Papering over the cracks?

[BWFC_Insane]

On my drive back I got to thinking about this and came to a conclusion.

Holden and Sturridge have this season papered over rather large cracks in our squad. Holden is our best player and its fair enough that a club our size will miss their best player. Sturridge has come in and got great pace and ability and has scored goals, but we know he's not ours.

Take those away and are we actually better than last season under Megson? I'd say no. We still concede too many, and we still have not much in midfield when Holden isn't playing. Petrov has been a huge flop and the Klasnic signing seems misjudged. The young Madrid lads haven't made much of an impact. And today shows that all over the park we have huge issues.

First half of the season we were really good when Holden was at his best and Elmander hit a purple patch in November and scored goals. Then we struggled when Holden was out and Elmanders goals dried up.

Sturridge came in scored a few, Holden came back and things picked up again.

Both Holden and Sturridge have been inspired signings from Coyle. But its hard to always pick those types up at low cost.

My point is this will be a HUGE summer and test for Coyle. We've a lot out of contract and some he'll want rid of and others probably not but might lose anyways. Add in that Cahill will go and should provide some funds....there is a lot to do. He needs to address most areas of the team and squad. We can't rely on Holden from the start so we'll need cover there, something up front, a better more solid back four, more midfield presence and left sided player who isn't Petrov. Coyle has had mixed success in the market for us. This summer for me will define how good a manager he is going to be!

[Lord Kangana]

So just to recap, if we take our best players out, we've not improved. And its hard to get hold of the quality of player that we actually already have.

You've been drinking too much in the sun today. Get an early night.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Someone on the train was saying you take any teams 2 best players out and they're not very good. Whether its Rooney/Nani or Sturridge/Holden.

[bristol_Wanderer3]

Yeah BWFCI this is not one of your best.

Coyle has brought in a few players - some gems, some duds, some that may come good in the future - all cheap. We are now Megson's team + vastly improved morale and confidence + one or two better players who have become key.

What more could you expect?

[Hoboh]

Tend to side with BWFCI here a bit We are still short of some decnt players here and Owens got to pull a few rabbits out the hat this summer although we may find it even more difficult to recriut after todays shite advert for our club!!!!!!

[irie Cee Bee]

Barring a few players (Holden, Petrov, Wheater, Alonso), this is still Megsons team. OC has already proven to me that he is an excellent manager who needs to be backed with funds during the upcoming season so that he can build his own team.

With Cahill's transfer fee and so many players out of contract, he knows that this is his opportunity to do so. Our team will be much better next season.

[seanworth]

I shouldn't have thought that was much of a shock. I think a fit M. Davies able to start would have changed things a lot yesterday. M. Davies has come a long way but still needs to improve. We still are short a few players though. Regardless the team has taken big strides this season and I am optimistic.

[BWFC_Insane]

This article from our favourite Mirror writer sums up what I'm getting at.....

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Bo ... 25165.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

We shouldn't miss Holden like we do but we did. And that reflects perhaps on how poor our midfield options are, and that when he's playing he covers for Muamba's deficiencies and the fact that Mark Davies offers little when not in possession. When he was out we ended up with a striker in midfield.

Same for Sturridge, when he's out we have nowt to compare and his goals may well cover up the issues we have when Holden isn't playing, perhaps without his 2 solo efforts last week we'd have drawn or lost. That is what I mean by these two covering up deficiencies we actually have that we shouldn't.

Lets imagine Stoke lost their main striker and midfield player. Whelan and Jones (or Walters and Delap either way). They'd put in Fuller/Carew and Whitehead. Now they'd be weakened. But would it have meant we'd have beaten them yesterday? I don't think so. And they'd still have had players who have played a lot of premiership games playing in their correct positions in roles they know very well! We haven't got that luxury and perhaps if Holden hadn't have been so good this season and Sturridge hadn't have come in and scored those goals we'd have all been saying this in November!

My point being that we need to plug the gaping holes in the squad as we can't rely on the brilliance of a loanee and a free transfer every season to cover up a deficient squad (and we know its deficient last season being the proof!).

[Lord Kangana]

Yeah well, when you've been given a squad with Tamir Cohen as your first choice midfielder, you know theres plenty of work to be done. Coyle spotted that and brought Wilshere and Holden in.

One shit game isn't a reflection on a vast improvement over the last couple of seasons.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah well, when you've been given a squad with Tamir Cohen as your first choice midfielder, you know theres plenty of work to be done. Coyle spotted that and brought Wilshere and Holden in.

One shit game isn't a reflection on a vast improvement over the last couple of seasons.

LK its not a criticism of Coyle its a reflection of where we are. My point being that this summer is going to be huge and he needs to get it right. He has been 50:50 in the market for me so far. So it will be interesting to see how it goes. No more Petrov's though, or we'll be in trouble! This will undoubtedly be the chance for Coyle to build a team in his name.

Apart from loanees though the only signing who has made an impact of any real kind is Holden so far. Alonso hasn't convinced, Petrov has been a huge dissapointment, Klasnic seems to have been a mistake overall, and to be fair Wheater looks a good un but probably too early to say. The summer will be a big test. I don't think Coyle will shy away from that fact either!

[TKIZ!]

I agree with LK, it's one game.

Once a Wanderer always a Wanderer, it never changes. It'll hurt today but by the end of the season it will be forgotten about. Coyle has done exceptional well with a term that is still HWSNBN at it's core.

[TKIZ!]

Yeah well, when you've been given a squad with Tamir Cohen as your first choice midfielder, you know theres plenty of work to be done. Coyle spotted that and brought Wilshere and Holden in.

One shit game isn't a reflection on a vast improvement over the last couple of seasons.

LK its not a criticism of Coyle its a reflection of where we are. My point being that this summer is going to be huge and he needs to get it right. He has been 50:50 in the market for me so far. So it will be interesting to see how it goes. No more Petrov's though, or we'll be in trouble! This will undoubtedly be the chance for Coyle to build a team in his name.

Apart from loanees though the only signing who has made an impact of any real kind is Holden so far. Alonso hasn't convinced, Petrov has been a huge dissapointment, Klasnic seems to have been a mistake overall, and to be fair Wheater looks a good un but probably too early to say. The summer will be a big test. I don't think Coyle will shy away from that fact either!

I think every Bolton manager has been 50:50 in the market BWFCi, I'm not having a go but for every John McGinlay there is a Steve Fulton or Steve McAnespie. For Every Okocha there was a Dwight Pezzarossi or Delroy Facey. Coyle's knowledge of the lower leagues will pick us up some gems just as it will pick us out some duffs.

[Lord Kangana]

He's already got it right.

Its one f*cking game. Why weren't people talking about papering over cracks after the 4-2 Spurs game, the 5-1 Newcastle one, the late comebacks, the draw against United that were unlucky to not win, the unlucky losses to United and Spurs away, matching Chelsea for most of the game away, fantastic wins at Brum, Fulham, Wigan to get us to Wembley.

I'll mention the Birmingham game again, that showed heart and desire and bottle and skill. Brilliant result.

Its one f*cking game, not an entire season of shite that we used to get before he arrived. He signed Sturridge to do the job he's done, and he's done it brilliantly. Unfortunately he couldn't play yesterday. He brought Holden in because every bastard on earth apart from the ginger excuse machine could see central midfield was our major weakness.

Its one f*cking game.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah well, when you've been given a squad with Tamir Cohen as your first choice midfielder, you know theres plenty of work to be done. Coyle spotted that and brought Wilshere and Holden in.

One shit game isn't a reflection on a vast improvement over the last couple of seasons.

LK its not a criticism of Coyle its a reflection of where we are. My point being that this summer is going to be huge and he needs to get it right. He has been 50:50 in the market for me so far. So it will be interesting to see how it goes. No more Petrov's though, or we'll be in trouble! This will undoubtedly be the chance for Coyle to build a team in his name.

Apart from loanees though the only signing who has made an impact of any real kind is Holden so far. Alonso hasn't convinced, Petrov has been a huge dissapointment, Klasnic seems to have been a mistake overall, and to be fair Wheater looks a good un but probably too early to say. The summer will be a big test. I don't think Coyle will shy away from that fact either!

I think every Bolton manager has been 50:50 in the market BWFCi, I'm not having a go but for every John McGinlay there is a Steve Fulton or Steve McAnespie. For Every Okocha there was a Dwight Pezzarossi or Delroy Facey. Coyle's knowledge of the lower leagues will pick us up some gems just as it will pick us out some duffs.

Aye but the only guy he's spent money on is Alonso. And I'm far from convinced. The question is if you take Holden out are we actually any better than the team that played at 1ppg last season? I'd argue not. And come the end of the season it'll be interesting to see what our ppg ration without Holden is.

Now Sturridge on loan has been a great signing but chances are he won't be here next season. I don't doubt Coyle's ability to pick loan players and good young lads. But we need more than that next season and as yet he probably hasn't had much chance to show his skills in bringing players in. Fingers crossed that Holden was not a total one off fluke!

[BWFC_Insane]

He's already got it right.

Its one f*cking game. Why weren't people talking about papering over cracks after the 4-2 Spurs game, the 5-1 Newcastle one, the late comebacks, the draw against United that were unlucky to not win, the unlucky losses to United and Spurs away, matching Chelsea for most of the game away, fantastic wins at Brum, Fulham, Wigan to get us to Wembley.

I'll mention the Birmingham game again, that showed heart and desire and bottle and skill. Brilliant result.

Its one f*cking game, not an entire season of shite that we used to get before he arrived. He signed Sturridge to do the job he's done, and he's done it brilliantly. Unfortunately he couldn't play yesterday. He brought Holden in because every bastard on earth apart from the ginger excuse machine could see central midfield was our major weakness.

Its one f*cking game.

Holden played in all those games though. He didn't yesterday and look what happened. My point is and you're just blindly ignoring it that one player should not make this much difference to a team. The fact he has shows we have a weak squad and need to change things round. Lets be fair this ain't Coyle's fault. But I will say we all knew we were weak in midfield in January should an injury occur so he did have a chance then.

We need to see how good Coyle is in the market. As yet he's not spent much so we've not had the chance to tell. One player and a couple of loanees are not enough evidence especially when stacked up against big earners like Petrov.

Its a big summer for the club.

[Lord Kangana]

Are you bipolar?

Only a few weeks ago you were lauding Holden as the greatest free signing this club has ever made. Is he now shit?

Wheater has played in all those good FA cup away wins before yesterday? Are we reinventing that he's a shit signing aswell?

Go away and have a look at the goals conceded, games won when Alonso has started. He couldn't have done any worse than Robinson yesterday. If we're using that game as a yardstick, Robinson should never play for this club again. But that would be stupid.

And which of our players are the highest earners at our club? I'll bet Jussi, Ricky and Davo aside, the top ten is made up of Megson players. Some who don't even play, like Sean Davies.

Its going to take time to rid ourselves of the deadwood and rebuild this squad. We knew that before yesterday. Nothing has changed.

And I think we've finally nailed the lie that Megson left us with a great squad. All of Coyle's major signings bar Petrov weren't there.

[James B]

if we lose sturridge, elmander & cahill in the summer (all very likely to happen) then coyle has a huge job on his hands producing the same kind of season we have had this season.

even moreso if stu holden isn't fit for the start of it.

[TKIZ!]

It's a lot of if's buts and maybe's for me. I definitely with LK on this, it's one game and should be treated as such. We've had a great season and regardless of Holden being out have done better than we ever could have managed under his Gingernesses reign. Get a grip of yourself BWFCi

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

Are you bipolar?

Only a few weeks ago you were lauding Holden as the greatest free signing this club has ever made. Is he now shit?

Wheater has played in all those good FA cup away wins before yesterday? Are we reinventing that he's a shit signing aswell?

Go away and have a look at the goals conceded, games won when Alonso has started. He couldn't have done any worse than Robinson yesterday. If we're using that game as a yardstick, Robinson should never play for this club again. But that would be stupid.

And which of our players are the highest earners at our club? I'll bet Jussi, Ricky and Davo aside, the top ten is made up of Megson players. Some who don't even play, like Sean Davies.

Its going to take time to rid ourselves of the deadwood and rebuild this squad. We knew that before yesterday. Nothing has changed.

And I think we've finally nailed the lie that Megson left us with a great squad. All of Coyle's major signings bar Petrov weren't there.

agree with all of the above apart from the Robinson bit. He shouldn,t play again. ever. for anybody.

[seanworth]

if we lose sturridge, elmander & cahill in the summer (all very likely to happen) then coyle has a huge job on his hands producing the same kind of season we have had this season.

even moreso if stu holden isn't fit for the start of it.

Cahill will likely bring in around 20m. Money, maybe not all of it, will be spend to get us a new cb, a striker, and most likely another midfielder. If some of our reserves keep improving we might even have a better season. Nothing is sure right now, but I don't think we are in the deep sh#t that many of you believe. Yesterday was a nightmare, the season to many has been a revelation. Neither is really an accurate portrayal of this club, nor the shape we are in, but we do seem to be on the rise.