Doomsday: Stoke away

[LiOC]

I have a horrible horrible feeling we're gonna beat stoke but QPR will get the draw. Meaning we go down regardless and united win the title.

I get your feeling Puskas, everyweek I come home deflated, wonder why I have a season ticket, why I'm going to next week's match but by the wednesday or thursday all I'm doing is looking forward to the next match. I don't think I have an addiction to misery, I have an addiction to the feeling you get when the ball goes in the net and we win and I go every week on the offchance that it might happen.

[BWFC_Insane]

I like it! The eternal cycle of misery for a supporter of a non top 6 club. Perhaps ED will put us all out of our misery and bring in the receivers. It would certainly need more than a Golden Gamble to make up the monies needed.

This is the problem, though. The Premier League is a farce. All the credibility of X-Factor. We know, before the start of the season, that the winner will come from one of three clubs. Pile up the money, count it, award the trophy to the biggest wad.

We enjoyed the premiership plenty when we finished in the top half four years running and qualified for Europe twice. And we weren't in the richest ten clubs then, not by a long chalk.

Its always been the case that the richest clubs do best on average. Its not changed. The gap probably hasn't either.

Being down the bottom was as miserable back in pre-premiership times as it is now.

The penalties for failure are higher.

And the over exposure on the telly means that its no longer enjoyment enough seeing good players pitch up at your ground even if you lose....

But I can't go along with it being much different than it ever was.

[Lord Kangana]

So when you said what Allardyce did couldn't be done under Megson because the goalposts had moved, you lied?

[coffeymagic]

I'm a perfectly rational human being. I've been watching Bolton for 30 years now and have seem them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so many times that it shouldn't annoy me or even surprise me any more.

The script's already written.

City will not be able to handle the pressure of having United breathing down their necks and will blow it on Sunday. QPR will probably end up scoring two or three (step forward Joey Barton).

We'll fanny about for 85 minutes. Left, right, back, right, left, left, left, left, back, right.

And then Stoke will score.

The only good thing about the above is that it's 'out of our hands' and it means I will not have to cheer City on to their first Premier League title.

We'd never hear the end of that.

Mancini out.

[coffeymagic]

Oh yeah. And the other certainty is that knowing we could need ONE GOAL to stay up Coyle will pack the side with the goal machines of SKD, Klasnic and David 'Money Down the B'og' N'gog.

Light the blue touch paper and stand well back.

Well actually you can hold this banger in your teeth - it's a dud.

[ohjimmyjimmy]

FWIW i think City will breeze it, they have too many experienced quality players who could care less about City's history and therefore won't feel the nerves of having deliver to something for the club, but rather for their own personal achievment and winning mentality. I think they'll shit em, and QPR will retreat into a shell at 2-0 and give City the game, hoping for news from Stoke that we havent won.

[BWFC_Insane]

So when you said what Allardyce did couldn't be done under Megson because the goalposts had moved, you lied?

What are you on about? How does that relate to my above post?

[boltonboris]

Because you seem to be saying that it's impossible for Megson to do it, but not Coyle. Despite Coyle having a smaller budget and other teams having bigger budgets

[gemchris1977]

Am desparate to go and cheer the lads on bu cannot get a ticket if anyone has a spare will pay face value for it please PM me

[BWFC_Insane]

Because you seem to be saying that it's impossible for Megson to do it, but not Coyle. Despite Coyle having a smaller budget and other teams having bigger budgets

In that post? I'm saying we enjoyed the premiership for four years against the "monetary odds". My broad point being that a) it is possible to punch against the financial odds for a period at least.

b) The posts about the "farcical" premiership only arise when we're struggling. We weren't complaining 5 or so years back.

[Puskas]

But I can't go along with it being much different than it ever was.

Really? Not much different than ever?

In 1978 Forest won the league, the year after being promoted. Since it's not much different than ever, presumably you think Reading are viable title contenders? No? Oh...

This year is only the second year since the Premier League was formed that all three promoted clubs have stayed up (the last time it happened was 11 years ago. Two of the three that went up then are going down this year. Some sort of symmetry, perhaps).

But, in any event, whilst money has always been an advantage, the difference between the top few (the three title contenders, the two or three just below them competing for the last Champions league spot) and the rest has grown massively. To deny that is just silly.

[Puskas]

Because you seem to be saying that it's impossible for Megson to do it, but not Coyle. Despite Coyle having a smaller budget and other teams having bigger budgets

b) The posts about the "farcical" premiership only arise when we're struggling. We weren't complaining 5 or so years back.

I was. I've complained about the Premier League, and its distribution of wealth to the richer clubs ever since it was formed. But that's by-the-by. It's getting worse. It'll keep getting worse.

[Dr Hotdog]

My one hope, whatever happens on the pitch at Stoke and Eastlands, is that the fans of Bolton Wanderers Football Club remain respectable.

[BWFC_Insane]

But I can't go along with it being much different than it ever was.

Really? Not much different than ever?

In 1978 Forest won the league, the year after being promoted. Since it's not much different than ever, presumably you think Reading are viable title contenders? No? Oh...

This year is only the second year since the Premier League was formed that all three promoted clubs have stayed up (the last time it happened was 11 years ago. Two of the three that went up then are going down this year. Some sort of symmetry, perhaps).

But, in any event, whilst money has always been an advantage, the difference between the top few (the three title contenders, the two or three just below them competing for the last Champions league spot) and the rest has grown massively. To deny that is just silly.

The opposing argument to that being that....in the not too distant past Man City were in League One. They are now one win away from winning the premiership.

Yes its taken a cash injection from foreign owners....but the end result is still the same.

Nottingham Forest, were they not also the first club in that era to spend a million pounds on a player?

I take your general point, but money has always talked. It may be to a greater or lesser extent, but I don't think being a struggling top flight side is any harder or more "miserable" now than it was then.

[boltonboris]

WE CAN DO IT!! THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!

[coffeymagic]

Am desparate to go and cheer the lads on bu cannot get a ticket if anyone has a spare will pay face value for it please PM me

Face value you say? Wow that is desperate.

Hold on to your money there Rockerfella!

[BWFC_Insane]

WE CAN DO IT!! THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!

After the dissapointment of Sunday when it really felt like we were down, in the cold light of day you have to say that we have a chance at Stoke.

They aren't playing for anything. We won there a couple of years back.

We should go with an attitude of nothing to lose, most people think we're down, but IF we go and balance having a go with remaining solid then why not?

Stoke have had a long season with Europe (they're tired, we know what thats like) and if we get at them you just never know.

It feels like there is one final twist somewhere this season. We are the most likely twist given that Citeh would have to be shocking to blow the title now......

We've got nowt to lose, lets go and give it a bash. We owe Muamba and all our "injured" that much at least!

[boltonboris]

WE CAN DO IT!! THINK POSITIVE THOUGHTS!!

but IF we go and balance having a go with remaining solid then why not?

That's the key! Let's hope the players work as hard in training as they ever have and our manager finds this formula when it counts

[gemchris1977]

Just wanna go and cheer them on

[CrazyHorse]

in the cold light of day you have to say that we have a chance at Stoke.

We've got fck all chance at Stoke. It's the final nail in the coffin of a terrible season and I for one can't wait for it to be finally over with this time next week.

And Stoke are playing for something; they have the perfect chance to pay us back for the drubbing we gave them by not only beating us but being the ones to send us down. They're going to love it.