SKD - An apology

[Tombwfc]

Yeah, I don't really follow that either. Lee will struggle because he's a quality player and teams will close him down a lot, teams that close down a lot in the Premier League tend to get relegated, despite having stumbled across the formula to make quality players (like Lee) struggle.

Anyway, I think Lee's slightly off the pace, but he's basically there. The only thing he will struggle with is to live up to superhuman levels of ability people (including the manager) attributed to him when he was injured.

[boltonboris]

There were two inch-perfect balls inside their fullback he played, one for Mears in the first half, somebody else in the second, and he almost got Sordell through in the first too. He looked well off the pace to me, but our kid, who was there on Tuesday, said he looked sharper than then, so hopefully he is getting better. The eye for a pass is still there.

That pass for mears was very old actually. But I stand by my comment hat he looks way short of where I'd expect him to be after a full (and more) pre-season.

[CAPSLOCK]

Lee will look better when cockend stops sticking him on the left wing and gets somebody who can win the ball and give it to him

He's made for the right of a front 3

[boltonboris]

He is. And so is Eagles

[Peter Thompson]

Lee will look better when cockend stops sticking him on the left wing and gets somebody who can win the ball and give it to him

He's made for the right of a front 3

Absolutely....

It'll take Mike Bassett (4-4-2) & his Burnley stooges another 2 years before they 'stumble' on how to get the best out of the players we have, by that time though we may still be in the championship.

Does anyone seriously still think that Coyle is a good manager and the right man to take us forward, because I've not heard a voice all weekend support him - almost everyone I've spoken to thinks he's way out of his depth and just plainly inept.

[Gail Platz]

Yeah he did great for the 2nd goal, that was like KD of the old but in my opinion he didn't do much else in the game. He is so painfully slow, he loses the ball all the time and still does flick ons to opposing defenders on the rare occasion he does win a header.

I still think he'd be better as an impact sub than starting a game. He showed us against Wolves last season what an impact he can have coming on as a sub. I really do think an Afobe/Sordell partnership is best to start and if nothing is working put the big man on and see what problems he can cause.

I'm actually wondering from that if we watched the same game? He was involved from start to finish, ran his bollox off and was involved in both goals. As for the bold bit, what evidence do you have that an Afobe,Sordell combination would be better than one of them with SKD (or even N'gog) ? If that had been the case, then fine. Right now it's just imagination to me?

I couldn't care if his bollocks literally dropped off, he can work as hard as he wants but it doesn't mean anything when he isn't cutting it for the full game. As I say he did great for the 2nd goal but he didn't do anything else in my opinion. From the pre-season friendlies I saw much more movement and threat from Afobe and Sordell to think they deserve a chance together.

People were dying to see the positives from Lee. To be honest, I've seen next to none. Looks slow, nervous and his touch is way off.

To me Lee is getting stronger each game. He's still not back to his best but he's looking more dangerous. One or two moves with Mears last night were showing real signs of a good understanding.

Agreed with this, he's getting a lot better by the game.

[Prufrock]

There were two inch-perfect balls inside their fullback he played, one for Mears in the first half, somebody else in the second, and he almost got Sordell through in the first too. He looked well off the pace to me, but our kid, who was there on Tuesday, said he looked sharper than then, so hopefully he is getting better. The eye for a pass is still there.

That pass for mears was very old actually. But I stand by my comment hat he looks way short of where I'd expect him to be after a full (and more) pre-season.

He looks odd. He doesn't look unfit (I'd have swapped him with ten to go just for the injection of pace but he wasn't dead) and he doesn't look soft for me - took a good few sly kicks after the ball had gone- despite that he looked a bit sluggish. I'd always thought that 'match practice' was kinda bullshit, but maybe there's something there. His mind is literally 18 gazillion light years ahead of any defender in the division. Him, Eagles and Mark Davies/Petrov with Eagles in the middle would be frightening in this league.

[50sQuiff]

Lee will look better when cockend stops sticking him on the left wing and gets somebody who can win the ball and give it to him

He's made for the right of a front 3

Absolutely....

It'll take Mike Bassett (4-4-2) & his Burnley stooges another 2 years before they 'stumble' on how to get the best out of the players we have, by that time though we may still be in the championship.

Does anyone seriously still think that Coyle is a good manager and the right man to take us forward, because I've not heard a voice all weekend support him - almost everyone I've spoken to thinks he's way out of his depth and just plainly inept.

Agreed Peter. It's so obvious - and has been for so long - it's frightening. The only month we played anything but rigid 4-4-2 was the single best month of last season. Before Coyle decided to revert to type that is, and we embarked on another miserable run of form.

We'd live up to our billing as promotion favourites with Sordell up front (or K Davies when required), Lee and Eagles wide, M Davies in the hole, Andrews holding midfielder. Put solid players around them, get Ricketts back in position and you have quite a formidable side. Lee and Eagles would be better suited to the wide attacking roles and Sordell looks made for lone striker duty. Andrews has what it takes to be a holding midfielder too I think, so we might not get carved open every two minutes.

Coyle doesn't seem to understand that with the right players (which, coincidentally, we have), 4-5-1 can be both more creative (Eagles, Lee, M Davies all at liberty to get forward) and more solid (holding midfielder). It also gives you a better shot at winning the ball back, which is obviously the basis for any attacking play.

[CrazyHorse]

From the Evening News....

We will look after Davo, pledges Coyle

Wanderers will do everything they can this season to maximise the best use of in-form captain Kevin Davies , according to boss Owen Coyle.

Labelled “outstanding” by his manager, Davies has been one of the leading lights for the Whites in the Championship so far with two goals in five league outings – including what turned out to be the winner against Watford on Saturday.

But with the skipper now 35 years old, and with such a hectic schedule of 46 games in the Championship – 20 per cent more than the Premier League – Coyle knows he has to carefully manage the workload of his seasoned campaigner.

The way he has started the campaign with a bang, however, means there are no thoughts of resting him just yet with an away trip to Birmingham City tonight next on the agenda.

Coyle said: “It’s important you make sure your best players are at their prime to show their quality.

“Since Saturday, we have been looking at managing Kevin well because he is a very important player for us.

“You have to look at the recovery.

“I thought he was outstanding again on Saturday.

“I have said before that Kevin Davies doesn’t have to score goals to contribute to the team.

“But when he does, it just elevates him to another level.

“We have to make sure he is nice and fresh and ready to go again tonight.”

Coyle believes Davies is integral to Wanderers hopes of promotion this season and isn’t overly concerned about his ageing limbs – particularly after his goalscoring start to the Wanderers’ campaign.

He is full of praise for the forward, who has become Bolton’s talisman.

Coyle added: “Everybody knows my opinion of Kevin Davies.

“He is just an outstanding player and a terrific lad.

“He’s a real captain and has been in terrific form for us this season.

“When somebody gets to 30, if they have a bad game people say their legs have gone.

“At 20 – it’s just a bad game. Older players can just have bad days as well.

“I know our older players are driven to doing everything they can for the football club and Kevin Davies epitomises everything we want at Bolton Wanderers.”

Coyle is hopeful Davies isn’t the only one available again after little more than 72 hours since the last outing.

Wanderers face another hectic spell of three games in eight days, but Coyle knows his team have to adapt to the rigours of Championship football.

He said: “Hopefully, we will have a similar squad tonight to what we had on Saturday.

“We understand the nature of the fixtures and the number of them. A lot of games are squeezed in.

“This is the second time we will have had three games in a week and it is the second time despite only playing five matches.

“That’s the nature of the league and we have to understand the demands, both physically and mentally.

“It’s something we have to adjust to.”

[Bruce Rioja]

Coyle said: “It’s important you make sure your best players are at their prime to show their quality.

“Since Saturday, we have been looking at managing Kevin well because he is a very important player for us.

“You have to look at the recovery.

“I thought he was outstanding again on Saturday.

“I have said before that Kevin Davies doesn’t have to score goals to contribute to the team.

“But when he does, it just elevates him to another level.

“We have to make sure he is nice and fresh and ready to go again tonight.”

Coyle believes Davies is integral to Wanderers hopes of promotion this season and isn’t overly concerned about his ageing limbs – particularly after his goalscoring start to the Wanderers’ campaign.

He is full of praise for the forward, who has become Bolton’s talisman.

Coyle added: “Everybody knows my opinion of Kevin Davies.

“He is just an outstanding player and a terrific lad.

“He’s a real captain and has been in terrific form for us this season.

“When somebody gets to 30, if they have a bad game people say their legs have gone.

“At 20 – it’s just a bad game. Older players can just have bad days as well.

“I know our older players are driven to doing everything they can for the football club and Kevin Davies epitomises everything we want at Bolton Wanderers.”

Coyle is hopeful Davies isn’t the only one available again after little more than 72 hours since the last outing.

Wanderers face another hectic spell of three games in eight days, but Coyle knows his team have to adapt to the rigours of Championship football.

He said: “Hopefully, we will have a similar squad tonight to what we had on Saturday.

“We understand the nature of the fixtures and the number of them. A lot of games are squeezed in.

“This is the second time we will have had three games in a week and it is the second time despite only playing five matches.

“That’s the nature of the league and we have to understand the demands, both physically and mentally.

“It’s something we have to adjust to.”

Look at that! I'm a NPower Championship away from a bingo. "The league"? Wanker. Coyle out!

[TANGODANCER]

Look at that! I'm a NPower Championship away from a bingo. "The league"? Wanker. Coyle out!

Don't give up hope till after tonight's post-match interview.