Saddle up for a Cupset? Bolton v Walsall (FA3), Sat 05.01.19 @ 3pm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Whatever the arguments about the diminishing or everlasting Magic Of The Cup, it's certainly a change. Is a change as good as arrest? Definitely we need to stop the slide, and it's typical of our woeful season that the minor promise of a whole two-match unbeaten run - almost laughable, but our first since September - was hit for six by the Humber.

When a team's going well, it's a chance to draft in the auxiliaries, give the fringe lads a chance to keep their legs supple. When it's going badly, there's a risk of further humiliation - particularly against lower-league oppo - but the incomers must feel they have a much stronger chance of staying in the team if they do well.

Marc Iles has mentioned that Joe Pritchard (22), released by Spurs in summer and in the Development squad since, might get a chance. Others on the edges include Mark Little, who's made one league appearance all season, plus Lloyd Dyer (209 league minutes), Luke Murphy (253) and Yanic Wildschut (555 across 16 games, of which only 4 were starts).

Remi Matthews might have given Ben Alnwick a rest but he appears to be unregisterable under embargo, along with Gary O'Neil and Christian Doidge. The latter is a shame, as a game against third-tier opponents should have given him a better chance of a goal. Presumably Oztumer considered himself a certainty against his old club, except that his half-time introduction at Hull for Marc Wilson appeared to have the sort of impact Owen Coyle so regularly achieved when hoiking Fabrice Muamba for some forward-thinker who then spent the rest of the game taking centres.

Grounds and Hobbs should probably give Taylor and Wheater a breather, while Clayton Donaldson might get another chance to score his first Bolton goal: 742 minutes and counting. For comparison, the Godfather trilogy in its entirety is 540 minutes long, the Star Wars original trilogy is 377 and the Star Wars prequel trilogy is 415. If he starts and fails to bother the scorers before five past four, he could have watched six Star Wars films instead.

Which is all very ridiculous, but raises a serious point. Wanderers are again endeavouring, as they surely must, to attract new people through the gates with various ticket offers and gewgaws like kids in kits being given the chance to lead out their, erm, heroes. But all the vouchers and balloons in Christendom can't polish a pitchful of turds. Little Johnny can be whipped into frenzy but if the on-pitch spectacle doesn't work, he won't be back, and nor will his parents be pushing him toward what is hardly a bargain of an afternoon.

More worryingly, older folks who have put up with this crap for years have started to pick and choose their games, their love of the club eroded by a varying mixture of distrust and contempt for the current incumbents of team, dugout and boardroom. They all say they'll come back in some magic future but the needle barely flickered when the pragmatic Megson and Freedman were replaced by the starrier-eyed Coyle and Lennon, each of whom led us to the rusty gates of relegation. That's a portal through which we might be hoofed sooner rather than later, if indeed we have a club left to fulfil fixtures next season, but in this afternoon off from the wider worries, maybe we can engender a new hope.

[TANGODANCER]

Will our illustrious owner, suntanned and looking lovely, appear to cheer on the lads do we think?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

I shall be building a path, Italian style (a la Lago Di Como) tomorrow. I shall catch up then. Ken can begin for his money...

[Harry Genshaw]

I'll be there tomorrow. My first FA cup game since the 1-2 defeat at home to Everton.

Trying to explain the euphoria of our famous Anfield win to my nephews was futile. They've grown up seeing the FA cup as a side issue, where even tier 2 sides put out fringe players. The idea that the current cup holders and leading Premier league teams would field their strongest XI against lower league opposition is, to them, ridiculous.

There is a sense of importance tomorrow though. Win, and we're surely capable of doing that, we've a chance of a money making 4th round tie away to one of the big guns (including their reserves).

It's a long shot but it could save us from administration if not relegation.

2-1 win. Clayton ensures the empire strikes back

[DJBlu]

This game is being broacast online so expect a few streams.

Never been so disinterested in a Bolton game in a long time.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/17 ... l-cup-tie/

"The club is now under an embargo that prevents loan pair Christian Doidge and Remi Matthews from completing permanent moves to Bolton, while Gary O’Neil – whose short-term contract has expired – is being prevented from re-registering."

Parky:

We knew those players’ deals have expired. It’s not ideal but sometimes things take time to be resolved. It’s being worked towards and hopefully in a positive fashion. We’ve got a few injuries, Jack Hobbs and Mark Wilson are two and Will Buckley is ill, that’s why he missed the New Year’s Day game. He has been back in today but he certainly won’t start the game. Andy Taylor is four, Gary O’Neil won’t play and we’ve got a couple where their registrations haven’t been finalised. So it’s an interesting team selection ahead.

Wasn't Lloyd Dyer on a short-term deal too? If you're going down tomorrow, I'd take your boots...

[Jugs]

What bollocks it is that Little has made just one appearance all season

[TonyDomingos]

Screenshot_20190105-140639_Twitter.jpg (279.1 KiB) Viewed 3392 times

[Harry Genshaw]

That's a surprisingly strong line up. It's pretty quiet down here but at least the club shop is trading

[TANGODANCER]

Any streams known....just as we go one down.....

[DJBlu]

Any streams known....just as we go one down.....

http://soccerlegacy.net/premier-league-live-stream-4/

Not worth watching.

We are terrible.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Pfft.

[DJBlu]

Those saying we are a League One team .... clearly we aren't.

Reckon we wouldn't score in League Two.

[Harry Genshaw]

Absolute tripe.

No cohesion and usual pedestrian rubbish.

We're as likely to concede another as equalise.

[DJBlu]

Hahahahahahahaha

Clayton.

Tried his best to miss. Top corner from 3 yards out.

[DJBlu]

They are all getting in on the act.

Megennis.

We've taken a lead after going behind.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

2-1. Whoda believed it?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

2-1. Whoda believed it?

However, not convinced we'll win.

[DJBlu]

3-1

Get in OG. Where's he been for the past 18 months?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

2-1. Whoda believed it?

However, not convinced we'll win.