What really bugs me about our team...

[Choppers]

...is that our players are NOT that shit.

When you go through our list or players, sure, some of them aren't up to the standard of the better teams, but generally speaking we shouldn' t be this bad.

I'm usually the kind of person who will be found saying that footballers get off too lightly, the manager gets sacked and the players play on, but let's look at our players, shall we?

Jussi: By no means a bad keeper. Probably on the downslide, but he's still not the worst keeper in the league.
Bogdan: Looked a rabbit in headlights, dropped into a massive game.

Steinsson: Didn't become shit overnight, can defend with a good right winger partner and can put a good cross in.
Cahill: Decent centre back, still learning a trade imho but will play for a big club very soon.
Knight: Average premier league centre back, slow but has a wierd ability to make last ditch tackles.
Robinson: Slow, shouter - I genuinely don't rate him at all.
Alonso: Not seen enough, is he that bad?
Wheater: Strikes me as a combo of Cahill/Knight, which makes it hard to play him at times.
Boyata: Centre back on loan, playing right back who doesn't care.

Muamba: Out of favour defensive midfielder, should have played every game this season, nobody else as good at him at protecting the defence.
Reo-Coker: Not a great passer but certainly capable in all other areas.
Pratley: No idea why we signed him, no idea why we continue to play him. A good runner, very little else.
M Davies: Needs a world-class defensive mid in 4-4-2, or to play in a 4-3-3 to shine. Gets neither, play to his strengths or don't bother.
Eagles: For me, a copy of Mark Davies, only not quite as talented. Played on the wing but never looks like a winger.
Petrov: Quickest player on the team, can't play because we don't have a good enough left back in the squad.
Tuncay: Never played in his favoured position, but not convinced he'd be any good anyway.

Katuta: LOL.
K Davies: Looks a spent force, he's been sussed out and either needs to be a super-sub, or play right side in a 4-3-3 where his strength can beat isolated full backs.
Klasnic: Similar to Anelka, but nowhere near as good. Does nothing for 85 minutes but scores 2 goals in the other 5. We can't carry that kind of player, not in a 4-4-2.
N'Gog: Seemed good enough for us whilst at Liverpool, but Coyle spent money and doesn't play him. No idea why.

There's a good enough spine there that we shouldn't be losing EVERY game like this, for me.

The fact we rotate so often is a joke, there's not "new Bolton" that critics once spoke of, our game plan is...well, there isn't one.

Nobody shows for the ball and Davo can't win every ball any more. We sold Taylor who was the only player we had that could play with Robbo, no idea why, and we sold our second best (in retrospect maybe our best?) keeper to relegation rivals instead of dropping Jussi and giving Al Habsi the vote of confidence.

So it makes me feel that the blame is with the coaching staff, and Coyle...which really bugs me. Are the team not playing for him any more? Were they ever? Why is that set of players not able to squeeze out a single draw, or win games you feel they should be able to? If it IS Coyle and the coaching staff's fault, then why the feck are they allowed to stay, and knock even more confidence out of a set of fragile footballers?

[Armchair Wanderer]

So it makes me feel that the blame is with the coaching staff, and Coyle...which really bugs me. Are the team not playing for him any more? Were they ever? Why is that set of players not able to squeeze out a single draw, or win games you feel they should be able to? If it IS Coyle and the coaching staff's fault, then why the feck are they allowed to stay, and knock even more confidence out of a set of fragile footballers?

Or, as Coyle has alluded to, you could say that there is little real competition for places in certain positions so some so some can not try and keep on playing.

Undroppables at the minute are Jussi, Cahill/Knight (with Wheater suspended and injuries), Klasnic, Kevin Davies, and probably Reo Coker too. There's no incentive to play well to keep their places in the team.

[Worthy4England]

So it makes me feel that the blame is with the coaching staff, and Coyle...which really bugs me. Are the team not playing for him any more? Were they ever? Why is that set of players not able to squeeze out a single draw, or win games you feel they should be able to? If it IS Coyle and the coaching staff's fault, then why the feck are they allowed to stay, and knock even more confidence out of a set of fragile footballers?

Or, as Coyle has alluded to, you could say that there is little real competition for places in certain positions so some so some can not try and keep on playing.

Undroppables at the minute are Jussi, Cahill/Knight (with Wheater suspended and injuries), Klasnic, Kevin Davies, and probably Reo Coker too. There's no incentive to play well to keep their places in the team.

None of this shows why anyone would think that a decent prem midfield constituted Tuncay, Petrov, Pratley and Reo-Coker (Norwich (H)) or Eagles, Petrov, Pratley, Reo-Coker (Sunderland (H)) or Pratley, Mavies, Eagles, Tuncay (Villa (H)).

There are ways you can try and plait the shit to make yourself not look quite as bad.

Coyle seems incapable of doing this.

[Armchair Wanderer]

I think squad rotation by itself isn't going to lose the team, but as Worthy says, not putting out a system/personnel who are capable of playing together and winning will certain have the players questioning you, especially when you're losing.

[One Hump Or Two?]

Coyle has to carry a heavy burden of blame for Boyata, Kakuta, Ngog and Tuncay. To get in four biggish name signings or loans and then not give any of them a run of games can only mean one of three things. 1 he massively misjudged them as footballers and only realised after signing them that they were actually shite 2 he didn't work out until they got here that they wouldn't fit into the system he wanted to play 3 he is incapable of motivating them to play to their abilities. A couple of duds out of four would be nothing to get worked up about, but when it's all four, it reflects very badly on his ability as a manager.

[Choppers]

I think squad rotation by itself isn't going to lose the team, but as Worthy says, not putting out a system/personnel who are capable of playing together and winning will certain have the players questioning you, especially when you're losing.

Squad rotation is part of the modern game, but changing your back four every other game is suicidal management.

He even did it at half time against Fulham for goodness sake.