Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Bare Bones....

[officer_dibble]

Dempsey has been playing with a fractured back, which sounds painful. Out for a month.

[BWFC_Insane]

Dempsey has been playing with a fractured back, which sounds painful. Out for a month.

Our A class medical team shines again. Had it since August. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Coleman out for 2/3 weeks after tripping on a ball. Pity for him as he may have got the Solihull and Stockport cup games.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... nd-mishap/

[Worthy4England]

Coleman out for 2/3 weeks after tripping on a ball. Pity for him as he may have got the Solihull and Stockport cup games.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... nd-mishap/

Wasn't he injured last time we had PJC games?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Coleman out for 2/3 weeks after tripping on a ball. Pity for him as he may have got the Solihull and Stockport cup games.

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... nd-mishap/

Wasn't he injured last time we had PJC games?

Yup

[sonicthewhite]

Maybe he just doesn't like pizza? Or Papa Johns?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Maybe he just doesn't like pizza? Or Papa Johns?

We should tell him he's quite safe: they don't sponsor it any more. In fact, nobody does... it's just the EFL Trophy, which has been its official name baring sponsorship since 2016, when the Football League slightly bizarrely felt the need to abandon its definitive nominative primacy ('The Football League' because it was the first – see also the FA, The Open etc) and rebrand as the English Football League, or EFL.

For the record - Coleman was injured for both previous Sherpa Van Trophy games this season, and started the two League Cup (sorry, Carabao EFL Cup) games. I say "started" because in the second, against Boro, he suffered a calf injury – which therefore ruled him out of the first two Trophy games.

One other thing to tidy while we're discussing injuries - Evatt confirmed that Zac Ashworth will be "back" this week, along with CMG - so the youngster must have suffered an injury again. He was out for almost all of September after coming back from international duty (which probably cost him an appearance vs Salford) with a thigh injury (which probably cost him an appearance vs Rags Kids). In the next three games he made sub appearances, forgettably either for their short duration (Vale, Stevenage) or the result (Carlisle), but hasn't appeared since.

The thing for Zac is that the Stockport game is again right at the start of an international break – EFL Trophy 'gamenights' seem to be, understandably - so he really should get a start against Solihull Moors in the FA Cup next Saturday, not least as that's followed by a midweek trip to Shrewsbury and then the visit of Blackpool. Evatt's decision at Wycombe to play Dacres-Cogley at LWB raises some interesting questions about who might be on the bench as we get back to full strength; with three sub strikers habitually chosen, there's not really room for Ashworth, Iredale and Forrester, especially once Maghoma and CMG return.

It'll be interesting therefore to see who's in the 11/18 against Solihull Moors. Coleman is probably out until the next break, so it'll be Baxter. Iredale and Forrester, having started every game from Peterborough to Carlisle, have now been largely sidelined so they may be given starts; rested might be Toal, who's played almost every minute he's been available (he missed the Salford cup game due to a call-up, was sent off that weekend in injury time at Reading and thus sat out Peterborough).

Out wide, Randell was rested in midweek but as noted it might be the best chance to give Ashworth a start. On the other side, JDC sat out the Rags Kids game but has played every minute since; indeed, he's started every other game bar Boro, when he played the last half-hour. Evatt could try Matheson, who went to both Wycombe and Charlton as "19th man" but is perhaps more likely to be sub, with Gethin – who showed against Rags Kids he's hardly a negative wingback – pushed wide while Forrester plays at the back.

In midfield, Maghoma should get a start. Personally I'd play Morley – who's only played four full games all season, two in the EFL Trophy – at 6 to replace Sheehan, who's started every game (bar one call-up) since the end of August and has almost always lasted the full game. I'm not saying he's dead on his feet – he looks in his best form ever for us – but I would trial Morley in his role, just in case. The other "free 8" alongside Paris could be CMG, but is more likely to be Tomo with an eye to Carlos coming on as sub.

And up front? Big decision. To play the usual two might indicate a lack of faith in the others to score against a fifth-tier team. To play anyone else is a risk... History suggests Evatt will risk it though. He rested C&A to the bench or stands against Barrow, Salford and Rags Kids (Dion started v Boro, a wholly different calibre of opponent).

Suggested team vs Solihull:
Baxter; Forrester, Santos, Iredale; Jones, Maghoma, Morley, Thomason, Ashworth; Bodvarsson, Nlundulu.
Seven subs from Hutchinson, Toal, JDC, Williams, Sheehan, CMG, Charles, Adeboyejo, Jerome plus perhaps some Bs - Matheson, Khumbeni.

[truewhite15]

Not to belittle the opposition at all, but I'd certainly be looking into appearances for both Matheson and Khumbeni here. I would start young Luke - he's impressed off the bench thus far, and it seems to me like a game against a non-league opponent should be a prime one to give him his first start. Likewise, if CMG is fit then he should start - he needs minutes.

Feels like there should be a match thread for this...

[BWFC_Insane]

Not to belittle the opposition at all, but I'd certainly be looking into appearances for both Matheson and Khumbeni here. I would start young Luke - he's impressed off the bench thus far, and it seems to me like a game against a non-league opponent should be a prime one to give him his first start. Likewise, if CMG is fit then he should start - he needs minutes.

Feels like there should be a match thread for this...

Yep absolutely. Matheson and Khumbeni to start for me. And CMG if fit.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Mendes Gomes' return to be carefully managed - and they're thinking really really hard about how to stop new players getting the ouchies.

“We have to manage his load, the minutes he spends on the pitch, and make him robust enough to play for us,” Evatt said. “That is something we are trying to get better at, being honest, because most of the players we have signed have broken down, became injured. And that is down to the intensity we play at, the load we put on the players in training.

“It is something we need to review, especially when we are integrating new players into the squad.

“We understand the level they have been at, what they have been doing at their previous club, and then try to more gradually bring them up to speed to what we do.”

Much more under the link:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -injuries/

[Mar]

Mendes Gomes' return to be carefully managed - and they're thinking really really hard about how to stop new players getting the ouchies.

“We have to manage his load, the minutes he spends on the pitch, and make him robust enough to play for us,” Evatt said. “That is something we are trying to get better at, being honest, because most of the players we have signed have broken down, became injured. And that is down to the intensity we play at, the load we put on the players in training.

“It is something we need to review, especially when we are integrating new players into the squad.

“We understand the level they have been at, what they have been doing at their previous club, and then try to more gradually bring them up to speed to what we do.”

Much more under the link:
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -injuries/

Surely the obvious thing to do is play on a softer surface or decrease the intensity. Neither of which is an ideal fix as the softer surface on the training pitch comes with a great deal of improvement on the training ground.

As for decreasing the intensity. That's only something that can be done as long as it's not going to have significantly negative consequences.

At this point I'd imagine it's likely to come into players thinking prior to signing and the thought processes of academies when considering loaning players to us.

Either way it's no simple solution. Get some experts in, give it a proper review and take it from there.


That being said, JDC has come in and had no problems, maybe his past club were doing something similar.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Surely the obvious thing to do is play on a softer surface or decrease the intensity. Neither of which is an ideal fix as the softer surface on the training pitch comes with a great deal of improvement on the training ground.

As for decreasing the intensity. That's only something that can be done as long as it's not going to have significantly negative consequences.

At this point I'd imagine it's likely to come into players thinking prior to signing and the thought processes of academies when considering loaning players to us.

Either way it's no simple solution. Get some experts in, give it a proper review and take it from there.


That being said, JDC has come in and had no problems, maybe his past club were doing something similar.

...or maybe JDC is just naturally fitter/"hardier". A lot of it is luck.

Interesting to hear you suggest we need softer pitches - the mood music coming out of Lostock seems to have been that the pitches are *too* soft, meaning they 'give' under the boot and cause msucular injuries. Lostock's very exposed abnd our weather/climate recently has been more wet than cold/frozen.

The intensity does have to be monitored. The easy impression is that we're running the new boys into the ground - probably a layman's oversimplification, but it feels like we need to take more metrics: a battery of them when we sign players and then monitor very very carefully. We can't keep losing players for a month at a time.

[Mar]

Surely the obvious thing to do is play on a softer surface or decrease the intensity. Neither of which is an ideal fix as the softer surface on the training pitch comes with a great deal of improvement on the training ground.

As for decreasing the intensity. That's only something that can be done as long as it's not going to have significantly negative consequences.

At this point I'd imagine it's likely to come into players thinking prior to signing and the thought processes of academies when considering loaning players to us.

Either way it's no simple solution. Get some experts in, give it a proper review and take it from there.


That being said, JDC has come in and had no problems, maybe his past club were doing something similar.

...or maybe JDC is just naturally fitter/"hardier". A lot of it is luck.

Interesting to hear you suggest we need softer pitches - the mood music coming out of Lostock seems to have been that the pitches are *too* soft, meaning they 'give' under the boot and cause msucular injuries. Lostock's very exposed abnd our weather/climate recently has been more wet than cold/frozen.

The intensity does have to be monitored. The easy impression is that we're running the new boys into the ground - probably a layman's oversimplification, but it feels like we need to take more metrics: a battery of them when we sign players and then monitor very very carefully. We can't keep losing players for a month at a time.

It's good you mentioned the pitches giving way. I did consider that but thought softer would've been a suitable catch all for all injuries likely sustainable on the playing surfaces. The point stands, you needed to ensure the intensity isn't affected by the playing surface so any improvements on the pitch requires significant financial investment.

I wonder whether we'd be having the same issues if we were still at Euxton.

[Worthy4England]

Where's Hoboh when you need him? I'm seeing a lot of words that I think Hobes might sum up as "get the soft feckers up and down Winter Hill, carrying a full pack, a few times a week." (Or in my case running up Well Street in Tyldesley, dragging a tractor tyre)

[BWFC_Insane]

Personally think the whole ‘we play and train at higher intensity than other teams’ simply means we don’t have the sports science and injury prevention staff, routines and expertise other clubs do. It’s a huge gap. Man City don’t seem to manage to injure their new players within weeks and yet I’m sure they train and play relatively intensely.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye, I think we're relatively safe in betting that Sharon is poorer than Sheikh Mansour.

[BWFC_Insane]

Aye, I think we're relatively safe in betting that Sharon is poorer than Sheikh Mansour.

Well yes but I think we obviously lost all those staff and departments and in the rebuild didn’t replace them. Now is the time as they’ve said but guess all takes time to seed.

Certainly more likely than ‘we do some magical stuff that injures players within a month or two, and we just keep doing it’.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye, I think we're relatively safe in betting that Sharon is poorer than Sheikh Mansour.

Well yes but I think we obviously lost all those staff and departments and in the rebuild didn’t replace them. Now is the time as they’ve said but guess all takes time to seed.

Certainly more likely than ‘we do some magical stuff that injures players within a month or two, and we just keep doing it’.

I've lost your point here. Are you saying we don't play with high intensity, and it's a cover story for our pennilessness?

Stats suggest we press harder than any other L1 team. Logic suggests we may well train quite hard. But yeah, I agree - we probably haven't (yet?) got the sports-science staff we need when we're putting people in the red zone.

[Worthy4England]

Aye, I think we're relatively safe in betting that Sharon is poorer than Sheikh Mansour.

Well yes but I think we obviously lost all those staff and departments and in the rebuild didn’t replace them. Now is the time as they’ve said but guess all takes time to seed.

Certainly more likely than ‘we do some magical stuff that injures players within a month or two, and we just keep doing it’.

I've lost your point here. Are you saying we don't play with high intensity, and it's a cover story for our pennilessness?

Stats suggest we press harder than any other L1 team. Logic suggests we may well train quite hard. But yeah, I agree - we probably haven't (yet?) got the sports-science staff we need when we're putting people in the red zone.

I'm not sure how much money is actually required to resolve the problem? If play at high intensity is a constant, then surely, the variables are the players and/or the training schedule to get them up to required intensity vs the risk of breaking them on the journey. If we can live with the risk we accept the breakages, if we can't, we might need to try and bed them in over a lengthier period.

I'm not sure what unlimited money/monitoring/people would actually do, to spot something like "Fred's going to tear a hamstring" - can sports science departments actually do that, or do they just look at the incidence rate, and adapt their process accordingly?

Feels to me that this is what Evatt is pretty much saying from the article...

[TANGODANCER]

Remembering where we were two years ago, mentioning us with Man City in the same sentence, paragraph, division even, is hardly compatible with much for sensible comparison." Festina Lente" was never more relevant. We're doing far better then we might think and just need to keep focussed and playing good football.