Semi Final Match Thread

[BWFC_Insane]

Fooking hell. I said before the game on here that I had a bad gut feeling about this game. And when I was in the stadium it just never felt right, it was like the bloody Carling cup final, Stoke fans outnumbered us, seemed more "up for it" and it just had the smell of their day somehow.

But even in my wildest fooking miserable pessimistic nightmares I could never have imagined THAT!

To play like that in any game would be totally unacceptable. But to do it in a semi final against Stoke. Absolutely unforgivable. Stoke are a far far better team than a lot of people on here were saying. I'd swap their four defenders for ours any day of any week. And Etherington is better than any of our left wingers and Jones is better than any of the strikers we had available today. So I knew they were being underestimated on here.

But that aside we were beyond a shambles. No passion, no effort, no desire. No clue.

Coyle must take a massive slice of this blame too. West Ham were shocking last week. I said Stokes midfield would exploit Elmander if we played him in there and they did. Spectacularly. Doesn't help when your midfield "destroyer" can't destroy a wet paper bag but I'll cut Muamba some slack as Coyle was tactically massively outflanked by a more experienced manager. We won no 50-50's cos we had no fooker in there to win em. Petrov, Lee and Elmander in midfield against Stoke was a disaster waiting to happen.

Playing Klasnic was a major bollock dropped. He's a 20 minute man and nowt more. We were slow and predictable up front. Playing Petrov another bollock dropped. Not ever committed enough for a game like this. Then bringing on Taylor to look after Pennant at 3-0 down was another massive mistake. Closing the stable door once the horse has bolted. In hindsight Taylor should have played left, with Mark Davies risked in the middle with Elmo and KD up front. Its of course easy to say in "hindsight" but Coyle is paid enough to realise such a lightweight midfield against a side like Stoke was a bad idea. Final bollock dropped was picking Knight ahead of Wheater. Perhaps "Wheats" would have made no difference but Knight was in Jones' pocket all game. And Wheater would at least have given us an option on the floor from the back. Aerial battles mattered little when our centre halves and full backs shat themselves everytime someone ran at them.

I'm with Officer Dibble, right now I'd like to see every fooker who played today transfer listed and moved on in the summer. Every last shameful fooking one of them. Couldn't give a shit about 8th place and perspective, today was the chance to show how far we'd come. Well we showed it very fooking well.

And before I'm accused of "overreacting", should we struggle over the last 6 games and fail to pick up much which is a distinct possiblity unless heads are got together very quickly, we'll end up with a season that will be not much better in league placing to Megson's 13th place with a few better displays and a cup run that ended up in embarrassment and despair! Hardly going to be owt to shout about that is it?

EDIT: And forgot to mention Jussi in my rant. Should have saved the second and I think even the first goal perhaps others would have got a touch to, he was over that side, but didn't seem to react quickly enough. But can be no excuses for not keeping Huth's out, difficult bounce and was curving away, but was hardly struck with "venom"

[a1]

the saving folk for the next game stuff bit them in the arse proper.

he shouldve just played the "first team" and if they got booked or injured in the run up then plug the hole. they get used to not playing and then arent upto speed when you draft them in.

tampering the team with out of position people is a waste of time. it was like they'd picked the "these are fit and have the most appearances this season xi"

[Lord Kangana]

Megson isn't here. We're better than we were. A not much better finish will in actual fact still be a better finish. We're already 2 points better off than his best.

Stop being a drama queen. We were shit today, we've not been all season. We've improved.

[BWFC_Insane]

the saving folk for the next game stuff bit them in the arse proper.

he shouldve just played the "first team" and if they got booked or injured in the run up then plug the hole. they get used to not playing and then arent upto speed when you draft them in.

tampering the team with out of position people is a waste of time. it was like they'd picked the "these are fit and have the most appearances this season xi"

Think that is right in Robinson's case. Though he was between a rock and a hard place there, with Holden out he needed to try and keep all other senior players available. But in hindsight it was a mistake!

[Dr.Karl]

Its a sad day for a manager when he gets out thunk by Tony Pulis. Tactics aren't Coyle's main asset and boy did it show today. That said every player was abysmal. I've never left a ground 15 mins before the end and to do it in our biggest game of the last decade says a lot I think. Miserable stuff.

[a1]

Megson isn't here. We're better than we were. A not much better finish will in actual fact still be a better finish. We're already 2 points better off than his best.

Stop being a drama queen. We were shit today, we've not been all season. We've improved.

the lisbon / wigan / middlesborough in the league cup final games were like a warning from history. they shouldve watched them tapes beforehand.

oh and the chelsea home game this season tape.

[a1]

Its a sad day for a manager when he gets out thunk by Tony Pulis. Tactics aren't Coyle's main asset and boy did it show today. That said every player was abysmal. I've never left a ground 15 mins before the end and to do it in our biggest game of the last decade says a lot I think. Miserable stuff.

stoke city are megabucks compared to us. man city'll beat 'em .

[Athers]

Real shame and perhaps no coincidence that the two "Do it for Nat!" games have been littered with mistakes and ended in thumpings.

Not often am I embarassed but it was at that level today.

Dunno what else to say other than the team was picked wrongly, managerial instructions were either wrong or not heard/enacted and looks like everyone involved bottled it basically.

Week off needed.

[BWFC_Insane]

Megson isn't here. We're better than we were. A not much better finish will in actual fact still be a better finish. We're already 2 points better off than his best.

Stop being a drama queen. We were shit today, we've not been all season. We've improved.

LK as a bloke said to me as we were walking out of Wembley "This is the worst I've felt as a Bolton fan in 40 years".

Which might be an overreaction in the heat of the moment. But I can't remember feeling this low for a long time. When Scarborough were dicking us we had shit players who ultimately had very limited talent. The team today might not have been good enough to win, but they are good enough to have done considerably better than that.

I honestly can't remember ever feeling as embarrassed and just "empty" as I do today. Perhaps over time I'll rationalise it, but right now in the raw emotion of it thats how I feel.

[wonka]

Just got back, and read through this thread.

Never in my wildest nightmares could I have thought this could happen. Load of individual mistakes, would just like to know what went wrong. I know Elmo was shit in midfield, Robbo shit at left back.... big mistake to start with Klasnic... but that's not the whole picture. What a load of bottlers. Were they nervous?? Overawed? We made Stoke look like world beaters, but seriously, they are not that good.

We have to get out of this mentality of constantly giving the ball away. Davo may rough up most premiership defences, but he's always come out 2nd best against Stoke (apart from 1st match they got promoted). It was obvious after 10 mins he was totally ineffective, but we were still pumping balls up to him right to the end. We can't match Stoke for physicality, so why not try something different??

Can't believe the idiot calling for Coyle to get sacked. Coyle totally messed up today, but let's not throw the baby out with the bath water.

[norm the jedi]

I honestly can't remember ever feeling as embarrassed and just "empty" as I do today. Perhaps over time I'll rationalise it, but right now in the raw emotion of it thats how I feel.

Gutted filleted and gently smoked.. but I still feel better than when we appointed Megson..

We waited 53 years we can wait another few.. Portsmouth won a cup final recently.. don't think I will swap, this is still a club in transition..
We're getting better today should have been icing on the cake, but we got beaten by the better luckier team on the day..
Sport it happens..

[a1]

i hope we get knocked out in the third round of both next year.

throwing away league points for that shit cost us a place in europe.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Well I never expected that!

I aint upset, gutted, even dissappointed - just numb. The majority of our players appeared to completely freeze. The first goal settled Stoke down and turned our lost into nerve-ridden wrecks.

I don't think Coyle is a great tactician and the team may not have been the best - imo Wheater should have played, Klasnic shouldn't ever start, and we should not have been resting Robinson. But a number of our key players made lots of basic mistakes - there isn't much a manager can do about that. The players looked like they were in an exam and their minds had gone blank. Robinson, Jussi, Petrov, Klasnic had nightmares. The defensive unit was a jittery, uncommunicative shambles. SKD, CYL didn't do too much wrong but just never had an impact on the game. Elmander started ok but then started to take too many chances and got caught in possession. Muamba did ok but couldn't handle the midfield on his own.

All in all a truly sad day. We will get very few better chances than this to win the FA cup.

[plymouth wanderer]

just got back and what a load of shit it was un fecking believeable

but good luck to stoke they deserved it and i hope they win it

onwards and upwards

[Armchair Wanderer]

Well I never expected that!

I aint upset, gutted, even dissappointed - just numb. The majority of our players appeared to completely freeze. The first goal settled Stoke down and turned our lost into nerve-ridden wrecks.

I don't think Coyle is a great tactician and the team may not have been the best - imo Wheater should have played, Klasnic shouldn't ever start, and we should not have been resting Robinson. But a number of our key players made lots of basic mistakes - there isn't much a manager can do about that. The players looked like they were in an exam and their minds had gone blank. Robinson, Jussi, Petrov, Klasnic had nightmares. The defensive unit was a jittery, uncommunicative shambles. SKD, CYL didn't do too much wrong but just never had an impact on the game. Elmander started ok but then started to take too many chances and got caught in possession. Muamba did ok but couldn't handle the midfield on his own.

All in all a truly sad day. We will get very few better chances than this to win the FA cup.

Pretty much what you said.

I was thinking with Wembley rocking with noise just before they came out that they might be feeling nervous. Bit of an understatement.

We had plenty of shots on goal but they were all feeble from miles out.

Not our day! Well done Stoke!

[Stoke fan1]

Hi. Stoke fan here.
Many of you are peed off about today, but it was a one off freak game - we wouldn't do that to Bolton again if we played you 10 times.
You started the better team, then we got a goal against the run of play which calmed us down.
Our chances went in, yours didn't.
Stoke fans can't believe what happened today.
You should just forget the game and carry on as you have been. And people calling for your managers head are crazy (In my very humble opinion)
Best of luck for the rest of the season - and the future

[plymouth wanderer]

Hi. Stoke fan here.
Many of you are peed off about today, but it was a one off freak game - we wouldn't do that to Bolton again if we played you 10 times.
You started the better team, then we got a goal against the run of play which calmed us down.
Our chances went in, yours didn't.
Stoke fans can't believe what happened today.
You should just forget the game and carry on as you have been. And people calling for your managers head are crazy (In my very humble opinion)
Best of luck for the rest of the season - and the future

best of luck fella

[Hoboh]

shite, shite, shite, positively shite oh and did i mention shite?

The players and OC should be publicly flogged tomorrow for that shite!!!!! Not at all fooking impressed Owen really messed up there, I thought I was watching Megson's tactics for a while thats what that shite made me think thank fook I'm off this week I'll need it to recover.
I hope wenger weren't watching or we are dead and burried then. Make the fookers walk home we were shite today. Btw did I mention we were shite?

[ChrisC]

Just got back now.. What a horrible day =[ when we went 2 down I turned and said this is Cardiff allover again! I should be so fecking lucky! Sat in traffic on the way down stressed and boiling I thought, it will all be worth it once 4pm comes round. Walked in wembley and was blown away, what a stage for playing football. That would be my highlight of the day unfortunately. Driving home was thinking to myself was it all a dream? or have we just been tonked 5-0 by fecking Stoke! Then the pain in my leg from driving all day started, making me want to chop it off and made me realise, nope your not dreaming at all.. You have wasted over 200 sheets today watching that heap of shite!

I really cant think of a worse performance in recent time. As bad as we played though I still can't believe we let 5 in. Yes we was bad but everything seemed to fall right for Stoke. Jones's goal for instance where the ball passed through cahill's legs.

Amazed me how much hoof ball we played aswell today, I lost count how many times steinnson had the ball out wide, chungy went off on a run down the wing and steinnson decided to hoof it up field to the invisible man.

Final word for tonight, I though for the most part we sang as loud as Stoke who had 34,000 to our 27,000 ish .. I though Stoke would be more vocal with all there talking this week about how good there fans are.

Sorry if most of this doesn't make sense but im shattered.. Never done so much driving in one day.. Life goes on. Heart broke tonight but I will love my club forever through thick and thin, ups and downs.

[Athers]

Final word for tonight, I though for the most part we sang as loud as Stoke who had 34,000 to our 27,000 ish .. I though Stoke would be more vocal with all there talking this week about how good there fans are.

I was near half way and fraid not Chris