Time to Steel 3 points but it won't be on a Weds - Sheff Weds (H) Sat 20th Aug @3.00pm

[Worthy4England]

Yes indeed, Santos is a liability at the moment and would not surprise anyone to see him on he Bench. However, he is not the reason why we lost. We were inferior to a better team.

Apropos of nowt much. Liverpool fan who watched it because his son's in the u19's said "Santos was a problem"....I'm guessing like Port Vale, maybe not his finest...is this going to be the third season running where he doesn't wake up until after Christmas?

[BWFC_Insane]

Aye, I'd be dropping him too. Tough call but sends the right message.

The message has already been sent. That’s why it’s infuriating. He got a place back without earning it and that sends out negative messages all round. Horse has already bolted.

Needs strong management from Evatt. Has to be behind closed doors but I think something needs saying and quite bluntly.

[Prufrock]

He's your Captain and best defender. He wasn't faultless for Port Vale but he was also hard done to. Aimson did well enough that it was a decision to make, but it's not like he was amazing, Morecambe are wank. I wasn't surprised he started Santos and I would have too. But I'd be taking him out for a couple of weeks. Make him win his place back.

[BWFC_Insane]

He's your Captain and best defender. He wasn't faultless for Port Vale but he was also hard done to. Aimson did well enough that it was a decision to make, but it's not like he was amazing, Morecambe are wank. I wasn't surprised he started Santos and I would have too. But I'd be taking him out for a couple of weeks. Make him win his place back.

Best defender can be put to bed now. He’s not and never will be. He’s superb on the recovery. But that’s because he needs to be. He is not a great defender and never ever will be.

When he’s at his best he gets away with being an average defender with other qualities.

[irie Cee Bee]

He's your Captain and best defender. He wasn't faultless for Port Vale but he was also hard done to. Aimson did well enough that it was a decision to make, but it's not like he was amazing, Morecambe are wank. I wasn't surprised he started Santos and I would have too. But I'd be taking him out for a couple of weeks. Make him win his place back.

Best defender can be put to bed now. He’s not and never will be. He’s superb on the recovery. But that’s because he needs to be. He is not a great defender and never ever will be.

When he’s at his best he gets away with being an average defender with other qualities.

Do enlighten me. Who is?

[BWFC_Insane]

He's your Captain and best defender. He wasn't faultless for Port Vale but he was also hard done to. Aimson did well enough that it was a decision to make, but it's not like he was amazing, Morecambe are wank. I wasn't surprised he started Santos and I would have too. But I'd be taking him out for a couple of weeks. Make him win his place back.

Best defender can be put to bed now. He’s not and never will be. He’s superb on the recovery. But that’s because he needs to be. He is not a great defender and never ever will be.

When he’s at his best he gets away with being an average defender with other qualities.

Do enlighten me. Who is?

As an out and out defender Jones and Aimson are better. If you are talking actual marking, tracking runs, positional sense then those two plus maybe Johnston. And I’ve not been johnstons biggest fan but he’s improved massively and proven me wrong.

[irie Cee Bee]

He's your Captain and best defender. He wasn't faultless for Port Vale but he was also hard done to. Aimson did well enough that it was a decision to make, but it's not like he was amazing, Morecambe are wank. I wasn't surprised he started Santos and I would have too. But I'd be taking him out for a couple of weeks. Make him win his place back.

Best defender can be put to bed now. He’s not and never will be. He’s superb on the recovery. But that’s because he needs to be. He is not a great defender and never ever will be.

When he’s at his best he gets away with being an average defender with other qualities.

Do enlighten me. Who is?

As an out and out defender Jones and Aimson are better. If you are talking actual marking, tracking runs, positional sense then those two plus maybe Johnston. And I’ve not been johnstons biggest fan but he’s improved massively and proven me wrong.

If Aimson and Jones are now considered to be our best defenders, the Santos has certainly gone way backwards, and we will be leaking goals like a basket of water with holes in it this season. I still believe Santos is our best defender based on how we play. I concede that he has a mistake in him each game but he still is our best followed by Johnston.

[officer_dibble]

Santos possibly proved himself to be peak league one today, maybe we should have sold in the summer - who knows? He’ll need to shape up else we won’t get promoted with him, we’ll move on from him.

[BWFC_Insane]

Worth looking at overall areas we’ve looked less than ideal in so far this season. Chance creation is one. For the ball we have our final ball and decision making in the final third isn’t great. I think this is partly the system. We don’t have those quality players in pockets in this system and rely on the wingbacks. And midfield lacks that cutting edge to play through teams.

I’d also say our press. Sheffield Wednesday had the superior press today and effected more transitions. I thought their centre halves were good at dealing with the physicality we had up front and that meant it became a question of who had the more mobile and strong midfield and they did.

It’s been notable in all games bar Wigan that we aren’t as effective on the press as we could be given the style we have. Port Vale was hot and we were down to ten men. So fine. Morecambe sat in but I still think at times we weren’t aggressive enough. Like last season if a team can match our press we struggle. If they better it we almost always lose.

[Harry Genshaw]

Santos made a shocking error today, that will happen occasionally given the way we play. I'll not be giving up on him just yet, ta.

He's previously been described by one poster on here as not good enough for non league. Since then he's been made club captain, selected for the divsional team of the year and praised by opposition supporters up and down the country. He'll be reet.

[BWFC_Insane]

Santos made a shocking error today, that will happen occasionally given the way we play. I'll not be giving up on him just yet, ta.

He's previously been described by one poster on here as not good enough for non league. Since then he's been made club captain, selected for the divsional team of the year and praised by opposition supporters up and down the country. He'll be reet.

He was shocking against Port Vale. Cost us then. Cost us today. In a league where you won’t have much margin for error if you want to go up if your supposed best defender and captain is this dodgy yet still great Id suggest that we examine what our ambitions are,

A centre half who has a brilliant two games then a stinker is no good. This is a league about consistency.

[truewhite15]

Santos made a shocking error today, that will happen occasionally given the way we play. I'll not be giving up on him just yet, ta.

He's previously been described by one poster on here as not good enough for non league. Since then he's been made club captain, selected for the divsional team of the year and praised by opposition supporters up and down the country. He'll be reet.

He was shocking against Port Vale. Cost us then. Cost us today. In a league where you won’t have much margin for error if you want to go up if your supposed best defender and captain is this dodgy yet still great Id suggest that we examine what our ambitions are,

A centre half who has a brilliant two games then a stinker is no good. This is a league about consistency.

Change the f*cking record, for God's sake. Bet you were punching the air when he made his error - anything to be right, eh?

[TANGODANCER]

Change the f*cking record, for God's sake. Bet you were punching the air when he made his error - anything to be right, eh?

This. ^^

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

A nice write up for the know-nowters like me of Bolton's play from a schematic and tactical perspective for your pre kick-off perusal. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/team- ... is-tactics

Some nice words said. Feel free to blame me when we lose 2 nowt

Sorry, friends.

I’m blaming Sonic for not letting me start the thread

[KeyserSoze]

A nice write up for the know-nowters like me of Bolton's play from a schematic and tactical perspective for your pre kick-off perusal. https://totalfootballanalysis.com/team- ... is-tactics

Some nice words said. Feel free to blame me when we lose 2 nowt

Sorry, friends.

I’m blaming Sonic for not letting me start the thread

That kettle needs some serious descaling if you ask me.

[Prufrock]

Any excuse:

[GhostoftheBok]

Not exactly ideal. A performance like that going into the Villa game and then away at Plymouth...eeeeee.

We've seen one genuinely good team performance in the league thus far, for me, against Wycombe.

No league goals from our much-vaunted strike force.

I'm not sure what to make of us yet.

[GhostoftheBok]

As to the Santos "debate" - fecking hell.

He was awful yesterday. He was stupid against Vale. However, he was superb last season and terrific against Wycombe. No number of good displays will ever convince Insane that Santos is a good player and every bad game will be a vindication.

You can either drop him as a consequence of two awful displays or you can try to play him into redemption. Insane can't make that judgement, because he thinks Santos is incapable of the latter. Evatt will have to make that call, based on what he sees behind the scenes. He'll either get it right or he won't.

What is clear at this stage is that Toal needs to be good. Every player in that defence (and 11) needs a kick up the arse. Personally, I'd play Aimson. I think Evatt needs to show the entire first team that anyone can be dropped. I won't second guess his call, though.

I don't think the summer provided the impetus to the squad that was needed, in terms of quality coming in in all compartments and pushing everyone to up their game. Maybe dropping Santos could have some impact in that area. From the outside we can't know. It might well be better to play him through and not risk making it feel like some kind of mini crisis - which it is not.

[officer_dibble]

Far from convinced at Bakayoko as a starter - think we need to get Bodvarson plus Charles a run now, stop rotating the front two.

[BWFC_Insane]

As to the Santos "debate" - fecking hell.

He was awful yesterday. He was stupid against Vale. However, he was superb last season and terrific against Wycombe. No number of good displays will ever convince Insane that Santos is a good player and every bad game will be a vindication.

You can either drop him as a consequence of two awful displays or you can try to play him into redemption. Insane can't make that judgement, because he thinks Santos is incapable of the latter. Evatt will have to make that call, based on what he sees behind the scenes. He'll either get it right or he won't.

What is clear at this stage is that Toal needs to be good. Every player in that defence (and 11) needs a kick up the arse. Personally, I'd play Aimson. I think Evatt needs to show the entire first team that anyone can be dropped. I won't second guess his call, though.

I don't think the summer provided the impetus to the squad that was needed, in terms of quality coming in in all compartments and pushing everyone to up their game. Maybe dropping Santos could have some impact in that area. From the outside we can't know. It might well be better to play him through and not risk making it feel like some kind of mini crisis - which it is not.

I think Santos is a super old fashioned sweeper at this level. He’s just not a superb defender and never ever has been. In games where you can play a sweeper where teams are unable to better your press and press themselves he looks superb. As one on one and in recovery he’s very good.

As soon as though a team presses effectively and has enough movement up front then you need a defender not a sweeper. And that is always for me where he’s come up short. You can go back to those games last season and he struggles positionally and makes mistakes in them too.

I’d contrast it with SW defence who I thought looked rock solid yesterday and gave them a platform to really play from.

Our midfield might in fairness be part of the issue as again Wednesday bettered is in there and clearly we need another quality midfield player as any combo we have isn’t quite good enough. And that might allow us to more effectively break the press and give Santos the ability to be a sweeper more often.