Burn after Reading. Reading (A) League 1. Saturday 16th September 2023. 3pm KO

[BWFC_Insane]

First half of last season we had Baka, JDB (non crocked version) and Dapo off the bench to change games.

It’s clear we are demonstrably weaker now. No argument. We have an OAP, a crocked JDB and a bloke who really it is a disgrace he is pulling a wage here.

[officer_dibble]

Fair point on Sads - we cancelled his contract FFS!

[Worthy4England]

I don't disagree Baka and Dapo better options than Jerome and Dan. Although not sure Baka actually scored last season? maybe one? And doubt Dapo would have enjoyed the bench for another year. JDB didn't look right last year, to me, even when fit...

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah I’m not suggesting we should or could have kept Dapo. The problem is we signed a bunch of rubbish rather than getting a striker fit to wear the shirt.

Evatt spends too much time smelling the quality of his own farts signing players who supposedly can fit what he wants them to do and not enough time focussing on how we can put the best team out on the pitch.

We needed people proven at this level. After all we didn’t go into this season saying ‘we will be a project’ we went in talking about needing to win promotion. For that you need proven established players. It’s one thing to not be able to afford them another to spend your money on exactly the opposite.

[Worthy4England]

There's a long way to go this season yet...but 2 losses in 7 isn't great, given when we last looked, the top three last Jan 1st only had three each...and we've mainly played "bottom half" teams. Whilst Pies are in a false position, Reading haven't been knocking them over for fun...our next 2 run outs are Posh and a flying-high Port Vale...shit might get real

[DJBlu]

Two subs were made at the 75th minute that killed the game.

Jerome and Iredale. I wouldnt say Jerome is at fault as he was brought on to be the unit up top with Charles for a "tired" player.

Iredale needs to find a position and stick to it. He isn't a utility player. The goals all started from his side and he was comical with the 2nd. I'd go as far as saying Toal doesn't get pulled out of position for the red if Williams is still on the pitch.

We're going to have to find a plan B if we need to see out games as the subs aren't upto the job when they come on.

4-5-1 with Jerome up top is surely better than what we did yesterday.

[Worthy4England]

I dunno whether Iredale has the option, tbf, mate. He can only try and play where the manager puts him.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It’s almost like we haven’t got enough wingbacks.

[nicholaldo]

It’s almost like we haven’t got enough wingbacks.

I made a similar point last night. It seems bizarre to me how lacking in depth we are for such a pivotal position in Evatt's system, and how willing Evatt is to go with players who can supposedly "do a job" there as back-up.

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s almost like we haven’t got enough wingbacks.

Heresy….

On a more serious note I think we can’t sustain this system as it’s too open and too wide and given we apparently can’t manage 90 minutes after a two week break we probably have to shift to a more compact 4231 and find ways of eeking out results that are less reliant on two wing backs flogging themselves senseless each week.


Williams and JDC can be the wide elements of the 3 - less running and more cover in behind.

Edit: interesting this afternoon reading round social media and other places how many are pretty fed up - even the usual happy clappers seem to feel stuff at the club is pretty wrong. As Iles says with half an hour to go we were top. But I think the last few weeks have absolutely shown we are struggling and once again likely to be well off the pace come January.

[The_Gun]

What was said about Maghoma?

[irie Cee Bee]

Two subs were made at the 75th minute that killed the game.

Jerome and Iredale. I wouldnt say Jerome is at fault as he was brought on to be the unit up top with Charles for a "tired" player.

Iredale needs to find a position and stick to it. He isn't a utility player. The goals all started from his side and he was comical with the 2nd. I'd go as far as saying Toal doesn't get pulled out of position for the red if Williams is still on the pitch.

We're going to have to find a plan B if we need to see out games as the subs aren't upto the job when they come on.

4-5-1 with Jerome up top is surely better than what we did yesterday.

THIS.

Our players will get tired with all the high press and running we have to do in the system we played, They are not machines, So changes will be made for the last 30 mins. I saw Reading doing them a lot earlier than we did, and each time they did, they looked better. When we make changes, our team dramatically weakens.

This season we look awful when both Jones/Iredale are on the field at the same time. Not understanding why Forrester isnt being used more by Evatt. I also think that aside from the starting 11 only Mendez Gomez and Maghoma could come on and give us some forward momentum coming on. Our 3 options up top, Dad Bod, Jerome and Dan are giving us nothing., and God forbid if Thomasson gets injured as we would be overrun in midfield all game. We aare stuck with this until January. We desperately need our back up strikers to improve.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Out of interest, and as it’s a long week, who would people choose (from those available and uninjured) in a 4231?

[BWFC_Insane]

Out of interest, and as it’s a long week, who would people choose (from those available and uninjured) in a 4231?

Aaa a few people post a similar team on Twitter…for me…

Jones Santos Forrester Iredale

Sheehan Thomason

JDC Dempsey Williams

Vic

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It’s an interesting XI but essentially it’s just swapping Charles (or Vic if Dion is fit) for Ireland.

[Mar]

Our players will get tired with all the high press and running we have to do in the system we played, They are not machines, So changes will be made for the last 30 mins. I saw Reading doing them a lot earlier than we did, and each time they did, they looked better. When we make changes, our team dramatically weakens.

This season we look awful when both Jones/Iredale are on the field at the same time. Not understanding why Forrester isnt being used more by Evatt. I also think that aside from the starting 11 only Mendez Gomez and Maghoma could come on and give us some forward momentum coming on. Our 3 options up top, Dad Bod, Jerome and Dan are giving us nothing., and God forbid if Thomasson gets injured as we would be overrun in midfield all game. We aare stuck with this until January. We desperately need our back up strikers to improve.

I was thinking that over the years we've had significant success with subs and yet looking back at when we were promoted under Evatt, I don't remember us having strong subs in the 20-21 season. Although i'm fairly confident the likes of Gnahoua, Miller and Delfouneso had impact coming off the bench. Sure it was in League Two, but it was at least impactful.

Sadly we've had less impact in the last 18 months off the bench, with a significant showing with JDB, Baka and Afolayan. So it's hardly surprising that it's considerably terrible as of late.

What's worse is that we knew it was terrible last season and persisted with it into this season. I wanted N'lundulu, Jerome and Shoretire to do well, but it just didnt happen. I very much expected N'lundulu and Shoretire not to come back and Jerome to be ousted if we're persisting with JDB, but that doesn't seem to be the case. It seems to be that Evatt and the backroom staff know best and that it should come good. Well its not, but is that fair?


So, in order to try not show bias...

Transfermarkt - Cameron Jerome - 2023/24 (so far)
8 appearances, 158 mins, 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 yellow card.

Now, going off those stats for this season, that's not really something to be overly critical of. It's less than two games. It's harsh to be pointing the finger based on those stats. So maybe its just feeling, but I reckon someone with better graphs can show his impact a little better than those metrics.

Transfermarkt - Cameron Jerome - 2022/23
(BOLTON) 12 appearances, 287 mins, 0 goals, 1 assists, 0 yellow cards.
(Luton) 24 appearances, 408 mins, 0 goals, 1 assists, 0 yellow cards.
(total) 36 appearances, 695 mins, 0 goals, 1 assists, 0 yellow cards.


For Bolton, last season, he's had roughly 3 matches worth of game time and got one assist. That doesn't seem a terrible return for someone that was brought in to cover our injury issue on deadline day.

So maybe Jerome is feeling the negative consequences of others failing to perform like himself.


Transfermarkt - Dan N'lundulu - 2023/24 (so far)
9 appearances, 302 mins, 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 yellow cards.

The biggest game time he had was against Wigan, but 302 mins without any significant impact isn't good.

Transfermarkt - Dan N'lundulu - 2022/23
15 appearances, 497 mins, 1 goal, 0 assists, 0 yellow cards.

It's the equivalent of 5 1/2 games with 1 goal to show for it. Not great.


Perhaps we had the contract already signed for us to loan and sign N'lundulu last season, so it was a formality. Given that wasn't the nod in the media circles it seems like we chose to take the risk and its not yet paid off.

Henrik Pedersen's first season at Bolton was terrible. 2 goals in the cup and nothing to show for it in the league. Maybe N'lundulu will come good like Pedersen did, the difference is, we had N'lundulu at the club, identified it wasn't working and then signed him regardless. Pedersen was with us and we had to make the best of it in the second season.


I think what's clear is that N'lundulu and Jerome are struggling to perform with one another. Both are struggling and low on confidence. Bringing them both on at the same time doesn't look like its going to fix that.

CMG looked to be the solution in terms of competent subs, but that's been knocked back with injuries now.

It's gonna be a long couple of months I reckon.

[The_Gun]

What was said about Maghoma?

Out until mid-October, I see.

We really seem to be in a backs against the wall situation already. If we lose on Saturday I think the presently low-level unrest amongst the fanbase rise up a few notches. Lets hope the players and manager respond well to the pressure.

[BWFC_Insane]

There is a stat I saw from Iles that Bod, Jerome and Nlundulu in 560 minutes of combined football this season (that’s 5 games in totality by minutes) have managed 1 shot on target between them, 0 goals.

Think that sums up our situation.

[knobpolisher]

I had to chuckle , in a black comedy sort of way, when young George in the BEN this morning described Saturday as a wake up call. What about Wigan ? I can only assume the squad must have fallen back to sleep.

[TANGODANCER]

Surely time to start Bod or why give him a contract to warm benches? Why indeed did we even sign him if we don't intend to use him? Has he not fully recovered fro injury, or what. Speak up Mr Evatt....?