Bolton v Wolves

[HMX]

2-1. We can do this.

[Worthy4England]

2-1. We can do this.

I've got us down for 2-1 too. Wouldn't put a large bet on it though...

[Armchair Wanderer]

4-3-3 is too narrow, everything through the middle, easy to defend esp if forwards are not in form.
4-5-1 is too defensive, you can win the ball but it's hard to get forward and support the 1.
4-4-2 .. people are saying we're getting overrun in midfield and losing the ball too easily.

When I've seen us play badly it's been the stray passes that have killed us, not really the formation imo. Had the passes got to where they were supposed to go we'd have been fine. When we start chipping the ball up to one another like we're playing volleyball it's generally not going too well. Maybe we were passing badly because of the formation!?

[Prufrock]

Why is everyone picking Ricketts?

Steinsson plays well for a few games, then, as is his wont, has a shocker, so folk clamour for Ricketts at RB, who then, without fail, comes in to prove why Steiner is first pick. He was torn to shreds by Victor fecking Moses the other week. If a winger can run, which, for example Hammil and especially Jarvis can, Ricketts is utter dogshit.

[CrazyHorse]

1-0 to us.
Shit game. Freezing cold. Taylor flukey free kick.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Why is everyone picking Ricketts?

Steinsson plays well for a few games , then, as is his wont, has a shocker , so folk clamour for Ricketts at RB , who then, without fail, comes in to prove why Steiner is first pick . He was torn to shreds by Victor fecking Moses the other week. If a winger can run, which, for example Hammil and especially Jarvis can, Ricketts is utter dogshit.

[Lofthouse Lower]

BBC Preview

Bolton could give a debut to on-loan striker Daniel Sturridge, while Stuart Holden and Gary Cahill will both be recalled.

Chung-Yong Lee has returned from the Asian Cup and could be involved.

Wolves midfielder Stephen Hunt is sidelined with a calf injury, although new loan signing Jamie O'Hara is fit.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake played the last 15 minutes against Stoke following injury and looks set to feature, and Kevin Doyle should return from illness.

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Bolton

Doubtful: Chung-Yong Lee (fatigue), Steinsson (knee)

Injured: S Davis & J O'Brien (both knee), Gardner (thigh), Samuel (calf)

Wolves

Injured: Guedioura (broken leg), Hunt (calf), Kightly & Mancienne (both knee)

MATCH PREVIEW

Both Bolton and Wolves have endured erratic form in recent weeks, leaving their fans wondering what the second half of the season holds in store for their beloved Wanderers.

The club has always had great games against Wolves... for the duration of the match we will both be going hammer and tong to get the right result

Owen Coyle, Bolton manager
Bolton are on a run of five league games without a win for only the second time since Owen Coyle took charge in January 2010. The Trotters boss has his work cut out to revive any European ambitions this season as his side have slipped from fourth position into the bottom half of the table in little over 10 weeks.

This poor run has coincided with a goal drought for strikers Kevin Davies and Johan Elmander who have both scored only once during this period, having previously plundered 14 goals between them in Bolton's opening 14 games. It is a reason as to why Daniel Sturridge has arrived on loan from Chelsea for the rest of the season.

The visitors have conceded seven goals in their last two Premier League fixtures to damage confidence built up around the Christmas period, when they accrued 12 of their season's total of 21 points.

Mick McCarthy knows that if his side are to have any genuine hopes of Premier League survival they need to start winning away from Molineux. Wolves have earned just four away points from a possible 33 to date, four fewer than any other club.

MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head

• Bolton are looking to complete a Premier League double over Wolves for the first time. It is a decade since they last beat Wolves both home and away, doing so in the second tier during the 2000/01 campaign.

• Wolves have won only one of their last eight league matches against Bolton - a 2-1 Premier League home victory in December 2009, with Jody Craddock and Nenad Milijas supplying the home side's goals.

• Wolves have not won in their last seven league visits to Bolton, since a 3-1 victory in the second tier in March 1994. Guy Whittingham scored twice for the visitors that day.

Bolton

• The Trotters have lost six of their last nine league games. This run of seven points from a possible 27 has seen them slump from sixth to 11th place.

• Owen Coyle's men are yet to lose to a side currently in the bottom half of the table: P11, W3, D8.

• They have kept just two league clean sheets this season, both at the Reebok Stadium.

• If selected, Kevin Davies will be making his 400th Premier League appearance. He will become only the fifth striker to reach this landmark, after Emile Heskey, Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham and Andrew Cole.

Wolves

• Just one of Wolves' six league wins have come against sides currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

• Defeat for Wolves would signal three successive league defeats for a third time this season.

• Wolves have lost more matches (14) this season than any other club in the Premier League.

• Mick McCarthy's men have drawn just three games so far this season. Their last came at home to West Ham during October, some 15 matches ago.

LEADING GOALSCORERS

Bolton

Elmander: 10 goals (9 league); K Davies: 8 goals (7 league)

Wolves

Fletcher: 6 goals (4 league);
Doyle & Milijas: 5 goals (2 league)

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Peter Walton

Assistant referees: Andy Garratt & Adam Watts

Fourth official: Michael Oliver

LAST LEAGUE MATCH LINE-UPS

Bolton (L0-4 v Chelsea, h): Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Robinson, Cahill, Knight, Muamba (Davies 63), Taylor, Holden (Blake 87), Petrov (Moreno 63), Elmander, Davies. Subs not used: Bogdan, Ricketts, Wheater, Davies, Cohen, Moreno, Blake.

Wolves (L0-3 v Liverpool, h): Hennessey, Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Ward, Jarvis, Henry, Milijas, Hunt (Hammill 72), Doyle, Fletcher. Subs not used: Hahnemann, Craddock, David Jones, Vokes, Mouyokolo, Davis.

[Lord Kangana]

I'm obviously getting confused, but i thought we did the double over them a few years back in their last spell in the top flight.

[General Mannerheim]

first double of this season.

[thebish]

I'm obviously getting confused, but i thought we did the double over them a few years back in their last spell in the top flight.

nope - that season was a win and a draw... we won away and drew at home

(maybe the draw FELT like a win - cos KD equalised in the 85th minute...)

our last league double over them was in the championship 2000/2001

[ohjimmyjimmy]

I dont care how we win...1-0 thanks to a first minute Scott Green goal will do me, followed by 90 minutes of hoofball and a nice snooze in between.

[BWFC_Wyles]

I dont care how we win...1-0 thanks to a first minute Scott Green goal will do me, followed by 90 minutes of hoofball and a nice snooze in between.

Exactly! Just like last season's fixture. A 1-0 win followed by several scares in our penalty area will definitely do me tonight.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Yep, and we'll watch the defence slowly get deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until eventually Gary Cahill is sat on Jussi's face..!

[thebish]

Yep, and we'll watch the defence slowly get deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until eventually Gary Cahill is sat on Jussi's face..!

now there's an image that doesn't go well with breakfast!

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Serves you right for getting up so late !

[Bruno3]

Don't really want to start another "have a go at Jussi" session but I hope that someone cuts the rope that usually keeps him tied to the goal-line. Catching the odd cross or two would relieve the pressure enormously.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Gaffer on Chungy

“We need to assess where he’s at because he’s had a busy period. It’s something we have to be wary of and look at but if we can manage that properly, as we have done, then there’s no doubt he’s got a big, big part to play.

“If he’s looking in good shape he’ll certainly be in the squad for Wolves.”

[BWFC_Wyles]

GREAT NEWS! By God we've missed the little fella

[Lofthouse Lower]

Start with Rodders on that side, with Lee to come on should we need

[seanworth]

Good to hear he is back and healthy. For this match though and maybe the next he should come on from the bench.

Really need to win this game tonight.