Jackburn v Bolton Match Thread

[Lord Kangana]

You have to have got up to speed to hit the buffers.

The Coyle affect was not being constantly monotonously, uninspiringly shit.

If we hit them, he just delayed the inevitable. And threw in some football that didn't make the eyes bleed now and then.




Alternatively, you could say that this is the man who brought us Stuart Holden on a free. Who, even when injued for a couple of months, is still our player of the season.

So, clearly fooking clueless in the transfer market.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Full disclosure: I "only" watched an hour of it, on the Sky highlights.

Very experimental team - I guess partly through exhaustion (Muamba/CYL) and partly through the entirely correct need to assess our fringe options (literally in the case of Adam 'Mop-head' Bogdan). And Blackburn deserved to beat it, although in truth it looked like Olsson was a class above all others (who knew?).

But while I admit that I didn't go so am emotionally detached, it didn't seem so neck-wringingly bad. I'm not a fan of inverted wingers but Rodrigo looked dangerous coming in from the right - one half-volley into the side netting, one onto the post for feck's sake. That said, he did give the ball away twice for the goal, and offered little protection to the frankly fish-out-of-water Wheater. Shades of the early CYL perhaps, the one Megson wouldn't pick. Different strokes for different folks.

Cohen and Gardner didn't look up to the extraordinary demands placed on our central midfield pairing, but then again who would? And they didn't look awful - as ever, Cohen got forward dangerously, while Gardner looked comfortable on the ball and capable of judicious forward bursts.

Looking on the bright side - as is my wont, even when it's not a sunny four-day weekend with my team in the top half - we should be thankful that Coyle is checking out alternatives, as far as is possible given the state of the squad. Better that way than flogging the nearly-dead nags that are Muamba and CYL, learning nothing we don't already know.

But one of the things we do know is that we need pace up top, and if anything could be changed from that line-up it might be switching Rodrigo and Elmander. After CYL we have few options wide right and Elmo might be the best, particularly away; we also need to see whether this £6m-tagged kid is any good in a forward role, considering how much we need staff up top.

[truewhite15]

Full disclosure: I "only" watched an hour of it, on the Sky highlights.

Very experimental team - I guess partly through exhaustion (Muamba/CYL) and partly through the entirely correct need to assess our fringe options (literally in the case of Adam 'Mop-head' Bogdan). And Blackburn deserved to beat it, although in truth it looked like Olsson was a class above all others (who knew?).

But while I admit that I didn't go so am emotionally detached, it didn't seem so neck-wringingly bad. I'm not a fan of inverted wingers but Rodrigo looked dangerous coming in from the right - one half-volley into the side netting, one onto the post for feck's sake. That said, he did give the ball away twice for the goal, and offered little protection to the frankly fish-out-of-water Wheater. Shades of the early CYL perhaps, the one Megson wouldn't pick. Different strokes for different folks.

Cohen and Gardner didn't look up to the extraordinary demands placed on our central midfield pairing, but then again who would? And they didn't look awful - as ever, Cohen got forward dangerously, while Gardner looked comfortable on the ball and capable of judicious forward bursts.

Looking on the bright side - as is my wont, even when it's not a sunny four-day weekend with my team in the top half - we should be thankful that Coyle is checking out alternatives, as far as is possible given the state of the squad. Better that way than flogging the nearly-dead nags that are Muamba and CYL, learning nothing we don't already know.

But one of the things we do know is that we need pace up top, and if anything could be changed from that line-up it might be switching Rodrigo and Elmander. After CYL we have few options wide right and Elmo might be the best, particularly away; we also need to see whether this £6m-tagged kid is any good in a forward role, considering how much we need staff up top.

Well said.

[CAPSLOCK]

Full disclosure: I "only" watched an hour of it, on the Sky highlights.

But while I admit that I didn't go so am emotionally detached, it didn't seem so neck-wringingly bad.

Cohen and Gardner didn't look up to the extraordinary demands placed on our central midfield pairing, but then again who would?

But one of the things we do know is that we need pace up top, and if anything could be changed from that line-up it might be switching Rodrigo and Elmander. After CYL we have few options wide right and Elmo might be the best, particularly away; we also need to see whether this £6m-tagged kid is any good in a forward role, considering how much we need staff up top.

Hope you don't mind me cutting to the chase

Get a fresh tv if that looked owt but shite...I sat there pretty quiet, but trust me the stick our lot were getting was pretty vocal, and not just the usual suspects, Elmander and Taylor...Rodrigo was a particularly easy target (says more about our cretins than the lad, but hey ho)

So, change the formation

And there we come to it...my greatest frustration...Davies lumbering around, winning little in the year, with an overall game reminiscent of Trevor Morgan

I was there yesterday, I'll be there again at Blackpool, and if we 'perform' similarly, it'll not be pretty

[Athers]

Cohen and Gardner didn't look up to the extraordinary demands placed on our central midfield pairing, but then again who would? And they didn't look awful - as ever, Cohen got forward dangerously, while Gardner looked comfortable on the ball and capable of judicious forward bursts.

Disagree myself, worst game I've seen Gardner ever have for us and there was no communication or positional awareness from either - Blackburn should've scored from a counter attack many times when both got caught up field. All second balls in front of our defence went to them as well.

Had a look at the chalkboards on Guardian's website, just a few things

You can count the number of forward passes Cahill & Knight made to either Cohen or Gardner on one hand, Knight in partuclar completed 6 of 20 passes. This is what Mark Davies brings us - getting the ball from the defence.
Moreno gave the ball away 4 times in our own half and barely made one forward pass. He did have most shots on goal though with 4.
No shots on target from ANYONE.
Davies had no efforts on goal at all, Elmander one.
Klasnic didn't get a touch of the ball in the the box.

[malcd1]

My biggest problem with the last three away games (Including Wembley) is that we haven't had one decent scoring chance. The Davies/Elmander partnership lacks pace, guile and movement. They are one dimensional are too easy to read. Without Sturridge we look a very very poor side lacking any imagination going forward.

Our wide men are not much better. Petrov has been a waste of time and CYL looks to be lacking confidence. Rodrigo and Taylor fare no better.

Obviously we are missing Holden and Mavis but we should still have enough about us to create chances against a crap Blackburn side. Our formation and tactics yesterday were sadly lacking.

Gardner hasn't played much recently but Cohen isn't good enough to be starting in the Premier League. I suppose he is OK as a squad player but nothing more.

[Lord Kangana]

I'm as pissed off as the next man that such a good season is spluttering out and staggering across the line.

It effectively ended when Holden got stretchered off at OT.BWFCi was probably right (ouch, that hurt).

Another midfielder is a top priority for the summer if we aren't to face the same problem next season, and potentially earlier.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Hope you don't mind me cutting to the chase

Not at all, saves time

Get a fresh tv if that looked owt but shite...I sat there pretty quiet, but trust me the stick our lot were getting was pretty vocal, and not just the usual suspects, Elmander and Taylor...Rodrigo was a particularly easy target (says more about our cretins than the lad, but hey ho)

Far from our best game, but I could see some signs of passing through midfield. It seemed to me nowhere near as bad as I've read on here.

As for the geniuses in the stand having words to say - that long since stopped intriguing or even interesting me. I know it's a barometer etc etc but meh, sun-drowsy p*ss-cans getting unproductively angry at a derby, wake me when it's over.

So, change the formation

And there we come to it...my greatest frustration...Davies lumbering around, winning little in the year, with an overall game reminiscent of Trevor Morgan

SKD has been substituted, wouldn't surprise me to see him rested. Definite sense that Coyle is using this blessedly low-risk opportunity to check out the cards in his hand before he rejoins the crap shoot...

But, as said by me and thee, I'd like to see a formational Plan B. Could have happened yesterday - those front six could have lined up in several different ways, thanks to the flexibility of Elmo, Rodrigo, Gardner, Taylor - but however they floated it still looked 4-4-2. Intriguing to see how we line up against Sunderland, and perhaps even more so at Blackpool.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Disagree myself, worst game I've seen Gardner ever have for us and there was no communication or positional awareness from either - Blackburn should've scored from a counter attack many times when both got caught up field. All second balls in front of our defence went to them as well.

Fair enough. Merely highlights the enormous importance (and success) of the Holden/Muamba axis. Tireless tiaras.

Moreno gave the ball away 4 times in our own half and barely made one forward pass. He did have most shots on goal though with 4.

Shoulda been up top...

You can count the number of forward passes Cahill & Knight made to either Cohen or Gardner on one hand, Knight in partuclar completed 6 of 20 passes. This is what Mark Davies brings us - getting the ball from the defence.

Spent too long in Blackburn....

Agree about Mavis though

[Athers]

Knight only made 2 forward to the CMs, one of which was a header

[tell ben im him]

shocking is the only word for what i saw at blackburn yesterday, knight is terrible cant believe people want him in the team in front of wheater, and davies has gone completely been a good servant but time to say goodbye to big kev

[plymouth wanderer]

fvck it ditch all of the cvnts

i have heard from my sources that we are going to line up like this nxt season


IGOR AKINEEV

RAMOS PIQUE PEPE LAHM

RONALDO G MCANN XAVI MESSI

VILLA AGUERO


honest !

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

Elmander offers nothing - i blame him for the goal. Turns his back on the kid in possession.

[Tombwfc]

It's worth mentioning that we haven't won a single away game with Sturridge in the side, it can hardly be put all down to him.

That said, if we're missing Sturridge, Mark Davies, Holden and Steinsson, surely the last thing you do is drop three more established first team members?

The selection reminded me of the type of teams we fielded when getting knocked out of cups to the likes of Sheff Utd, and by the sounds of it, they played like it. Shoving a load of fringe players into the first team and saying 'prove yourself', is bollocks management, and it's no wonder they all looked like strangers.

Elmander offers nothing - i blame him for the goal. Turns his back on the kid in possession.

[CAPSLOCK]

And if you're going to try the 'kids' why not do it at Fulham

Yesterdays game meant a lot to Boltoners

[Armchair Wanderer]

And if you're going to try the 'kids' why not do it at Fulham

Yesterdays game meant a lot to Boltoners

With hindsight you have 2 tricky away games. Fulham is probably the trickier, with Blackburn being a local rivalry. Resting players for Fulham to have a real go against Blackburn would have been nice, at least getting one point out of six.

I'm not sure how we'll do away at the seaside but I hope we have a go in our last two home games.

[Hoboh]

go on someone tell me theres nowt seriosly wrong.

There's nowt seriously wrong.

What were your expectations at the start of the season?

To see an end to capitulation, rolling over and for sure an end to the ginger munts style of football for starters!!!!
Coyle promised the end of all above and look whats happening now its turning into Megson 2 The return of the drudge

[truewhite15]

go on someone tell me theres nowt seriosly wrong.

There's nowt seriously wrong.

What were your expectations at the start of the season?

To see an end to capitulation, rolling over and for sure an end to the ginger munts style of football for starters!!!!
Coyle promised the end of all above and look whats happening now its turning into Megson 2 The return of the drudge

Oh my word.

[Hoboh]

go on someone tell me theres nowt seriosly wrong.

There's nowt seriously wrong.

What were your expectations at the start of the season?

To see an end to capitulation, rolling over and for sure an end to the ginger munts style of football for starters!!!!
Coyle promised the end of all above and look whats happening now its turning into Megson 2 The return of the drudge

Oh my word.

I/ll smart till the end of the season over wembley matey!!!!

[BWFC_Insane]

go on someone tell me theres nowt seriosly wrong.

There's nowt seriously wrong.

What were your expectations at the start of the season?

To see an end to capitulation, rolling over and for sure an end to the ginger munts style of football for starters!!!!
Coyle promised the end of all above and look whats happening now its turning into Megson 2 The return of the drudge

I think basically what you're asking for is that they never lose. Or that if they do its a thrilling 5-4 defeat. But thats only once in a blue moon!
Coyle never promised anything like that to my knowledge. He never promised much unless I missed something?

But lets be honest here Coyle has brought many good things to the club, better unity, players seem happier, better football (in small doses), positive gameplan and an all round improvement in league position. Some things IMO have not improved or have gotten a bit worse, strength of squad hasn't really gone forwards, tactical naivety has increased and the workload on some players has gone through the roof, I also think reliance on key players still exists.

The overall analysis is that we're better off now but perhaps we can't achieve the level of improvement some might expect.

I think its unrealstic for Bolton to carry a squad of such strength and depth that we can go away from home with half a team missing/on the bench and expect a result. Coyle is not going to do any better at that than Megson would. He's still going to be hampered by our limited resources and the fact that if we're missing our better players and/or one or two are out of form we're going to struggle. He's not a miracle worker anymore than any other manager was.

Perhaps in the final analysis and I'm really not looking to open a debate, Coyle isn't quite as good YET as folk make out and Megson wasn't quite as bad as popular opinion would make out. That doesn't mean Coyle ain't a lot better it simply means that the margins where we can go are still limited as they always were. We've come close to making this a special season. And fallen short at the critical times. Its still a very good season but sadly its going to be clouded by a shiite end especially with memories of Wembley. As it happens we'd have all taken this position at the start of the season.

I still maintain that we won't really know how good Coyle can really be till next season. Of course thats exciting in some ways, but a little worrying in others. The excitement currently outweighs the worry but that doesn't mean we should ignore all the warning signs that are there.

It does feel a little like the Allardyce years where we do pretty well have a few blips and low points along the way but have a manager whose force of character and determination will plow a way through.

We'll be ok but the key test is the next 3 months.