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

[BWFC_Insane]

McAtee and Collins don’t look like number 10’s in this system. What we need is wide players who can run at people and cross the ball.

All this ‘box midfield’ stuff will end in tears.

[TANGODANCER]

Huge huge improvements needed.

Not really, just a couple of goals, even one, and the points.

[BorsdaneWhite]

While lots of valid criticisms made, I’m not as downbeat about today. Final ball was poor, yes, again, but there was some superb interplay—albeit without the killing blow. I thought McAtee was excellent: smart on the ball, found Dion a few times in dangerous areas, won headers up the park and held up well. Collins was good in patches and clumsy in others. The left side is exciting—Johnston was a breath of fresh air in aggression and guile.

Not quite clicked, but an entertaining game, I thought. More shots, better crossing, some set piece work (or any at all…) Be reet.

[The_Gun]

Johnston looks close to being back at his best, which is both a surprise and a huge boost. I’d say we’ll keep a few more clean sheets with him in the side this season.

[DJBlu]

Johnston looks close to being back at his best, which is both a surprise and a huge boost. I’d say we’ll keep a few more clean sheets with him in the side this season.

I think if I was Iredale or Jones then I'd be worried as they're getting nowhere near the team if this lot are fit.

We forget that we are only 2 games from pre season.

If we perform like that in Oct then sure get the hump but we were far from bad today.

[Prufrock]

Toal is still a problem on the ball. I'm not sure Geth is the answer to that problem, but he'll think he is.

[GhostoftheBok]

Toal is still a problem on the ball. I'm not sure Geth is the answer to that problem, but he'll think he is.

He's a lot better than he was 18 months ago.

The Toal that played against Barnsley in the play-offs, who was basically a playmaker for the opposition, no longer exists.

[malcd1]

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.

I'm not for a second saying everyone was delighted with our performance. As we were leaving the ground, there were a few grumbling about us not being more attacking or keep playing across the back. Just no booing East Upper that I heard.

[malcd1]

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.

My take with that incidence was that Arfield had no one to pass to. I thought they had five defenders back with only one Bolton player in front of him. I think Bertie is right in that no one made a run for him (or just we weren't fast enough getting forward).

[GhostoftheBok]

Didn't Arfield taking his time lead to the set piece that Toal should have won it from?

I thought it was a bad miss when I first saw it, but watching it back I've no idea why he's gone back across goal. He's two yards out with an open net. Being wrestled, sure, but he has to nod that in for the 3pts.

[irie Cee Bee]

Johnston has made a huge differnce. We look a lot more solid with him there, and I thought Santos was good. A clean sheet and a point against a highly touted team. Time will tell if it was a very good point or 2 dropped.

I have very little to complain about our performance given that we are early in the season and players still getting used to the new players. We will be better in the future I am sure.

[DJBlu]

A few positives.

James feck* didn't score, infact he was a pussycat on the left.

We didn't lose, last season we were well capable of letting one in.

Thats the first game in 12 that Wrexham have failed to score a goal.

But for some decent keeping we could've scored 2 or 3. Their man getting MOTM being the reason they got a point. Our defence being the other. Which leads me onto Johnston. Night and day difference from Iredale. The replacements coming in are better.

It's a +1 from last season for me.

[Worthy4England]

Better solidity was good. Not declaring problem solved yet, because whatever that solidity looked like, I've no idea whether it would have looked as solid against last weeks oppo. But encouraging nontheless.

As genuine title contenders, we should always embrace a home point against a team that managed to finish second a division lower, last season, we can add it to the home draw we managed midweek against the team that finished third a division lower.

Easy pleased.

[truewhite15]

Or maybe we should all just fly off the deep end.

Two games in and we've only got four points. Everything's shit, Evatt Out.

[TANGODANCER]

Or maybe we should all just fly off the deep end.

Two games in and we've only got four points. Everything's shit, Evatt Out.

And a Cup win even if it was on penalties. a win's a win.

[GhostoftheBok]

Easy pleased.

No, just not easily panicked.

[DJBlu]

Or maybe we should all just fly off the deep end.

Two games in and we've only got four points. Everything's shit, Evatt Out.

And a Cup win even if it was on penalties. a win's a win.

Stop that optimism.

[Bertie Wooster]

Easy pleased.

No, just not easily panicked.

Ghost I don't think people are panicking, I suspect many expected to see something slightly different due to the lessons that Evatt said he learned in the Wembley debacle, the new tweaked formation etc. and the new players. There was nothing that I could see that was different apart from Johnston & Schon who linked well down the left and Dempsey & Matete making some forward runs at pace in the last 10 mins with the ball - there was slightly less sideways & backwards at the back, however it just transferred to the midfield passing sideways & backwards.

We need Matete in the starting XI asap, he has so much more about him energy, running, desire etc. than the other midfielders.

It is very early days but personally I didn't think that yesterday gave the 50% of the fan base who were really down after Wembley and wanted Evatt out that much hope that we now have a top 2 team. Obviously the 50% who backed Evatt will have been pleased yesterday.

[Worthy4England]

Or maybe we should all just fly off the deep end.

Two games in and we've only got four points. Everything's shit, Evatt Out.

Br positive TW, we bagged all three against the team joint bottom, on no points.

[Worthy4England]

Easy pleased.

No, just not easily panicked.

Me neither.