The Munich match thread

[Tombwfc]

I have a sneaky suspicion we'll be seeing El Cid in the centre tonight. Megson has already preached the value of 'round pegs in round holes', so i think theres a chance there.

I'm going for a Davies opener, followed by three Munich goals and them to run out easy winners. I'll also bet that atleast one person on here will use the phrase 'I'd rather lose and go for it, than let it slip away'.

Either way, as long as we put the ball in the net while the score is still close enough for me to get excited, i'm not arsed what happens.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Don't they know that once you leave Bolton you become shit. Only Eidur in recent memory has bucked that trend

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Just make sure you send this team to our Ginger saviour and we may just keep it respectable.

Balls to that, send him this...

You look at the options after a couple of injuries and just despair at the wasted summer when Lee thought it ok to ignore defensive frailties in favour of speedy midfielders he'd spotted on you tube, who show no sign of hacking it in a team near you any time soon...

But, you know, even though I fear a monumental tonking to come in Munich, though I'm having a fiver on us to win - despite the incredulous laughter of a bunch of wiser and younger men of my acquaintance - a bit of me doesn't actually care, even if that happens...

This is what matters...

We are Bolton Wanderers. We are playing Bayern Munich in Europe Competition and not their reserves in a pre-season walkaround.

We earned the right to be there.

We cross the line together. Both teams.

We line up at 0-0. Equals. Bayern Munich v Bolton Wanderers. Competing.

I have seen us play at Port Vale and Carlisle. At Stockport and Darlington. At Walsall and Bristol Rovers. And loved a lot of those days as well.

But, a few hours from now...

I shall feel really proud. Really, really proud. And so am kicking myself that I'm not there.

[FD]

2-1 to us I'm going for.

Yep.

[Little Green Man]

We are Bolton Wanderers. We are playing Bayern Munich in Europe Competition and not their reserves in a pre-season walkaround.

We earned the right to be there.

We cross the line together. Both teams.

We line up at 0-0. Equals. Bayern Munich v Bolton Wanderers. Competing.

I have seen us play at Port Vale and Carlisle. At Stockport and Darlington. At Walsall and Bristol Rovers. And loved a lot of those days as well.

But, a few hours from now...

I shall feel really proud. Really, really proud. And so am kicking myself that I'm not there.

Eeh, I've come over all lachrymose.

[gaz_nt]

2-1 to us I'm going for.

Yep.

Ye i'm going for that! Nobby to score the winner!!

...well you've gotta be optimistic being a Wanderers Fan aint ya?!

[Worthy4England]

07.11.2007 The Bayern stars were excused training on Monday and took a pause for breath. “It was a good point in time to recharge mentally,” commented Ottmar Hitzfeld, as his team gears up for an unprecedented schedule comprising two gruelling competitive matches in the space of 44 hours, Thursday’s UEFA Cup group meeting with Bolton Wanderers (Live in English from 6.45 pm CET on FCB.tv Web Radio), and Saturday’s Bundesliga trip to champions VfB Stuttgart. “Both games are important,” insisted Hitzfeld, demanding total concentration on Bolton in the first instance. “We’ll need to be at our very best.“

Following a last-gasp 3-2 win away to Red Star Belgrade two weeks ago, the German league leaders can virtually seal a place in the knockout round by beating the side lying second from bottom of the English Premier League. “If we win on Thursday we’ll have six points, and that will see us through,” Karl-Heinz Rummenigge calculated, reasoning that victory over the Trotters would hand Bayern third place in the group at the very least.

No carbon copy of Frankfurt

“We’ll go for it as usual and do our best to lay on a good attacking game for the crowd,” Hitzfeld announced, predicting another defensive display from a team visiting the Allianz Arena. “Bolton will pull nine men back,” he continued, although the coach believes the English side will be more adventurous than Frankfurt, who rarely ventured over the halfway line in snatching a point from a goalless draw in Munich last weekend. “Bolton are always prepared to get forward. We’ll have to do a lot more work in defence than we did against Frankfurt.“

Star striker Nicolas Anelka is out injured and El Hadji Diouf is a surprise omission from the travelling party, but Hitzfeld reckons the likes of Kevin Davis, Kevin Nolan and Gary Speed pose a real threat. “We’re up against a dangerous team and we’ll need to be on our guard,” declared Oliver Kahn, warning his team-mates not to read anything into the visitors’ poor start to the domestic campaign. “Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“

Typically English

Wanderers have not won a league game for almost two months and installed a new coach two weeks ago. “They’re below where they should be, and could rise above themselves in the UEFA Cup,” warned Hitzfeld, “I’m expecting them to play a typically English game.“ That would mean a physically robust approach, with plenty of long balls looking to exploit the forwards’ aerial prowess.

“They’re very good up front and on the flanks, and they get forward at lightning speed,” observed Miroslav Klose. Kahn felt that was less of a worry: “We have a world-class defence, probably the best in Europe at the moment. They’ll have to find a way past us first.“

Rotation for Reds

But Bayern have mislaid their shooting boots recently too, and are keen to start scoring again after consecutive goalless draws in the league. “More determination, more long-range shots, more set plays,” Kahn demanded. “We should try and score with our first chance,” Klose offered.

At the pre-match news conference, Hitzfeld declined to reveal the line-up he will send out with the task of maintaining a run of seven UEFA Cup home fixtures without defeat. Bayern are without injury or illness concerns for the first time this season, no bad thing in the light of the Stuttgart trip two days later. One or two team changes appear very likely.

Stuttgart coming up

“I’ve been thinking a lot about it: who do I leave out against Bolton and who do I bring in for Stuttgart? It needs advance planning,” Hitzfeld argued, “I already have the line-up for Stuttgart in the back of my head.” After facing Bolton, the Bayern coaching staff will immediately lay on a string of measures to help the players regenerate, but a win would be the best mental boost. “You always recover more quickly,” Hitzfeld remarked.

Probable line-ups:

Bayern Munich: Kahn - Lell, Lucio, Van Buyten, Jansen - Schweinsteiger, Van Bommel, Ottl, Ribéry - Klose, Podolski
Also in matchday squad: Rensing, Lahm, Demichelis, Zé Roberto, Altintop, Sosa, Kroos, Schlaudraff

Bolton Wanderers: Jaaskelainen - McCann, O'Brien, Michalik, Gardner - Guthrie, Nolan, Giannakopoulos, Samuel, Speed - Davies

Referee: Jaroslav Jara (Czech Republic)

From the FC Bayern site....

[Son of Jardel]

“Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“ What a great way of looking at it.

[CrazyHorse]

“Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“ What a great way of looking at it.

Aye, I thought exactly the same thing.

[TANGODANCER]

“Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“ What a great way of looking at it.

Bit worried where this "lightening speed" is going to come from though.

[durham_wanderer]

God i wish I was in munich not in the bloody cowd north east!!

Unfortunately i can see us losing 3-0 tonight, 1 in a forgettable first half, then after half time we will try and get back into it before conceding 2 in the last 20mins.

On the bright side tho guthrie 40/1 to score first is a cracking shout! U heard it here first

[Worthy4England]

“Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“ What a great way of looking at it.

Bit worried where this "lightening speed" is going to come from though.

Aye that was the bit that had me stumped.....Maybe they're going to fill Gary Speed full of static before the game.....

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

“Bolton only just missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season. They haven’t suddenly forgotten how to play football.“ What a great way of looking at it.

Bit worried where this "lightening speed" is going to come from though.

well the ball travels quicker than the player, especially when hoofed

[Hoboh]

First name on the sheet has to be Nolan.

The captain is back.

YES!! Nobby to score the winner 1-2 to the white army!!

... wel you've got to be optimistic haven't you! lol

Lets see after half a dozen good performances not 1 game

[gaz_nt]

First name on the sheet has to be Nolan.

The captain is back.

YES!! Nobby to score the winner 1-2 to the white army!!

... wel you've got to be optimistic haven't you! lol

Lets see after half a dozen good performances not 1 game

1 game?! He's got better every game under Megson and I Just hope it carries on. The goal will do him the world of good!

[Hoboh]

and Ivan Campo is not registered for the competition.

Thanks Norman, your legacy lives on....

Leave it out!!! And just how many would not have got rid of an overweight, old Spaniard who couldn't last 45 mins in a game never mind 90 at the start of the season? The bloody players let Lee down not the other way!!!
Megson cracks me up saying on radio last night it's not his biggest game as manager!!!! so Europe is not important with games like this is it not???? get any top European side to the 'Bok then try to count empty seats I hope Megson has more ambition then that.

[fatshaft]

and Ivan Campo is not registered for the competition.

Thanks Norman, your legacy lives on....

Leave it out!!! And just how many would not have got rid of an overweight, old Spaniard who couldn't last 45 mins in a game never mind 90 at the start of the season? The bloody players let Lee down not the other way!!!
Megson cracks me up saying on radio last night it's not his biggest game as manager!!!! so Europe is not important with games like this is it not???? get any top European side to the 'Bok then try to count empty seats I hope Megson has more ambition then that.

In a squad of 25 there was easily a place for him. I don't dribble over him like some, but the lack of cover tonight is an issue whether you like it or not, and the fact he wasn't one of the 25 was nothing more than some petty little man syndrome nonsense.

It's funny actually that I get that reaction when speaking poorly of a complete incompetent clown who has just been mutually agreed from his job, and yet many on here spout nothing but venom in the direction of Allardyce.

[Hoboh]

and Ivan Campo is not registered for the competition.

Thanks Norman, your legacy lives on....

Leave it out!!! And just how many would not have got rid of an overweight, old Spaniard who couldn't last 45 mins in a game never mind 90 at the start of the season? The bloody players let Lee down not the other way!!!
Megson cracks me up saying on radio last night it's not his biggest game as manager!!!! so Europe is not important with games like this is it not???? get any top European side to the 'Bok then try to count empty seats I hope Megson has more ambition then that.

In a squad of 25 there was easily a place for him. I don't dribble over him like some, but the lack of cover tonight is an issue whether you like it or not, and the fact he wasn't one of the 25 was nothing more than some petty little man syndrome nonsense.

It's funny actually that I get that reaction when speaking poorly of a complete incompetent clown who has just been mutually agreed from his job, and yet many on here spout nothing but venom in the direction of Allardyce.

I hope tonight is the start of something but Megsons record so far is 2 points thrown away, knocked out of one cup and to be fair a creditable point at Spammers place. so not set anything on fire yet nor done any better than a incompetent Clown. The Antichrist was past his sell by date with us and left under a cloud and shafted us so hence the venom.

COME ON YOU WHITES!!!!

[BWFC_Insane]

and Ivan Campo is not registered for the competition.

Thanks Norman, your legacy lives on....

Leave it out!!! And just how many would not have got rid of an overweight, old Spaniard who couldn't last 45 mins in a game never mind 90 at the start of the season? The bloody players let Lee down not the other way!!!
Megson cracks me up saying on radio last night it's not his biggest game as manager!!!! so Europe is not important with games like this is it not???? get any top European side to the 'Bok then try to count empty seats I hope Megson has more ambition then that.

Sorry but you are talking rubbish. I can accept Lee leaving Campo out the squad as he thought the lad was leaving. Fair enough. However...

We could win the Bayern game and still go out of the UEFA cup in the group stage.

Conversely losing it isn't the end of the world.

Its a great game for BWFC supporters but certainly not an "important" one in terms of the end result of this season, where all that matters is staying in the premiership.

I think its abundantly clear that whilst some of the players weren't backing Lee, that perhaps he didn't do himself any favours. Megson has managed to get the players onside. Or at least it would appear so. If you can't get the players onside then you are ultimately not going to make much of a manager.

[BWFC_Insane]

and Ivan Campo is not registered for the competition.

Thanks Norman, your legacy lives on....

Leave it out!!! And just how many would not have got rid of an overweight, old Spaniard who couldn't last 45 mins in a game never mind 90 at the start of the season? The bloody players let Lee down not the other way!!!
Megson cracks me up saying on radio last night it's not his biggest game as manager!!!! so Europe is not important with games like this is it not???? get any top European side to the 'Bok then try to count empty seats I hope Megson has more ambition then that.

In a squad of 25 there was easily a place for him. I don't dribble over him like some, but the lack of cover tonight is an issue whether you like it or not, and the fact he wasn't one of the 25 was nothing more than some petty little man syndrome nonsense.

It's funny actually that I get that reaction when speaking poorly of a complete incompetent clown who has just been mutually agreed from his job, and yet many on here spout nothing but venom in the direction of Allardyce.

I hope tonight is the start of something but Megsons record so far is 2 points thrown away, knocked out of one cup and to be fair a creditable point at Spammers place. so not set anything on fire yet nor done any better than a incompetent Clown. The Antichrist was past his sell by date with us and left under a cloud and shafted us so hence the venom.

COME ON YOU WHITES!!!!

Lets examine Lee's record in his first three games then.....

If you include the two at the end of last season....1 point out of 3 games.

Megson is already twice as good a manager as Lee.