Why we are (maybe) going to go up again

[GhostoftheBok]

Aye - when we were talking about mis-firing forwards, there aren't too many scored shedloads more than us in the same timeframe.

Well, I mean they were obviously good enough to get us out of League Two, because we did get out.

Do you have our set piece numbers?

[Worthy4England]

Aye - when we were talking about mis-firing forwards, there aren't too many scored shedloads more than us in the same timeframe.

Well, I mean they were obviously good enough to get us out of League Two, because we did get out.

Do you have our set piece numbers?

Dunno how accurate it is - but Whoscored has them under goal types - they reckon 7.

https://www.whoscored.com/Teams/92/Stat ... and-Bolton

[GhostoftheBok]

7 for and 17 against feels right. Another area where we aren't going up again if we don't sort it out.

[Bruce Rioja]

7 for and 17 against feels right. Another area where we aren't going up again if we don't sort it out.

Was calling out for this all last season. Thing is, it doesn't look like we even practice them, and I know that Santos is a defender, but he really does need to be contributing more, much more, at set pieces, even if it's making a nuisance of himself and creating space, than he has been doing.

[GhostoftheBok]

For me, we overcomplicated our set pieces trying to compensate for the lack of a centre forward. Completely agree on Santos.

I also think defending them is one of the places where Gilks becomes an issue.

[boltonboris]

Me too Ghost. Good Delivery into a good area, couple of blockers and you really should be able to at least look threatening. But we don't.

We definitely improved at defending them though in the second half of the season - But last time we got out of this division, our centre backs got about 17 goals between them!

[Prufrock]

Aye I think we fixed the defending side. Free role for Santos, done.

You'd think the attacking side wouldn't be much different. Couple of blockers to free him up and go.

[GhostoftheBok]

In terms of defending them, Gilks isn't a liability - he just doesn't claim enough. Crellin, on the other hand...

It's no wonder we improved after Gilks came in and we got our heads right at the back. Santos tasked with just smashing about helped.

You have to assume Evatt knows we need to be better here. With bigger lads and better delivery in the next league, it will be massive. Adding a centre forward should change us a lot in their box.

[Worthy4England]

Aye I think we fixed the defending side. Free role for Santos, done.

You'd think the attacking side wouldn't be much different. Couple of blockers to free him up and go.

In fairness to Big Ric. When he did get free headers etc. he didn't look much like converting. I know early doors there was a view that the delivery in for set-pieces was a bit shit, but we didn't make use of decent delivery when it occurred.

[GhostoftheBok]

In fairness to Big Ric. When he did get free headers etc. he didn't look much like converting. I know early doors there was a view that the delivery in for set-pieces was a bit shit, but we didn't make use of decent delivery when it occurred.

I haven't checked any stats, but it 'felt' like John's stuff with his left was decent. What we seemed to lack was a decent right-footed taker.

Santos can't head. I love him at this level, but he is basically Zat Knight. Massive lad with a 50p head.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

table from Jan.jpg This was the table from Jan onwards...

Appreciate that, Worthy. Interesting table.

Aye - when we were talking about mis-firing forwards, there aren't too many scored shedloads more than us in the same timeframe.

A curious quartet: Mullintastic Cambridge, ball-phobic Morecambe, defence agnostics Oldham and NigelClough'sMansfield.

[GhostoftheBok]

defence agnostics Oldham

*Defence iconoclasts

They believe in defences, they just just want to tear them all down.

Then again, any team with Dylan Bahamboula in it is fine by me. He's just so fun.

[TonyDomingos]

Are we ruling out getting relegated next season?

[GhostoftheBok]

Are we ruling out getting relegated next season?

No. Depends who we sign in attack, whether we stay injury free and whether we can sort out set pieces.

Even if we make 5 good signings (Evatt's minimum) depth will be an issue. 3-4 key injuries (early in the season) and we're in big trouble.

[Worthy4England]

Are we ruling out getting relegated next season?

We'll shit 'em.

[GhostoftheBok]

We'll shit 'em.

His answer is better than mine. We will, as the honourable gentleman says, shit the bastards.

[TonyDomingos]

We'll shit 'em.

His answer is better than mine. We will, as the honourable gentleman says, shit the bastards.

Thanks, guys. I don't think we'll be relegated either, though it's not an evidence based assumption. Mid-table is fine by me.

[GhostoftheBok]

Thanks, guys. I don't think we'll be relegated either, though it's not an evidence based assumption. Mid-table is fine by me.

Because we're not even in preseason yet none of us really know what our chances are of anything, but unless Evatt and the recruitment team fall asleep between now and August 7th (I think is the first game) we'll be fine.

[GhostoftheBok]

Another look at Italy today and some more helpful points of comparison in understanding Bolton under Evatt.

Italy were magnificent, but even playing that well there were areas to exploit and they match up with issues Bolton had at the tail of last season. When Jorginho stepped up and looked to pass he was occasionally intercepted, or the receiving player lost the ball - when this happened there was a huge gap in the Swiss '10' position to be exploited in transition. Jorginho has no recovery pace when compared to most top level players and so when the Swiss played into that area a centre half had to step out to challenge, leaving a space in behind him that runners could exploit.

We had the same problem with Williams several times last season. The advantage we had was the pace of Santos to cover gaps when Baps went to win the ball, but when the forward pass was into the half space ahead of Santos we ended up in trouble a few times. League One players will get joy there. It's a bit like the Swiss and Turks were not good enough to exploit that space, but the French may well be. We will need to improve our transitions next season against better players.

Going forward, you could see how important pace through the middle/right and the ability to come in off the right can be. If Italy had less pace up top they'd have been blunt, even against the Swiss. If they didn't have a player on the right who could drive inside they would, again, have lost a huge amount of their threat.

Wonderful side to watch....just like we will be next season.

[Harry Genshaw]

Italy have an Immobile up front.

We once employed Gary Madine.