Between the lines. Home to Reading, Sat 21st Sept/ 3'oclock.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thomason captain then? Can’t have done much for santos confidence?

Sometimes it's just worth taking Santos out of the firing line. Captaincy doesn't help him avoid pressure.

It’s a decision that should have been made this summer. Reactive, not proactive now.

I like Thommo a lot. Easily my favourite player. But I’m pretty angry about this. He’s 23. He has leadership qualities but no way should we be asking a developing talent to captain this side in this scenario.

He will probably do it well but at what cost? And all these senior pros - not one is better equipped to lead a side in this situation? Speaks volumes. Absolute volumes. Evatt hasn’t signed a single leader. Or anyone with any character. In more or less his whole time here.

[officer_dibble]

Agreed. It’s a poor do.

[The_Gun]

Thomason captain then? Can’t have done much for santos confidence?

Sometimes it's just worth taking Santos out of the firing line. Captaincy doesn't help him avoid pressure.

It’s a decision that should have been made this summer. Reactive, not proactive now.

I like Thommo a lot. Easily my favourite player. But I’m pretty angry about this. He’s 23. He has leadership qualities but no way should we be asking a developing talent to captain this side in this scenario.

He will probably do it well but at what cost? And all these senior pros - not one is better equipped to lead a side in this situation? Speaks volumes. Absolute volumes. Evatt hasn’t signed a single leader. Or anyone with any character. In more or less his whole time here.

Have you still not clocked that Evatt isn’t in charge of recruitment?

[BWFC_Insane]

Thomason captain then? Can’t have done much for santos confidence?

Sometimes it's just worth taking Santos out of the firing line. Captaincy doesn't help him avoid pressure.

It’s a decision that should have been made this summer. Reactive, not proactive now.

I like Thommo a lot. Easily my favourite player. But I’m pretty angry about this. He’s 23. He has leadership qualities but no way should we be asking a developing talent to captain this side in this scenario.

He will probably do it well but at what cost? And all these senior pros - not one is better equipped to lead a side in this situation? Speaks volumes. Absolute volumes. Evatt hasn’t signed a single leader. Or anyone with any character. In more or less his whole time here.

Have you still not clocked that Evatt isn’t in charge of recruitment?

He decides who to sign. He doesn’t do all the research and digital number crunching himsel. But he’s said it himself - he decides.

[boltonboris]

Thomason captain then? Can’t have done much for santos confidence?

Not sure it will affect him, as it’ll be his own decision

[Worthy4England]

Sam comments, especially about plan B. Spot on.
Thomo Captain. He's been doing more of that for months IMO. Very often it's him talking in pre-game huddle etc.

[The_Gun]

Well I’m not sure how anyone of a Bolton persuasion could be confident of getting a result, but I sincerely hope that today marks the beginning of the turnaround.

Perhaps the players can channel adversity into a performance free from inhibitions, but I worry that the prevailing mood around the club may lead to the exact opposite.

As ever, COYWM!

[Worthy4England]

The players haven't suddenly become bad. He needs to motivate too. If IE can't get rid of his witch doctors in his head, that's going to be a problem.

COYWM.

Regulation 2-0 win.

[TANGODANCER]

Well I’m not sure how anyone of a Bolton persuasion could be confident of getting a result, but I sincerely hope that today marks the beginning of the turnaround.

Perhaps the players can channel adversity into a performance free from inhibitions, but I worry that the prevailing mood around the club may lead to the exact opposite.

As ever, COYWM!

Can anyone of any persuasion actually be fully confident of getting a result? I doubt it. Too many ifs and buts involved all round and the season hasn't unfolded enough yet . End of day it's all down to the players themselves; as ever the first goal is crucial. We're as capable of winning as the next team or we're in the wrong league. COME ON YOU WHITES..!

[BorsdaneWhite]

Couldn’t even bring myself to participate last weekend. Was unsalvageably sad. That negativity, I’m afraid, has washed through to this weekend. All just feels so ugly. And I think it’ll get uglier. 0-4 again, for me. I’d love to be wrong. And for you to tell me how wrong I am. How nihilistic. How brittle. Please.

[The_Gun]

Couldn’t even bring myself to participate last weekend. Was unsalvageably sad. That negativity, I’m afraid, has washed through to this weekend. All just feels so ugly. And I think it’ll get uglier. 0-4 again, for me. I’d love to be wrong. And for you to tell me how wrong I am. How nihilistic. How brittle. Please.

Blimey, I hope you’re not right. The away end at Arsenal’s not going to be much fun if you are!

[dave the minion]

Couldn’t even bring myself to participate last weekend. Was unsalvageably sad. That negativity, I’m afraid, has washed through to this weekend. All just feels so ugly. And I think it’ll get uglier. 0-4 again, for me. I’d love to be wrong. And for you to tell me how wrong I am. How nihilistic. How brittle. Please.

You're wrong.
It'll be reet. We'll sh1t 'em....

[truewhite15]

Couldn’t even bring myself to participate last weekend. Was unsalvageably sad. That negativity, I’m afraid, has washed through to this weekend. All just feels so ugly. And I think it’ll get uglier. 0-4 again, for me. I’d love to be wrong. And for you to tell me how wrong I am. How nihilistic. How brittle. Please.

I mean. We can say that it probably won't be 0-4 again, purely on the basis of chance and odds. Maybe.

[Prufrock]

Team will be interesting.

Does he stay 343? Back himself that they're on the right track but it needs some coaching tweaks (hence changes) and hope for something to click?

Is it bunker mentality, back to 352 - hey we were close last year and recruitment has been good?

Or is it 433, what he claims he's always wanted to play, if he's going down he might as well make sure he doesn't die wondering.

I can see any of those, tbh.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Team will be interesting.

Does he stay 343? Back himself that they're on the right track but it needs some coaching tweaks (hence changes) and hope for something to click?

Is it bunker mentality, back to 352 - hey we were close last year and recruitment has been good?

Or is it 433, what he claims he's always wanted to play, if he's going down he might as well make sure he doesn't die wondering.

I can see any of those, tbh.

Yeah, pretty much what I was saying. I would say that if he sticks with the 343 he's more stubborn than I thought, and I'm not sure he wants to go down that way.

Changing formation would throw a bit of meat to the fans. Would also let him play Sheehan (in either 3142 or 433) without leaving midfield too open.

[officer_dibble]

One change might be the keeper. New lad bit more likely to give it a boot rather than straight to their centre forward?

[McD]

Fair, but I think some do forget, and seem to think that Getting It Up The Pitch helps the entertainment. It happened on Saturday - boos when the ball went back to Baxter ("Get it forward!"), quickly seguing into more boos when he did so and their centre-back briefly stopped sucking on his cigar to tower over Dion.

Winning always trumps losing, obvz, but losing with 27% possession feels much more soul-destroying to me than losing with 60% or whatever. As I've said, those last two seasons under Parky, where we basically cowered and winced and were rarely in control of our own destiny, were far harder for me to watch than the mild frustration of not breaking down a low block.

And to bring it bang up to date, watching us this Saturday gormlessly knock it long to yon centre-back was much worse than watching us try to pass through them. Neither's great.

Couldn’t disagree more with this. The most attractive side Parky had was the first one with Ameobi, Clough, Vela. All supporting a striker, with fluidity and all able to drive forwards in their own way. Ameobi and Clough were exciting to watch and Vela looked like scoring goals from all over. It was a good brand of football that wasn’t about stringing 60% possession together through sideways passes.

He now with Wrexham has one of if not the highest win percentages in the league and plays football that is far preferable to what we do. We can all argue about our capability at the time for the championship but Evatt’s drivel that you play this way to ensure you are better equipped when you go up is so utterly laughable it’s beyond belief he would even have tried that one.

I don’t care if we pump it at a target man or don’t. What we absolutely need to do is get up the pitch far quicker and when we do deliver balls into the danger area.

As it stands we make teams defend very little they watch us pass in front of them. We have no counter punch. No pace. And no players who come close to generating excitement like Ameobi and Clough could. Nor do we have a midfield player who can score goals the like of which vela did.

We pass the ball sideways and backwards and the crowd have rightly had enough of it. Goals are scored more often the fewer touches you take. That’s a fact. We take so many touches and let teams get set and have absolutely no drive or intensity in our attacks.

Creating chances and forcing teams on the back foot and making them defend is what excites a Bolton crowd and how we play under Evatt has rarely managed to do that.

No so Insane then. A well articulated and reasoned response. A great shame that I can only agree 100% with it - Thankyou

Regarding today's game: I fully expect a 0-0 draw or a 0-2 loss. BWFC same old drivel and Reading having had the red-hot poker treatment after last weeks performance.
1. The takeover at Reading has fallen through (the Chinese owner has called it off and sent the American packing, even though he now owes Rob Couhig round £4 million (yes, £4m). Normally this would likely to affect the players - But not with their manager!
2. A good friend reported that Reading losing to the O's was the worst display he had seen in 60 years! So, I expect we could receive a backlash.
3. I have now stopped screaming at the television and await the inevitable. Spending my time thinking what excuses IE will trot out at the end of each game.
Last season, at the away fixture, I passed comment on IE to my friend in earshot of SB, whose own conversation stopped to listen, but no reaction or comment (none expected, it was simply to alert her to an alternative perspective on the performance, or lack of it from IE.
Have supported BWFC for 66+ years and will continue to do so. Lived through the high and lows, this is just another low point. So onward and upward, looking forward to a new manager, whenever that comes about.

[BWFC_Insane]

Fair, but I think some do forget, and seem to think that Getting It Up The Pitch helps the entertainment. It happened on Saturday - boos when the ball went back to Baxter ("Get it forward!"), quickly seguing into more boos when he did so and their centre-back briefly stopped sucking on his cigar to tower over Dion.

Winning always trumps losing, obvz, but losing with 27% possession feels much more soul-destroying to me than losing with 60% or whatever. As I've said, those last two seasons under Parky, where we basically cowered and winced and were rarely in control of our own destiny, were far harder for me to watch than the mild frustration of not breaking down a low block.

And to bring it bang up to date, watching us this Saturday gormlessly knock it long to yon centre-back was much worse than watching us try to pass through them. Neither's great.

Couldn’t disagree more with this. The most attractive side Parky had was the first one with Ameobi, Clough, Vela. All supporting a striker, with fluidity and all able to drive forwards in their own way. Ameobi and Clough were exciting to watch and Vela looked like scoring goals from all over. It was a good brand of football that wasn’t about stringing 60% possession together through sideways passes.

He now with Wrexham has one of if not the highest win percentages in the league and plays football that is far preferable to what we do. We can all argue about our capability at the time for the championship but Evatt’s drivel that you play this way to ensure you are better equipped when you go up is so utterly laughable it’s beyond belief he would even have tried that one.

I don’t care if we pump it at a target man or don’t. What we absolutely need to do is get up the pitch far quicker and when we do deliver balls into the danger area.

As it stands we make teams defend very little they watch us pass in front of them. We have no counter punch. No pace. And no players who come close to generating excitement like Ameobi and Clough could. Nor do we have a midfield player who can score goals the like of which vela did.

We pass the ball sideways and backwards and the crowd have rightly had enough of it. Goals are scored more often the fewer touches you take. That’s a fact. We take so many touches and let teams get set and have absolutely no drive or intensity in our attacks.

Creating chances and forcing teams on the back foot and making them defend is what excites a Bolton crowd and how we play under Evatt has rarely managed to do that.

No so Insane then. A well articulated and reasoned response. A great shame that I can only agree 100% with it - Thankyou

Regarding today's game: I fully expect a 0-0 draw or a 0-2 loss. BWFC same old drivel and Reading having had the red-hot poker treatment after last weeks performance.
1. The takeover at Reading has fallen through (the Chinese owner has called it off and sent the American packing, even though he now owes Rob Couhig round £4 million (yes, £4m). Normally this would likely to affect the players - But not with their manager!
2. A good friend reported that Reading losing to the O's was the worst display he had seen in 60 years! So, I expect we could receive a backlash.
3. I have now stopped screaming at the television and await the inevitable. Spending my time thinking what excuses IE will trot out at the end of each game.
Last season, at the away fixture, I passed comment on IE to my friend in earshot of SB, whose own conversation stopped to listen, but no reaction or comment (none expected, it was simply to alert her to an alternative perspective on the performance, or lack of it from IE.
Have supported BWFC for 66+ years and will continue to do so. Lived through the high and lows, this is just another low point. So onward and upward, looking forward to a new manager, whenever that comes about.

I suspect we win today because reading aren’t great and Evatt will be under pressure so will have to prioritise a result over his brand. Sadly I can’t see Sharon making a decision - we are in a form of purgatory for the forseeable. Sunderland down here for a long time and sadly we will be too.

[DJBlu]

Moving onto Sharon this week?

Yer we won and all that but..

Zero platform for anyone to succeed.

Bet the gravy is always lumpy in your house.

[Mar]

Fair, but I think some do forget, and seem to think that Getting It Up The Pitch helps the entertainment. It happened on Saturday - boos when the ball went back to Baxter ("Get it forward!"), quickly seguing into more boos when he did so and their centre-back briefly stopped sucking on his cigar to tower over Dion.

Winning always trumps losing, obvz, but losing with 27% possession feels much more soul-destroying to me than losing with 60% or whatever. As I've said, those last two seasons under Parky, where we basically cowered and winced and were rarely in control of our own destiny, were far harder for me to watch than the mild frustration of not breaking down a low block.

And to bring it bang up to date, watching us this Saturday gormlessly knock it long to yon centre-back was much worse than watching us try to pass through them. Neither's great.

I think there's merit to this view. We can be frustrated with dominating possession and not doing enough with it (bearing our frustration) or we can be frustrated that the games too open.

Parky did a great job here but for me Evatt's football is a nicer watch. The trouble with that view is that there is a sweet middle ground that makes the best with what we have. We need to be competitive in fixtures against tougher teams and Evatt hasn't seemed to find a way to do that. Parky knew how to do that and his teams were setup with that in mind.

We need Parky's football in the tough games and Evatt's football in the not so tough games. A plan B if you will.