Terriers Barking, But Can Bolton Bite Back? - Bolton v Hudderfield - 14/09/2024 @ 3pm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm not at all sure about Forino yet, either! (albeit I thought he was unlucky on the pengy, not like the ref hadn't been shown that exact script when he gave the Santos appeal the other way)

I'm very far from 100% sure but I think we need leaders. He's not always great on the ball but Toal's not much better and Toal's confidence looks shot. If we're craving more simplicity and 'hard to beat' then Santos-Forino is a big f**king wall of a partnership. If we switch to a back four and a midfield triangle we shouldn't need the CBs to be on the ball as much.

[Worthy4England]

I just thought (apart from having a world of problems everywhere), that we were particularly inauspicious on our right at weekend, albeit that included JDC.

[truewhite15]

I don't think Forino was our worst problem on Saturday. Thought he had a decent enough game in the 1st half.

[BWFC_Insane]

Don’t mind Forino. The bottom line is that the club doesn’t own a fit wing back. And is the playing a system that relies on wing backs. We have no width or pace. And Cogley and Schon are both inacapable.

[officer_dibble]

We'd need Randy further forward I suspect. One of them anyway.

I reckon you can get to Jan with:

Bax (Coleman) (probably Southwood or whatever he’s called to be fair)

JOT (Geth, JDC) - Santos (Forino) - Toal (Forrester) - Johnstone (Schon)

Matete - Sheehan - Tomo (Dempsey/Arfield/Lolos)

McAtee (Randy) - Dion (Vic ) - Collins (CMG)

That’s the back to basics 433 that would limp through to Jan for me. We’d need a left back as a matter of priority and a proper midfielder or two over 6 foot. I’d sell Sheehan and one of the forwards to fund some players if we can. Sheehan won’t fetch much as he’s out of contract in the summer. Potentially sell Santos as well if he can’t get his head right. There’s no chance of promotion for me, we’ll be bottom half possibly mid table. These players aren’t as good as people think on paper and they are broken by Evatt. I genuinely think we’ll be in the bottom 6 or 7 until Jan with or without Evatt.

Players well under par so far this season:
Baxter
Santos
Toal
Cogley
Sheehan
Thomason
All the forwards.

Schon might just be shit. Not sure yet.

I think the forwards and the midfield two are victims of the formation. Problem with Sheehan is he’s a midget and he’s been found out too many times now. Needs protecting or replacing - and I’d rather we got someone to play alongside Thomason and develop him than Sheehan who will leave for free anyway. So I’d toughen that midfield up in Jan to scrap for the points we’ll need, then it’s a reset in the summer. Matete/proper midfielder/Thomason would work better. What a waste of a season.