ricardo

[thebish]

Just been totting a few up off the top of my head.

Since Holden got injured...

Holden
Wheater
Ricketts
Alonso
Mark Davies
Chungy
Mears
Vela

Out for a total of about 7 years (give or take a couple of months) between them.

Not even mentioning Muamba & Ricardo

or Sean Davies...