Opening day Blues or all White on the night? Ipswich (A) Saturday 30th July. 3pm KO

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

JDB should be one of the first names on the team sheet IMO.

I'd have had him starting, but Dapo and Charles seems to be the pairing in the immediacy.

Based on what?

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ue-opener/

Cheers hadn’t seen that. Not sure I was convinced by it on Saturday but they will be quite a good counter attacking pair o think for an away game.

Agree. But then…

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... wn-opener/

Since I’ve been a manager, and it’s my fifth season now, it’s been the hardest team to pick. Not just that, it’s going to be a really tough 18 to pick because there are going to be a very good senior player left off the bench.

And it won’t be for the reasons that we don’t think they’re important or we don’t think they’re good enough to make a difference. It will literally be the balance of the bench and how that needs to look.

Other than that, there are going to be some seriously disappointed lads on Saturday. But as I’ve said to them all, it’s hopefully a 50-plus game season and everyone is going to have to play a part.

(A pedant writes: it’s at least a 51-game season - 46 League, 1 FA Cup, 1 Lge Cup, 3 Football League Trophy)

[TANGODANCER]

JDB should be one of the first names on the team sheet IMO.

And for me, but I always said the same about Kev Davies. Point man ( not striker) is one of the toughest positions to play and who scores the goals matters not as long as somebody does. . COME ON YOU WHITES..

[DJBlu]

Obviously it’s a pre season game but Johnston was picked ahead of Iredale on Saturday and when Iredale came on he did look like he’d been picked out of a pub at random and never kicked a ball in his life.

Pre season and first home appearance nerves no doubt but I think Johnston will be picked Saturday,

Iredale now dead cert to be player of the season.

[BWFC_Insane]

Obviously it’s a pre season game but Johnston was picked ahead of Iredale on Saturday and when Iredale came on he did look like he’d been picked out of a pub at random and never kicked a ball in his life.

Pre season and first home appearance nerves no doubt but I think Johnston will be picked Saturday,

Iredale now dead cert to be player of the season.

My post had nothing to do with Iredales ability or anything beyond Evatts thinking for Saturday. I don’t rate Johnston but he was played in the final friendly. That’s it.

[officer_dibble]

Anyway…onto the game. I think I would be happy with a point. A late equaliser maybe?

[Prufrock]

My limited reckon is that Ipswich and a Weds seem good bets for the top two (though there always seem to be teams who spend loads, but can't hook it up) so arguably the toughest game of the season right up.

They've done quite a lot, and we're adding to a largely retained solid base, so hopefully we catch them cold.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

My limited reckon is that Ipswich and a Weds seem good bets for the top two (though there always seem to be teams who spend loads, but can't hook it up) so arguably the toughest game of the season right up.

They've done quite a lot, and were adding to a largely retained solid base, so hopefully we catch them cold.

Pretty much word for word what Evatt said.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... town-test/

I think he’s a very talented young coach, I think his team are excellent, pleasing on the eye. I appreciate and enjoy watching them myself, but I’m sure that he’ll look at us and think a similar thing to be honest....

...they’ve spent vast amounts of money again. They’ve got some really good players, some really good business. All the players they’ve signed are excellent players, so it’s a really challenging game and probably the most difficult game of our season.

I would think them and Sheffield Wednesday away will be the two most challenging games, but we don’t fear anybody. We’re going there to show what we can do as well and hopefully get the three points.

[Prufrock]

Knows his onions, the gobshite.

[The_Gun]

The lineup seems fairly locked in based on Evatt’s comments and pre-season. That being:

Traff

Jones Santos Johnston

Morley MJ

Bradley John

Lee

Dapo Charles


Maybe Sadlier or Dempsey for Lee, but I expect the above to start.

As for the result, it’s clearly very difficult to predict at this stage. We’ll have confidence given what we did to them at Portman Road last season, and it’s not unlikely that their new signings will take a while to bed in, so I’ll go for a speculative 1-2 win for Bolton.

[GhostoftheBok]

I feel like this thread needs more, "We'll shit 'em" posts.

We'll shit 'em.

[Bruce Rioja]

I feel like this thread needs more, "We'll shit 'em" posts.

We'll shit 'em.

Has HMS Piss The League been launched yet?

[GhostoftheBok]

Has HMS Piss The League been launched yet?

Listing slightly to port, but still afloat.

[dave the minion]

I feel like this thread needs more, "We'll shit 'em" posts.

We'll shit 'em.

We won't shit 'em, but it'll be reet......

[GhostoftheBok]

Ian's pre-match is up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL0ET-HGSNA

[Worthy4England]

Ian's pre-match is up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL0ET-HGSNA

There or thereabouts?! Hardly unequivocal!

[Spartan2]

I feel like this thread needs more, "We'll shit 'em" posts.

We'll shit 'em.

Genuinely bizarre to me all the negativity about us and fawning over Ipswich. Since mid Jan when our new signings had begun to gel we're the best team in the league. I think the negatively comes from lack of signings but we got our business done six months ago, it's all going to plan. We'll shit 'em and piss the league 1-4 Bolton.

[TonyDomingos]

I feel like this thread needs more, "We'll shit 'em" posts.

We'll shit 'em.

Genuinely bizarre to me all the negativity about us and fawning over Ipswich. Since mid Jan when our new signings had begun to gel we're the best team in the league. I think the negatively comes from lack of signings but we got our business done six months ago, it's all going to plan. We'll shit 'em and piss the league 1-4 Bolton.

We're Bolton. It'll be a sh!tshow.

[Bruce Rioja]

Domed! 3-1 ☹

[Prufrock]

46 games to go, 138 points available, I don't see a problem.

[BWFC_Insane]

Impossible to predict season openers. I feel we are prepared but they are harder to read.

Might be a tight one.