Pre-season friendly against Barcelona

[plymouth wanderer]

Looking at the options we have up front, I don't mind us possibly playing 4-4-2 next season. Afobe, Sordell and N'Gog are all pretty good players but I don't think any of them are reliable enough to score goals on a week in, week out basis, so playing some variation of those three isn't a bad idea. However, we need more structure in the centre of midfield for that to happen which, hopefully, Holden will provide.

I'd start with either:

---------Sordell - N'Gog-----------
Petrov - Holden - Andrews - Chungy

or:

--------------Sordell---------------
--------------Davies---------------
Petrov - Andrews - Holden - Chungy



Unlike many on here, I'm not completely against 4-4-2 though.

No defense and keeper we'd get slaughtered

[Far East Trotter]

Looking at the options we have up front, I don't mind us possibly playing 4-4-2 next season. Afobe, Sordell and N'Gog are all pretty good players but I don't think any of them are reliable enough to score goals on a week in, week out basis, so playing some variation of those three isn't a bad idea. However, we need more structure in the centre of midfield for that to happen which, hopefully, Holden will provide.

I'd start with either:

---------Sordell - N'Gog-----------
Petrov - Holden - Andrews - Chungy

or:

--------------Sordell---------------
--------------Davies---------------
Petrov - Andrews - Holden - Chungy



Unlike many on here, I'm not completely against 4-4-2 though.

No defense and keeper we'd get slaughtered

[a1]

Afobe is a big un and Sordell is the fox in the box. Could be a great partnership if it develops!

afobe and sordell would rip it up.

theyd both get more than ngog's 40+

winning games by ten goals will be an awesome fortnightly blessing from jesus.

GD +250

yeah !

[Peter Thompson]

Agree pretty much with BWFC-i's assessment.

Came back from Morecambe thinking we were more likely to drop another division than go up one.

Tonight a much more positive experience. There's some pace and youth in the team, potentially. And that's nice.

Kevin Davies looks utterly shot - so sad to see him like this.

I wonder how long it will take Coyle to realise this and stop playing him !, because he's been like this for the past few seasons and
everyone but Coyle could see this.

[Devon White]

Agree pretty much with BWFC-i's assessment.

Came back from Morecambe thinking we were more likely to drop another division than go up one.

Tonight a much more positive experience. There's some pace and youth in the team, potentially. And that's nice.

Kevin Davies looks utterly shot - so sad to see him like this.

Phew, thats a relief, after the portsmouth nightmare it was difficult to see positives, but they couldnt play as bad again (oops) bring on burnley

[boltonboris]

442 seems a good idea now, because we look like having decent attacking options. But when we can't get hold of the ball to supply them, opinions will change.

[thebish]

Agree pretty much with BWFC-i's assessment.

Came back from Morecambe thinking we were more likely to drop another division than go up one.

Tonight a much more positive experience. There's some pace and youth in the team, potentially. And that's nice.

Kevin Davies looks utterly shot - so sad to see him like this.

I wonder how long it will take Coyle to realise this and stop playing him !, because he's been like this for the past few seasons and
everyone but Coyle and Tango could see this.

fixed that for you!

[ChrisC]

Seen the goals last night on sky sports so they should be online if anyone hasn't seen them yet.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

442 seems a good idea now, because we look like having decent attacking options. But when we can't get hold of the ball to supply them, opinions will change.

Yeah, that worries me too - whether Andrews is partnered by Mavies or Pratley.

For the record, I'm not 'against' 4-4-2 if it's played sensibly rather than naively. But when you're often outnumbered in central midfield, you need your two to do the work of three men, combining high rates of tackling and intercepting with usefulness on the ball (or at least the ability and discipline to find a creative team-mate); you also need efficient, organised work from a defence more frequently left exposed. It can work, and sometimes does - for Coyle early on with Holden and Muamba, for Pardew last season with Tiote and Cabaye - but it's decreasingly prevalent because it requires so many of your players to outshine the opposition.

[Harry Genshaw]

So all in all, not as bad as I feared, but not as good as I'd like.

My 38th season following the Whites this season. I think in this one sentence you've almost summed up the other 37 Worthy

[Ianmooreslovechild]

442 seems a good idea now, because we look like having decent attacking options. But when we can't get hold of the ball to supply them, opinions will change.

Yeah, that worries me too - whether Andrews is partnered by Mavies or Pratley.

For the record, I'm not 'against' 4-4-2 if it's played sensibly rather than naively. But when you're often outnumbered in central midfield, you need your two to do the work of three men, combining high rates of tackling and intercepting with usefulness on the ball (or at least the ability and discipline to find a creative team-mate); you also need efficient, organised work from a defence more frequently left exposed. It can work, and sometimes does - for Coyle early on with Holden and Muamba, for Pardew last season with Tiote and Cabaye - but it's decreasingly prevalent because it requires so many of your players to outshine the opposition.

Spot on.But then any system requires players who can win the ball and pass it well enough to maintain possession.We spent most of last season with only one midfielder able to do those two things and he s gone.No surprise that we struggled.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Spot on.But then any system requires players who can win the ball and pass it well enough to maintain possession.We spent most of last season with only one midfielder able to do those two things and he s gone.No surprise that we struggled.

Very true, Mooresy, but I'd add that a flexible midfield five adds more protection than a rigid 4-4-2 (or even a flexible 4-4-2 in which the front four float but don't defend) so it makes it easier to not fail, through sheer numbers. The fifth midfielder was one of the reasons Bolton did so well under Sam - well, that and having discipline drilled into 'em.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Spot on.But then any system requires players who can win the ball and pass it well enough to maintain possession.We spent most of last season with only one midfielder able to do those two things and he s gone.No surprise that we struggled.

Very true, Mooresy, but I'd add that a flexible midfield five adds more protection than a rigid 4-4-2 (or even a flexible 4-4-2 in which the front four float but don't defend) so it makes it easier to not fail, through sheer numbers. The fifth midfielder was one of the reasons Bolton did so well under Sam - well, that and having discipline drilled into 'em.

Course and with the available personnel thats why hanging onto 442 for so much of the season drove most folk on here nuts.The classic 442 like forest used to play can be brilliant but it does depend on a solid central pair(nothing very memorable about Bowyer and McGovern but they won the European cup just winning the ball and passing it simple to more creative players) and ideally you still want wide men to tuck in and compete when you dont have the ball. two banks of 4 with discipline is hard to break down.Coyles love of inconsistent players who like to run with the ball and turn into spectators when they dont have it didnt help.

[Gail Platz]

So we had Afobe upfront with Sordell, did they work well together?

They did better than any other 'partnership' we've seen at the Reebok for quite some time.

Afobe looks like he's got something, he's very tricky on the ball and definitely looks a talent. I think him and Sordell could create a very lively and threatening partnership. Sordell holds the line up far, far better than Kevin Davies has ever done and even looks like he could play the lone striker role if needs be.

Sad to say but Kevin Davies is gone. I've not been his biggest fan since the Megson days but he did absolutely nothing, as he did at Morecambe. There is absolutely no justification for him being in the side over Afobe, Sordell and even Ngog who has at least managed to get himself a goal.

[Ianmooreslovechild]

So we had Afobe upfront with Sordell, did they work well together?

They did better than any other 'partnership' we've seen at the Reebok for quite some time.

Afobe looks like he's got something, he's very tricky on the ball and definitely looks a talent. I think him and Sordell could create a very lively and threatening partnership. Sordell holds the line up far, far better than Kevin Davies has ever done and even looks like he could play the lone striker role if needs be.

Sad to say but Kevin Davies is gone. I've not been his biggest fan since the Megson days but he did absolutely nothing, as he did at Morecambe. There is absolutely no justification for him being in the side over Afobe, Sordell and even Ngog who has at least managed to get himself a goal.

It's like Wrighty and Brighty all over again
Well you can always dream,mobile quick strikers at the reebok surely not.
If KD can come on for 20min cameos from time to time it should mean we're having a decent season. Even if he is knackered I can see him doing a useful job in that way. If he'sstarting then signs will not be good

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Sordell holds the line up far, far better than Kevin Davies has ever done and even looks like he could play the lone striker role if needs be.

In that case we've got ourselves a steal, because at his best Kevin Davies was one of the finest target-men this club has ever been privileged to have; without his strength and link-up play, the Allardyce formation that took us to four straight top-eights wouldn't have worked.

Trouble is, he's long past his best. He can still be used, as many have suggested, in certain circumstances and situations, but he should no longer be an automatic choice. Changing the way we play (and reducing our reliance on KD as the easy out) is a great challenge for Coyle as it was for Megson, Lee and Allardyce, but OC's accretion of alternatives (Ngog, Sordell, Afobe) shows he's not blind to its necessity. We await the results with interest.

[Tals-biggest-fan]

Does anybody have a link to see the highlights, can see one on the interweb.

[Worthy4England]

So all in all, not as bad as I feared, but not as good as I'd like.

My 38th season following the Whites this season. I think in this one sentence you've almost summed up the other 37 Worthy

I'm on my 37th. I think some seasons I've really looked forward to. This one coming, at the moment, isn't inspiring me much, although there was just a flicker last evening...

I guess I'm missing that one or two players that I want to see - we have no one at the moment that's remotely suggesting I'd pay to go and watch 'em for any other reason that they're playing for Bolton - not a Coyle only phenomenon - it's been like that for a while.

[Bruce Rioja]

My 38th season following the Whites this season.

Mine too.

[Bruno3]

My 38th season following the Whites this season.

Mine too.

53rd for me - f*ck me, that's frightening!!!