To be or not to Be? . ..Away to Peterborough, Sat 26th Apr. 3-0'clock.

[Harry Genshaw]

Like us, they've had a shocking season after reaching the play offs in the last two. They've been worse than us this year but seem to be finishing stronger. 1-3 loss.

[Worthy4England]

We’ve spent a lot of money on lower end league one and top end league two players.

Money aside, players of that quality have done well to make the play offs in consecutive seasons, albeit they'll only finish in the top 10 this year.

Must have been good coaching

As is often the case, I sort of agree with BWFCi's heart but not his hyperbole. I think it's more we've signed the wrong sorts rather than poorer players. But there is part of me looking forward to going back to freebies, because the bigger-ticket items have tended to disappoint.

The three wet wipes.

We were 2nd in L1 the day Collins signed. Three games in hand on the Leaders. We finished lower.

McAtee wasnt here, but was at Barnsley last season who finished lower than us.

Best one, Randall. Started life with Posh in the Champo and they got worse every season since, but as noted elsewhere they've picked up a bit since early-Jan.

I mean, draw your own conclusions, of course.

[boltonboris]

We'll get beat handsomely. Maybe 5/6/7 to nil.

Schumachers pre-match presser seems to indicate that Santos is feigning injury in order to finish the season early and feck off. He's welcome to.

[TANGODANCER]

We'll get beat handsomely. Maybe 5/6/7 to nil.

Schumachers pre-match presser seems to indicate that Santos is feigning injury in order to finish the season early and feck off. He's welcome to.

As is anyone who doesn't want to play for us. It rains everywhere sometime, so buy an umbrella and wait for the weather to change. " Fair weather friends and faint-hearted lovers" is no new sentiment. Get on with it or "A Dios amigo".

[Prufrock]

Bax

Jones - Forino - Murphy - Inwood

Dempsey - Thomason

McAtee - Randall - Collins

Dave

For me. It's not...great.

[dave the minion]

It'll be reet. We'll shit 'em......

[TANGODANCER]

It might seem that comments from other managers (Bolton News, etc) indicate they know more about us than we actually know about ourselves..

[Worthy4England]

It'll be reet. We'll shit 'em......

Right, Mr Sunshine.

With 20 wins, 24 not wins and 2 to play, I'm starting to think this game by game prediction might not be all it's made out to be!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It'll be reet. We'll shit 'em......

Right, Mr Sunshine.

With 20 wins, 24 not wins and 2 to play, I'm starting to think this game by game prediction might not be all it's made out to be!

He didn't say which season we'll shit 'em in.

[irie Cee Bee]

Bax

Jones - Forino - Murphy - Inwood

Dempsey - Thomason

McAtee - Randall - Collins

Dave

For me. It's not...great.

I actually like this team except for Baxter as we will need Southwood's cover playing a back 4, and hoping that the players are not complete strangers in this new formation compared to what they are used to.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bax

Jones - Forino - Murphy - Inwood

Dempsey - Thomason

McAtee - Randall - Collins

Dave

For me. It's not...great.

I actually like this team except for Baxter as we will need Southwood's cover playing a back 4, and hoping that the players are not complete strangers in this new formation compared to what they are used to.

I'd rather have a Matete-Thomo-Dempsey midfield trio. Playing a kid up top and then three wet wipes behind him feels ripe for a transitional shellacking. Dave can start, why not, but the other three can fight for the two spots. Or not. If they don't fight, they can f**k off.

SS's goalie choice will be interesting, with the pressure off. Bax has had a couple of shockers so he might want to re-check Southwood. It's far from impossible he releases Bax AND lists Southwood, but probably more likely in this window he just hires a new No.1.

[Prufrock]

I hear what you're saying on the midfield, but Matete is a) wank and b) more importantly not going to be here next year.

Wouldn't be shocked if he started for the reasons you give, but this is a fact finding game for me.

[Worthy4England]

It'll be reet. We'll shit 'em......

Right, Mr Sunshine.

With 20 wins, 24 not wins and 2 to play, I'm starting to think this game by game prediction might not be all it's made out to be!

He didn't say which season we'll shit 'em in.

I hear your technicality and have noted it.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I hear what you're saying on the midfield, but Matete is a) wank and b) more importantly not going to be here next year.

Wouldn't be shocked if he started for the reasons you give, but this is a fact finding game for me.

Reasonable reason - but while I acknowledge the old saw that you learn more in defeat than victory, I'm not sure quite what we'd learn in a dicking.

[Worthy4England]

I hear what you're saying on the midfield, but Matete is a) wank and b) more importantly not going to be here next year.

Wouldn't be shocked if he started for the reasons you give, but this is a fact finding game for me.

Reasonable reason - but while I acknowledge the old saw that you learn more in defeat than victory, I'm not sure quite what we'd learn in a dicking.

Schumacher should have a pretty decent idea about what his strongest XI is from the available players by now.

It's not often a manager gets a 20 game "free hit," outside of a "doomed to relegation" team.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye. I guess with Pru's team he might learn which (if any) of the wet wipes are at all arsed about playing for the team. And if we go 3-0 down he might discover who has an ounce of fight...

We could do without finishing the season on a huge downer though. As Ilesy notes, if we lose these two then start badly next season, that six-loss streak would very easily be added on to the critics' beef.

And it's not certain we'll start next season well. Rioch had three wins in his first four but then only got 2pts from the next 21 available, culminating in a 2-1 home loss to Hartlepool. We then went 2-0 down at Chester but clawed back a draw and suddenly we were off....

[Worthy4England]

Aye. I guess with Pru's team he might learn which (if any) of the wet wipes are at all arsed about playing for the team. And if we go 3-0 down he might discover who has an ounce of fight...

We could do without finishing the season on a huge downer though. As Ilesy notes, if we lose these two then start badly next season, that six-loss streak would very easily be added on to the critics' beef.

And it's not certain we'll start next season well. Rioch had three wins in his first four but then only got 2pts from the next 21 available, culminating in a 2-1 home loss to Hartlepool. We then went 2-0 down at Chester but clawed back a draw and suddenly we were off....

Yeah - I agree. We still need to go out, intending to win - and sure you could do that with any team, but heading into closed season on the back of another couple of defeats, hardly sets a tone of optimism. I doubt Schumacher needs to learn much of anything he won't be able to figure out or hasn't already, about heart and desire, just by seeing their performances so far, training and looking them in the eyes, all the way down to their souls.

I do think a slow start (certainly anything like this season), would not go down very well with the fans so it could go South before the end Sept...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Yeah - I agree. We still need to go out, intending to win - and sure you could do that with any team, but heading into closed season on the back of another couple of defeats, hardly sets a tone of optimism. I doubt Schumacher needs to learn much of anything he won't be able to figure out or hasn't already, about heart and desire, just by seeing their performances so far, training and looking them in the eyes, all the way down to their souls.

I do think a slow start (certainly anything like this season), would not go down very well with the fans so it could go South before the end Sept...

Aye. Even when we were winning and hoping, he did seem to be doing a thorough evaluation of his squad – sometimes making personnel changes that someone simply chasing the wins might not have. It could have been for fitness or form, but more than a few times I suspected he was auditing and auditioning. (I wonder whether he double-checked the price-tags....)

[TANGODANCER]

Let's end it in true Branaghan style; never beat till you're beat. Throw in an Aaron Wilbraham or Dioufy finish just to remind us just how good Bolton can be when they try.....back a ways, but we weren't always Champions League.......

" “We were outfought and outplayed by a better team,” was the grim assessment of Graeme Souness after watching his Liverpool FC team dumped out of the FA Cup at the hands of third-tier Bolton Wanderers.

Get in there..

[Mar]

I think some of the also in contention players are likely to be able to play for a contract now.

Those that are pulling a sicky, or shying away from the match (not saying any names) are likely to be already in Schuey's mind on all the way out.

Whereas with those that are possibly on their way out, but likely to be able to put a good case forward, they may be able to stake a claim. Matete, Murphy, Jones, Santos.

I've lost track of those injured, and those out of their own accord through niggles.

It would be nice for certain players (Santos/Jones) to be available for their last home game of the season. Shouldn't come down to this bad an injury crisis to give them a good send off.

Anyone going out tomorrow, giving a good account of themselves and putting in a good shift, would certainly go someway towards addressing some concerns.

It's just a shame we can't cancel some of the loans give those on loan a go. Andreucci, Conway, Eze, etc. should be worth a punt.

And, given theres nothing to play for, i'd like to see Coleman given a go.