Arsenal v Bolton (match thread)

[TANGODANCER]

Most of us probably didn't realistically expect to get anything with eleven.

I thought you said...

No reason at all why we shouldn't just get amongst them and win. None.

Aye, it's called hope. Realism often kills it. Have a day off bish, you're becoming boring.

[Sir Nut]

Didnt expect much from this game anyway, best players by a mile have been Lee, Elmander and Robinson, Bodgan has made some cracking saves but cant keep them all out, id hate to see the shots at goal stat. Anyway our luck couldnt carry on and lets just hope Coyle starts putting things right, it was like we was playing with 10 men before Cahill got sent off anyway. The ref is also wank, Free kick against Lee on the Edge of the box.

Bring on de Villa!

Worst summary ever to be fair. Lee was pretty quiet despite the cross for the goal, Elmo did have a good game but Robinson was shown up against a quicker set of players. at 2-1 I'd say that was a reasonable result, we're playing Arsenal you expect the defence to be stretched. The only thing Coyle will need to do is get them pepped up for the next game, he has nothing 'to put right'.

We played Arsenal for feck sake not one of our close rivals. It was never going to be easy

Wake up before we are in the brown stuff, the way the games went we should be on 1 point, we have been awfull, lucky against (a very bad) West Ham and Lucky Against Brum. 2 set pieces. We should of been hammered in both of them games and was lucky to pick up 4 points, if Coyle doesnt change things we are going down! We are shite, our defence are constantly under pressure. Yesterday could of been about 10.

[Sir Nut]

sounds like some more controversy at the emirated but unlike last time it didn't make too much difference. by all accounts we were soundly beaten and i'm hardly surprised. if coyle carries on with this cavalier attitude against sides that are clearly better than us then we could get into trouble.

cannot see anything but more of the same against villa and united.

We didn't play 442 today yer know

Erm what did we play then?

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

[Gary the Enfield]

sounds like some more controversy at the emirated but unlike last time it didn't make too much difference. by all accounts we were soundly beaten and i'm hardly surprised. if coyle carries on with this cavalier attitude against sides that are clearly better than us then we could get into trouble.

cannot see anything but more of the same against villa and united.

We didn't play 442 today yer know

Erm what did we play then?

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

I imagine he gets in for nowt. He's probably got a key.

[Bigzippy]

Been doing a bit more re-watching of yesterdays game.

Blame wise I would attatch a lot to Knight yesterday. Watching him jog back for the shot leading up to the corner for the second and for their fourth goal was frustrating, him being out of position for the second and his comedy tackle for the third was infuriating.

Not his best day, almost as bad as his old style games under Megson. I hope he can find the form that was starting to emerge in the first couple of games.

Selection wise I think that Holden will struggle against the the bigger clubs but will be effective against those around us and below us. Petrov has moments when he looks amazing but yesterday he did not. The Moo was solid but he cant be expected to do it all on his own.

Lets hope Owen has enough ideas to shake up the squad and find a way to win agains Villa

[Sir Nut]

We didn't play 442 today yer know

Erm what did we play then?

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

I imagine he gets in for nowt. He's probably got a key.

In other words i want a refund you dork!

[Sir Nut]

Been doing a bit more re-watching of yesterdays game.

Blame wise I would attatch a lot to Knight yesterday. Watching him jog back for the shot leading up to the corner for the second and for their fourth goal was frustrating, him being out of position for the second and his comedy tackle for the third was infuriating.

Not his best day, almost as bad as his old style games under Megson. I hope he can find the form that was starting to emerge in the first couple of games.

Selection wise I think that Holden will struggle against the the bigger clubs but will be effective against those around us and below us. Petrov has moments when he looks amazing but yesterday he did not. The Moo was solid but he cant be expected to do it all on his own.

Lets hope Owen has enough ideas to shake up the squad and find a way to win agains Villa

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

--------------Bodgan--------------
GS-------AOB------ZK--------PR
LEE----FM--------------SH----PETROV
-----------DAVIES-ELMANDER------

Thats your shake up!

the same dis jointed shit and we'll get a tubbing again.

Then the same excuses, defence this defence that. Bollocks! sell them then and get Carlise and bikey in ffs!

[thebish]

If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

but that won't be necessary - cos remember - you don't go out of protest this season with KD still being in the team...

[Sir Nut]

If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

but that won't be necessary - cos remember - you don't go out of protest this season with KD still being in the team...

I did the stupid thing didnt i and still put my self through that pain.

[Hoboh]

If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

but that won't be necessary - cos remember - you don't go out of protest this season with KD still being in the team...

I did the stupid thing didnt i and still put my self through that pain.

Your a dingle in disguise oh yes you are, a dingle in disguise mmmm mmmm

[Wandering Willy]

Erm what did we play then?

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

I imagine he gets in for nowt. He's probably got a key.

In other words i want a refund you dork!

Four games into a new season and we've played two of them with ten men.

I'll gladly chip in a few quid for your ticket if anyone else wants to - just to stop your whining. Perhaps the ticket can go to someone less fortunate who would like to go and support the team and manager but can't afford to.

Is it an adult or child ticket?

[bw@bw]

Four games into a new season and we've played two of them with ten men.

About time we tried keeping a full team on for the whole match.

Cahill's red card was harsh - but it was a stupid tackle - there was no real danger out on the wing.

[truewhite15]

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

I imagine he gets in for nowt. He's probably got a key.

In other words i want a refund you dork!

Four games into a new season and we've played two of them with ten men.

I'll gladly chip in a few quid for your ticket if anyone else wants to - just to stop your whining. Perhaps the ticket can go to someone less fortunate who would like to go and support the team and manager but can't afford to.

Is it an adult or child ticket?

Brilliant idea. A new charity to buy Nutty's ticket off him, so he can piss off.

[Tombwfc]

People are right in that losing to Arsenal is no big deal, I won't lose any sleep over it. However, you've got to actually win sometime. You can spend the whole season making excuses for why we shouldn't expect points here or there ("Nothing wrong with a point at home to Fulham", "United and Villa at home will beat most sides"). Usually most of them are fair enough in isolation, but if you add them all together you end up with very few points.

It was exactly the same with Megson. Failure to put away teams at home (Stoke, Sunderland ect spring to mind) added to writing off half our away games as unwinnable leads to an inevitable struggle. You end up piling pressure on yourselves uneccesarily (which in fairness we usually won, until the Hull game and he got the sack). Similar story last season when we looked in trouble, getting obliterated in games like Blackburn away, and then having to beat Wigan. We could do the same and probably stay up again, but people want more than that.

It is the start of the season and I'm confident in Coyle to put it right. But a steady start looks increasingly less so as the games tick by. Is anyone convinced that Petrov and Holden are vastly superior to Taylor and Cohen? I said, pretty flippantly, before the West Ham game that Taylor would be back in the side in five games. Looks a decent bet unless Petrov shows what he can do.

[TKIZ!]

People are right in that losing to Arsenal is no big deal, I won't lose any sleep over it. However, you've got to actually win sometime. You can spend the whole season making excuses for why we shouldn't expect points here or there ("Nothing wrong with a point at home to Fulham", "United and Villa at home will beat most sides"). Usually most of them are fair enough in isolation, but if you add them all together you end up with very few points.

It was exactly the same with Megson. Failure to put away teams at home (Stoke, Sunderland ect spring to mind) added to writing off half our away games as unwinnable leads to an inevitable struggle. You end up piling pressure on yourselves uneccesarily (which in fairness we usually won, until the Hull game and he got the sack). Similar story last season when we looked in trouble, getting obliterated in games like Blackburn away, and then having to beat Wigan. We could do the same and probably stay up again, but people want more than that.

It is the start of the season and I'm confident in Coyle to put it right. But a steady start looks increasingly less so as the games tick by. Is anyone convinced that Petrov and Holden are vastly superior to Taylor and Cohen? I said, pretty flippantly, before the West Ham game that Taylor would be back in the side in five games. Looks a decent bet unless Petrov shows what he can do.

There are some good points in amongst all that Tom, but we're 4 games into the season I'd like to think that the season isn't usually decided by the run of the first 4 games. Take Birmingham for example last games left right and centre at the beginning of last season and then it all clicked and they went on a 12 game unbeaten run. It can happen, we just have to give it time.

[Lord Kangana]

Is Holden better than Cohen? Is that a serious question? I'd rather we played Joey Obrien, Cohen is not a Premier League midfielder. So yes, I prefer playing Premier League standard players, which I think answers the question. And perhaps you missed the analysis of the West Ham game showing everything going through Petrov. Two appearances that have involved him being subbed because we're down to ten men says he's not had chance to show us what we can do. I think you need to sit on the Nutty step for a minute, and have a think.

[Montreal Wanderer]

It is the start of the season and I'm confident in Coyle to put it right. But a steady start looks increasingly less so as the games tick by. Is anyone convinced that Petrov and Holden are vastly superior to Taylor and Cohen? I said, pretty flippantly, before the West Ham game that Taylor would be back in the side in five games. Looks a decent bet unless Petrov shows what he can do.

Petrov seemed abysmal to me yesterday apart from one well-taken corner. If he tried to take it himself he got stripped and if he passed, whether long or short, it inevitably went to a red shirt. I would far rather have Taylor take the dead ball free kicks though this is the first time I've seen (on TV) Petrov apart from the Bulgaria game. I didn't think Holden was that bad, though a little inexperienced.

[ratbert]

http://www.the-wanderer.co.uk/bolton/Al ... Script-917

Cheer up with this match report. Erm...

[Tombwfc]

People are right in that losing to Arsenal is no big deal, I won't lose any sleep over it. However, you've got to actually win sometime. You can spend the whole season making excuses for why we shouldn't expect points here or there ("Nothing wrong with a point at home to Fulham", "United and Villa at home will beat most sides"). Usually most of them are fair enough in isolation, but if you add them all together you end up with very few points.

It was exactly the same with Megson. Failure to put away teams at home (Stoke, Sunderland ect spring to mind) added to writing off half our away games as unwinnable leads to an inevitable struggle. You end up piling pressure on yourselves uneccesarily (which in fairness we usually won, until the Hull game and he got the sack). Similar story last season when we looked in trouble, getting obliterated in games like Blackburn away, and then having to beat Wigan. We could do the same and probably stay up again, but people want more than that.

It is the start of the season and I'm confident in Coyle to put it right. But a steady start looks increasingly less so as the games tick by. Is anyone convinced that Petrov and Holden are vastly superior to Taylor and Cohen? I said, pretty flippantly, before the West Ham game that Taylor would be back in the side in five games. Looks a decent bet unless Petrov shows what he can do.

There are some good points in amongst all that Tom, but we're 4 games into the season I'd like to think that the season isn't usually decided by the run of the first 4 games. Take Birmingham for example last games left right and centre at the beginning of last season and then it all clicked and they went on a 12 game unbeaten run. It can happen, we just have to give it time.

I agree. I was just making the point that the start of this season has already mimicked large parts of the previous three.

Coyle has got all the time he needs and the squad is certainly a work in progress. I'd be pleasantly suprised if we don't end up in a relegation scrap at some point.

[Gary the Enfield]

Erm what did we play then?

4-5-1 in the first half, with Elmander just behind SKD, and 4-3-3 in the second, with Lee seeming to play CF, Elmander and SKD in wider supporting roles. 4-3-2 when Cahill was sent off. If you didn't have your eyes firmly fixed on SKD, watching out for every little mistake or phase of play you don't agree with, you might have spotted that.

You serious? Thats how we set out? Wow Coyle is shitter than i thought! He plays Davies as our striker and Elmader feeding him? He really put Elmander behind Davies? Davies up top on his own? Elmanader between the midfield and him? WOW! Then he goes 4 3 3 in the second half agaisnt one of the best midfields in the world?! He puts 3 against them (including Petrov as part of the middle 3)? it cant be right surely he didnt do that! In Kanangas words i wanna see a piece of paper where he wrote these formations down! If he did play it this way i think ill send Coyle an Email asking if he wants to buy my season ticket off me.

I imagine he gets in for nowt. He's probably got a key.

In other words i want a refund you dork!

Oh. My mistake. You mean you sent a cheque to Owen Coyle and HE sent you your season ticket? In that case, if it's a refund you want he's definitely your man. Prick.