Welcome to Bolton. Wrexham (h), 18/08, 3pm

[malcd1]

Just back from the game - nothing has changed at all tactically, lack of intensity and zero creativity - intensity and drive increased with Dempsey & Matete last 10 mins.

I though Wrexham where poor, we should have hammered them in the 1st half - everything is too slow, walking football again but with slightly less sideways passing at the back (apart from Sheehan) zero midfield creativity, Sheehan did nothing apart from a million short sideways passing & Thomasson was poor 1st half, better 2nd half.

We could have had Haaland up front and I doubt that we would have scored - Johnston, Schon, Santos did well, I thought Charles, Collins & McAtee didn't work - yes its early doors but they were there for the taking today and we were not good enough.

By the way I'm not sure if the TV picked up on it , but there where plenty of boos at the end.

You wish.

Wish what ?, did you go to the game ?, I'm serious there where plenty of boos at the end.

I sit in the East Upper. There were no boo's around me and I heard none from anywhere else.

[DJBlu]

Just back from the game - nothing has changed at all tactically, lack of intensity and zero creativity - intensity and drive increased with Dempsey & Matete last 10 mins.

I though Wrexham where poor, we should have hammered them in the 1st half - everything is too slow, walking football again but with slightly less sideways passing at the back (apart from Sheehan) zero midfield creativity, Sheehan did nothing apart from a million short sideways passing & Thomasson was poor 1st half, better 2nd half.

We could have had Haaland up front and I doubt that we would have scored - Johnston, Schon, Santos did well, I thought Charles, Collins & McAtee didn't work - yes its early doors but they were there for the taking today and we were not good enough.

By the way I'm not sure if the TV picked up on it , but there where plenty of boos at the end.

You wish.

Wish what ?, did you go to the game ?, I'm serious there where plenty of boos at the end.

I sit in the East Upper. There were no boo's around me and I heard none from anywhere else.

Sadly on holiday so had to take my cousins word for it and she confirmed that she didn't hear any either.

[Worthy4England]

I don't expect us to win 4/5 nil, and we didn't really look likely to lose, but that should have been a game to win, based on our asprations to go up, and that didn't look too likely either.

It should shock no-one that there's an opposition, and our job is to beat them. They weren't great today.

They've conceded 6 this season, including 2 at home to Wycombe, I doubt we'll get as easy a game at their gaff.

Defensively we looked pretty solid and they delivered me a clean sheet.

[GhostoftheBok]

For all the detractors today, there may be more to today's positives than is immediately evident.

It's also a case of people apparently not wanting to hear.

It was clear this kind of creative issue was going to be there in the early stages, with the tweaked system, new players and injuries that disrupted preseason.

Apparently saying that was "obvious", but then when it happens people are shocked and appalled.

Football isn't fecking magic. You work and improve. The same issues impact teams all the time. You can't just wave a wand and cure all ills.

We are unbeaten in 3. That's the first game we've genuinely controlled. The press and counter press were much improved. The result was poor and we should have done more to win it.

We have a week to kick on again. Then 6 in 3 weeks to put theory into practice and get everyone up to speed.

Huge week for the coaches and players.

[Bertie Wooster]

Also lots walking out saying nothing has changed its just like last season - again I'm sure this will be disputed and I'll be lying.

In response to Malc I was in the West Upper near to the North stand, deffo plenty boos as it actually surprised me.

[truewhite15]

We won't truly know how good a point that was until probably nearer the end of September. I've got no idea where Wrexham are expected to be - could well be that we've thrown two away against relegation fodder, or it could be that we were unlucky not to get all three against promotion hopefuls.

Until then, I call it decent. Clean sheet and a good (not great, definitely not awful/insipid/boring) performance for the start of the season. Schon and Johnston looked good together. Thomason and Sheehan again were positive. McAtee showed a bit more what he's capable of.

People will see what they want to see. Seems like a lot turned up wanting us to be shit to prove their biases.

For the record, pitch-side at the North Lower, I heard a smattering of boos. No more than that. Don't know whether they were targeted at the ref for not giving a stonewall penalty for the shirt pull on Rico, or whether it was the usual collection of morons booing a perfectly serviceable performance.

[GhostoftheBok]

If Bertie sits in the West Upper near the aways then he will have heard boos.

There's an absolute dickhead who sits near the aisle who screams dogs abuse at Evatt at every game, as well as a group of lads further back who were booing when we were two up against Exeter.

I can absolutely believe they were livid this afternoon. They're why I switch my season tickets.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Two teams that largely cancelled each other out today. I'd have hoped our extra quality would have provided a couple of moments to get us a goal or two. Not concerned yet, but good to see a bit more solidity. Plenty to work on and important we start to gel quickly, or we'll be dropping below Ghost's 2PPP

[GhostoftheBok]

or we'll be dropping below Ghost's 2PPP

Heaven forbid.

[TANGODANCER]

Not the end of he world, but disappointing. More then a bit Ground Hog Day continuing from last season. We were a decent side, but not a good side today. A good side would have won .Yes, we can be a very good side, but not playing like today. We have to finish what we start, and that we didn't do. We did little wrong, but not enough right.

The facts: This is Division One and we know what football is like here. Brownie's plan was clear, keep us out and hope for a break opportunity. Most teams we play will adopt the modus operandum .The longer the game went on at 0-0 the better their chances of snatching a goal and a win despite our possession stats. We were the home side with a massive crowd and it proved no advantage in the end. There is just no point wellying balls forth against a packed defence with a lone ranger White our only attack threat. Neither is there any point in having big Rick in their box unless we go for headed set pieces. They clear and he's marooned behind pacy wingers or strikers. More than any of these, LEARN TO SHOOT...! If Evatt does have a fault in his make-up it's the same one Big Same tried to apply to J.J Okocha about not shooting from outside the box.

When Dempsey came on we look much more dangerous, but he's only one man. Curly efforts, shots or crosses, are bread and butter to decent tall keepers and hard low shots are much more likely not to be head tennis fodder. Ole football is fine when you're a couple of goals ahead and should be saved for that. Get the goals first....or we're going nowhere. S the Bard would have said "A goal, by any other name, counts just as sweetly !". Let's put our errors right now rather than later. Amen.

Next...
.

[GhostoftheBok]

Realistically, that draw makes it hard to stay above 2PPG in the immediacy.

Charlton next. They will really test us for 90 minutes. We have to be better.

[DJBlu]

Realistically, that draw makes it hard to stay above 2PPG in the immediacy.

Charlton next. They will really test us for 90 minutes. We have to be better.

4 / 2 = 2 ppg.
That defence vs Leyton Orient = 2 nil.
Jack Iredale in there today and God knows.

If everyone is on the same hymn sheet we absolutely smash this league. If not then...

[DJBlu]

The only things that worries me is Collins and Charles. Needs to click soon.

[GhostoftheBok]

The only things that worries me is Collins and Charles. Needs to click soon.

The back four unit is superb - Baxter, Toal, Santos, Johnston. Absolute gold. Clean sheets written all over that lot, with the correct press in front of them.

As I said before, Wrexham had scored 5 in 2 this season. 89 in the league last season. They offered nothing. That's because of how we did the other side of the game today.

We are being careful about where we attack and risk the ball. That makes us more defensively solid, but also means it'll take time to work out the patterns.

This was predictable and obvious. Nobody should be at all surprised, or upset.

[The_Gun]

The only things that worries me is Collins and Charles. Needs to click soon.

There’s a reasonably strong argument to play Vic over Charles, I’d say.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah very very lacklustre to say the least. Wrexham aren’t some defensive juggernaut under Parky yet they looked incredibly comfortable defending against our sideways passing. We rarely looked threatening and for me the system has huge question marks on it. Right now it’s dragging Collins and McAtee into areas they can’t threaten from and aren’t particularly good playing in. They need to be in and around the box on defenders shoulders not in no man’s land in midfield.

We need two players who can run at teams. Ameobi, Clough like. Players who can beat a man in those number 10 positions consistently and hit the byline. We also need some players who can hit a decent delivery. We barely bother to put the ball into the box (which is why how we play is so yawn inducing) but when we do it’s pub league quality - actually not even that good. Someone surely has to be signed who can put a cross on the penalty spot with some consistency?

I thought there were few positives. Johnston looked back to his best at least first half. Dempsey and Matete added some ‘desire’ into what had been before it one of the limpest and wettest performances you can imagine. Thomason is growing into a leader and mostly anything good went through him. But after that I’d struggle.

The game was summed up by the fact that in the closing minute the ball breaks to Arfield on half way for a chance of a break. He stops. Holds the ball. Lets Wrexham get everyone back behind the ball before deciding we should resume our sideways and backwards passing. If anything sums us up it’s that.

Huge huge improvements needed.

[Bertie Wooster]

The game was summed up by the fact that in the closing minute the ball breaks to Arfield on half way for a chance of a break. He stops. Holds the ball. Lets Wrexham get everyone back behind the ball before deciding we should resume our sideways and backwards passing. If anything sums us up it’s that.

Huge huge improvements needed.

This is the issue, every time we look dangerous going forward and have them on the backfoot we stop and gp sideways and backwards, giving them time to get everyone back behind the ball - it happens constantly. No one runs forward with the ball (apart from Dempsey & Matete late in the game) - I actually thought the Arfield sub was really strange at that late stage.

[officer_dibble]

To be fair to Arfield he looked pissed at the lack of movement. The subs were actually quite negative - two midfielders for two forwards. Lolos was missed as ghost said.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

When I said before the game we'd "finish" with Vic between Demps and Arfield, I thought to myself "I hope we're winning by then", because those 10s feel more like midfielders than forwards. Sadly, we weren't. As noted, Lolos probably would have come on had he not been kicked past Bonfire Night.

Tell you what I did notice - absolutely none of the "being bossed around and dominated by not wanting it enough" that was stridently predicted before the game. Which is not to deny that we didn't score enough.

[GhostoftheBok]

When I said before the game we'd "finish" with Vic between Demps and Arfield, I thought to myself "I hope we're winning by then", because those 10s feel more like midfielders than forwards. Sadly, we weren't. As noted, Lolos probably would have come on had he not been kicked past Bonfire Night.

Tell you what I did notice - absolutely none of the "being bossed around and dominated by not wanting it enough" that was stridently predicted before the game. Which is not to deny that we didn't score enough.

This should put the "we don't need another #10" thing to bed.

We do. We did even if Lolos hadn't been assaulted, but we really do now.