Better "Late on" than never. A visit from the Orient. Sat 22 Feb 3-0'clock.

[The_Gun]

Play offs looking a long way off after tonight and with our upcoming fixtures. We will need a hell of a run in to get there I feel.

One win is not a long way off.

It’s not but our upcoming fixture list is a bit daunting. Starting Saturday.

On the other hand, we have the opportunity to take points off the teams around us.

I’d also assume we’ve probably got more improvement in us than most of our rivals.

[knobpolisher]

Yes it looks daunting but Wrexham did not look promotion contenders to me. I can see why Orient score a few but they also looked poor defensively, I would certainly fancy our chances against both these.
Onwards and upwards.

[Prufrock]

Every plays everyone.

Our next month looks tough, Orient, Wrexham, Birmingham, Stockport.

But then Wycombe have: Birmingham, Wrexham, Huddersfield.

Wrexham: us, Huddersfield, Reading, Wycombe, Stockport

Stockport: Charlton, us, Wrexham

Huddersfield: Wrexham, Wycombe, Charlton

Orient: us, Birmingham, Charlton.

Charlton: orient, Stockport, Huddersfield

Reading: Birmingham, Wrexham.

It'll be reet.

[Prufrock]

do we know what for though? I'm intrigued with all the secrecy surrounding it?

Is it not for having a piss at the side of the pitch during the warm up (possibly into a bucket ?)

Just a wee bit of bother.

Taking the piss there me thinks.

"Nathan, when I said show me you can be my number 1 goalkeeper..."

[BWFC_Insane]

Every plays everyone.

Our next month looks tough, Orient, Wrexham, Birmingham, Stockport.

But then Wycombe have: Birmingham, Wrexham, Huddersfield.

Wrexham: us, Huddersfield, Reading, Wycombe, Stockport

Stockport: Charlton, us, Wrexham

Huddersfield: Wrexham, Wycombe, Charlton

Orient: us, Birmingham, Charlton.

Charlton: orient, Stockport, Huddersfield

Reading: Birmingham, Wrexham.

It'll be reet.

Aye of course. It’s possible. We are going to have to do something we haven’t done since going into this league which is consistently beat some top 8 teams.

I think we will find out a lot in next couple of weeks. We’ve clearly improved under Schumacher but I’d say are still a work in progress and the two games against top 8 we’ve lost them both. Narrowly but still.

Saturday we can’t afford to lose so a big test against a team who are flying.

[TANGODANCER]

The Wrexham/Orient game was an example of typical football in this league at present, and what it's descended to. This is how it's going to be every game and you can almost write the script in advance. Our best chance of the play-offs lies in results from others as much as ourselves, and we need to win regardless of any which way. It's survival of the fittest whilst dealing with some crackpot officiating to boot. Last nights ref could hardly claim fatigue as he rarely wandered out of the centre circle and some of his decisions must have been made through binoculars.

[TANGODANCER]

With Randell Williams set to play against us for Orient this weekend, (B.N.) talk (unconfirmed) is indicating the reasons he left Bolton were less than friendly. As he always looked a better than useful addition to the Whites, were his problems stemming from (confine to) I.E and might he still be here if so? Not much being confirmed one way of the other right now.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

With Randell Williams set to play against us for Orient this weekend, (B.N.) talk (unconfirmed) is indicating the reasons he left Bolton were less than friendly. As he always looked a better than useful addition to the Whites, were his problems stemming from (confine to) I.E and might he still be here if so? Not much being confirmed one way of the other right now.

Evatt left more than a week before Williams did. Perhaps the wheels were already well in motion by then. Maybe Schumacher didn't throw himself sobbing around Randell's ankles, begging him to stay.

It's darkly ironic that Randy spent 25 months at the club playing in a wingback system that didn't particularly suit him, and then five days after he leaves Schumacher plays a back four. However, I suspect the new gaffer wants hybrid 10s (inside forwards, in old money) more than chalky-booted 'wingers', which is clearly (IMO) Randell's best position.

I hold no ill-will toward Randy, who seemed for the most part to try his best. I've rarely seen a Wanderer with such pace, and not just over 10 yards - he was capable when tracking back of really pelting it. His willingness to play on either side was also an asset, as would his pure wingplay have been had Evatt been as tactically astute as he pretends to be.

Randell had problems with injuries but apart from that, once he'd seen off Declan John (who through ability or inclination showed no such prowess at tracking back) in his first six months, was usually first-choice when he'd proved himself fit. Trouble is, that wasn't always the case: my records show four separate injury absences last season – tendinopathy in November; a hamstring pull in January from which he didn't return until March whereupon he got another 'knock', having watched Nat Ogbeta replace him; then the foot injury that ruled him out of Wembley and all of pre-season.

Although capable of thrilling brilliance he was also capable of the odd shocker, which was usually clearly evident within the first 15 minutes and sometimes seemed to seep round Evatt's team like a virus: if one of your wingbacks sucks ass you're a bit knackered, especially if the other one is Josh Dacres-Cogley and thus only intermittently a creative outlet.

In some ways Cogs and Randell were the sort of absolute opposites you can get when you try to make wingbacks out of doughty full-backs and flighty wingers. A team solely composed of either type would win nothing much, but in terms of squad members you might want more JDCs than RWs (again, we come back to Shankly's Piano). I still have a pet theory that Cogs has been offered an extension and Randell wasn't, leading to the uncharacteristic de-pramming of his toys with That Social Post.

And we'll always have Barnsley.

[boltonboris]

I was neither happy, nor sad to see Williams leave. I could see his positives, but he more average days than good and had availability issues. He probably embodied that 'meh' feeling around a lot of the recruitment and football the last couple of seasons.

Great move for him though. Same division, similar money (presumably), higher in the table and near where he grew up. Couldn't have worked out better for him really.

Good luck to him. I'm sure he'll get a good reception

[boltonboris]

Pratley suspended for this. Got a second yellow on Tuesday night for a tug on a striker and was subsequently sent off

Despite being their captain, I'm not sure he'd have definitely played this Saturday having played the previous Tuesday, but he would most certainly have been in their 18 man squad

[BWFC_Insane]

Good player Williams for me. When fit. And on it. A level above most we’ve got. But you only had to look at him funny and he’d be injured so also one of the most brittle.

Schuey I think would have suited him and he Schuey so it’s a shame. But we are where we are.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Team news https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ent-clash/
• Gethin got smacked in the ribs at Shrewsbury, "we'll see how that is"
• Toal had some time off training early in the week "but seems to be getting better"
• Forino fine after 45 mins with Bs - he'll play for Bs again next midweek
• Mendes Gomes trained with the squad this week
• Tomo back from suspension

[BWFC_Insane]

https://youtu.be/snfbg4DbUeY?si=nyya60nxXRGG-EiJ

It’s a big game no hiding from that and we need to get a result from it.

Schuey’s words. Good god the difference is incredible. I have complete faith.

[Worthy4England]

I was neither happy, nor sad to see Williams leave. I could see his positives, but he more average days than good and had availability issues. He probably embodied that 'meh' feeling around a lot of the recruitment and football the last couple of seasons.

Great move for him though. Same division, similar money (presumably), higher in the table and near where he grew up. Couldn't have worked out better for him really.

Good luck to him. I'm sure he'll get a good reception

Yup, this. Goes with good wishea ('cept v us)...

[Harry Genshaw]

I was sad to see Randy go. At his best, a fast, exciting winger who chipped in with a few goals. He had that long throw too, that obviously under Evatt we weren't allowed to see but would be capable of causing panic in a shaky defence. However, this season I saw him put in two of the worst performances I've seen of any player in a Wanderers shirt - Villa's kids and Rotherham away. Truly appalling. I'll clap him tomorrow but then? Feck him.

Love Schuey's interview ^. Games like this are why we do it. Embrace the pressure, show this bunch of imposters what a proper good side looks like and let's get em beat !

[BWFC_Insane]

Team news https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ent-clash/
• Gethin got smacked in the ribs at Shrewsbury, "we'll see how that is"
• Toal had some time off training early in the week "but seems to be getting better"
• Forino fine after 45 mins with Bs - he'll play for Bs again next midweek
• Mendes Gomes trained with the squad this week
• Tomo back from suspension

I note that there isn’t a single mention of George’s fitness following his withdrawal at half time last week. Which is either good news that there is nothing to report or slightly ominous.

[BorsdaneWhite]

I was sad to see Randy go. At his best, a fast, exciting winger who chipped in with a few goals. He had that long throw too, that obviously under Evatt we weren't allowed to see but would be capable of causing panic in a shaky defence. However, this season I saw him put in two of the worst performances I've seen of any player in a Wanderers shirt - Villa's kids and Rotherham away. Truly appalling. I'll clap him tomorrow but then? Feck him.

Love Schuey's interview ^. Games like this are why we do it. Embrace the pressure, show this bunch of imposters what a proper good side looks like and let's get em beat !

Agree with you here. Really balanced. He had a lot of potential in an attacking sense, but when he was off it, he was bloody awful. His goal the other day should certainly give us something to think about, however.

[boltonboris]

Team news https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... ent-clash/
• Gethin got smacked in the ribs at Shrewsbury, "we'll see how that is"
• Toal had some time off training early in the week "but seems to be getting better"
• Forino fine after 45 mins with Bs - he'll play for Bs again next midweek
• Mendes Gomes trained with the squad this week
• Tomo back from suspension

I note that there isn’t a single mention of George’s fitness following his withdrawal at half time last week. Which is either good news that there is nothing to report or slightly ominous.

I thought he said after the game it was a dead leg? I can't be bothered going checking

[boltonboris]

^ Knock on his knee - Wanted to carry on, but they decided to sub him anyway, as the plan was to bring Tutu on Murphy previously

[Spartan2]

It'll be fascinating to see how Schuey lines up for this one. I'm guessing he's going to stick with the 352, with something like:

----------------Collins-Macatee-------
---------------------Matete
----------------Morley-Sheehan-------
Murphy-Jonstone-Forrester-Toal-Cogs

With Tutu, Schon, Ade, CMG, Randall, Lolos and Thomason making a very strong bench and perhaps most seeing game time but you never know, it's impossible to predict. He could play 4 at the back, and start with Schon and Tutu, who knows, when is Santos back? He's going to have to leave some decent players out of the 18 again. I feel like this could be another Sunderland game, the stars are aligning, LO are not great at defending, and should be tired, we're growing in confidence and getting better by the week. I think this could be a statement result. The excitement is certainly back, for me anyway.