Red cards and Red Kits, Bolton v Charlton - 17th Feb 2024 3pm

[officer_dibble]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... -deadline/

Coleman will have to improve at a serious rate of knots if we are still going to be in contention.

I’m just grateful Cambridge was abandoned before it got worse. What a mental decision to play him there.

[TANGODANCER]

Let's not look for negatives. Twice we came back from behind showing some real fight and we gained a point up the ladder. We also did it without our first team Goalie, Centre half and leading Striker. Bad news about Baxter, but Que-Sera as ever. All part of the crazy world of football. Sleeves up and onward. Three aways before we see the green, green grass of home again, but march forth the Supers..."And fight the savage foe today, Over the hills and far away..."

p.s. Just read the Wanderers comments section of B.N. What a clueless bunch they really are.

[Mar]

Let's not look for negatives. Twice we came back from behind showing some real fight and we gained a point up the ladder. We also did it without our first team Goalie, Centre half and leading Striker. Bad news about Baxter, but Que-Sera as ever. All part of the crazy world of football. Sleeves up and onward. Three aways before we see the green, green grass of home again, but march forth the Supers..."And fight the savage foe today, Over the hills and far away..."

You prefer the positives I see.

Well, we've been crying out for the strikers to turn up with more goals than they've been getting and we got both Vic and JDB on the scoresheet yesterday, so there's a plus.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Well, we've been crying out for the strikers to turn up with more goals than they've been getting and we got both Vic and JDB on the scoresheet yesterday, so there's a plus.

There's another one, slightly hidden.

With the exception of the Carlisle anomaly, before yesterday's game the only league assist we'd registered *all 2024* was Collins on his debut. Yesterday we got three, including some very high quality.

Start playing together and we'll start improving. From a baseline of third place.

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s interesting how many of our fans in the ground and on social media seem to really not like Maghoma.

I think he’s a fantastic player who is very inconsistent. If he weren’t inconsistent he’d not be playing at league one level. There are things like his work off the ball he can improve.

But I think he’s a great watch at times. Certainly think he always can make things happen.

Him - Sheehan and George are for me the best mid we’ve got.

[Worthy4England]

I quite like him too. Usually tries to be progressive, fades in and out of games a bit, but he's still pretty raw and 22. If he carries on developing, I reckon he'd be a bit of a beast.

[dave the minion]

It’s interesting how many of our fans in the ground and on social media seem to really not like Maghoma.

I think he’s a fantastic player who is very inconsistent. If he weren’t inconsistent he’d not be playing at league one level. There are things like his work off the ball he can improve.

But I think he’s a great watch at times. Certainly think he always can make things happen.

Him - Sheehan and George are for me the best mid we’ve got.

Now this I do agree with. He's a cracking player, and the only reason we've got access to him is his inconsistency as you say.

He always wants the ball and seems to enjoy having it at his feet. He's pretty capable with it too, but then he seems to have a dip in intensity and becomes a bit peripheral, before springing back into life again.

If he can work on this and be involved for the whole 90, he definitely could be top championship level

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s interesting how many of our fans in the ground and on social media seem to really not like Maghoma.

I think he’s a fantastic player who is very inconsistent. If he weren’t inconsistent he’d not be playing at league one level. There are things like his work off the ball he can improve.

But I think he’s a great watch at times. Certainly think he always can make things happen.

Him - Sheehan and George are for me the best mid we’ve got.

Now this I do agree with. He's a cracking player, and the only reason we've got access to him is his inconsistency as you say.

He always wants the ball and seems to enjoy having it at his feet. He's pretty capable with it too, but then he seems to have a dip in intensity and becomes a bit peripheral, before springing back into life again.

If he can work on this and be involved for the whole 90, he definitely could be top championship level

I think even if he’s an in and out type and that’s probably not going to change, but he will make it to the top if he can make his end product be it pass or shot more consistent. He got us back in the game with brilliance then a mazy run presented an even better chance he made a right horlicks of having done the hard work. If he was consistent in those moments I don’t think his drifting in and out the game would matter that much. I suspect he’s always going to be that sort but the thing that matters most is then when he produces to make it really count.


I enjoy watching him and am baffled at some of the critique he seems to get. I mean I don’t think he’s ever going to be the dominant all action type but that’s not what he is.

[Worthy4England]

I suspect some of it is tied to the fact there's a MF 3 rather than a 4. In a three, it's difficult to warrant one (or two) drifting out of the game for significant periods especially in defensive mode. Going forwards he looks progressive and has talent, but we've seen (for example) Dempsey and Morley with flashes of excellence in front of goal - we still expect them to have more in their locker than that, so we should hold Maghoma to the same requirements.

[BWFC_Insane]

I suspect some of it is tied to the fact there's a MF 3 rather than a 4. In a three, it's difficult to warrant one (or two) drifting out of the game for significant periods especially in defensive mode. Going forwards he looks progressive and has talent, but we've seen (for example) Dempsey and Morley with flashes of excellence in front of goal - we still expect them to have more in their locker than that, so we should hold Maghoma to the same requirements.

We’ve got a midfield 3 as opposed to a midfield 2 no? I get you’d have wide players but the centre mid we play is greater in numbers than would be in a 442 or whatever.

The difference for me between Maghoma and Dempsey or Morley is Maghoma can open the game up. Give him the ball and he can beat a man then another and completely change it. And not just once in a blue moon but several times a game. Dempsey and Morley with the best will in the world ain’t doing that.

I don’t think that’s a different standard I just thing Maghoma offers something the others don’t. An ability the others don’t have.

I still think he can improve off the ball. And become more consistent with it especially final third. He’s far from the final product or faultless. It’s just I find it surprising how much people seem to dislike him - I don’t think overall he is less effective than say Dempsey - they play different games but I’d absolutely put Paris in over Kyle if it’s a free choice and all other things are equal.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah - I said a MF 3. The two came in because I was suggesting you wouldn't want a couple in that central three disappearing on the defensive side...I'm a little less convinced that we have a 5 defensively, as quite often, the 2 WB's either try and effect a block/turn over high up the pitch or somewhere near our 18 yard wide areas, not sure how solid they actually look in the middle of the park out wide, which is sometimes why it feels (to me) like a focussed opposition can transition from their box to ours pretty rapidly and I get the sense of "overrun" in midfield.

I wasn't looking to make a pick between Maghoma and anyone, we want whichever three we pick to be able to do the jobs we task them with, without drifting in and out - attacking and defending where necessary. I think he'll grow into that if he stays with us, because I think Evatt will ensure we coach it and then demand it, he feels a bit more raw and a lot younger than Morley, who's only a year older. Think I'd buy him if the price was right, though.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah - I said a MF 3. The two came in because I was suggesting you wouldn't want a couple in that central three disappearing on the defensive side...I'm a little less convinced that we have a 5 defensively, as quite often, the 2 WB's either try and effect a block/turn over high up the pitch or somewhere near our 18 yard wide areas, not sure how solid they actually look in the middle of the park out wide, which is sometimes why it feels (to me) like a focussed opposition can transition from their box to ours pretty rapidly and I get the sense of "overrun" in midfield.

I wasn't looking to make a pick between Maghoma and anyone, we want whichever three we pick to be able to do the jobs we task them with, without drifting in and out - attacking and defending where necessary. I think he'll grow into that if he stays with us, because I think Evatt will ensure we coach it and then demand it, he feels a bit more raw and a lot younger than Morley, who's only a year older. Think I'd buy him if the price was right, though.

I agree on almost all that. Transition is a weakness but that’s how we play and I don’t particularly like it. It’s far too open at times in midfield and we ask problems of ourselves. Fine when we control 80% of the ball but then of course it means a team isn’t coming out.

I don’t think Maghoma is necessarily why that happens though nor any selection it’s more how we play.

The only bit I’d add is that whilst he’s more raw than Morley he’s a much better player right now. A different sort of course. But he’s got a lot of talent. I don’t know if he will ever manage to put it all together but raw materials are there at least.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

At 18, Maghoma was playing for Spurs, Morley was on the books at Rochdale. They come from different ponds. But they've each improved under our coaching.

What I'd say about Maghoma or Morley or indeed anyone who 'drifts' is to watch whether they're still doing the necessary even if they're not doing the creative. Obviously most players' roles demand a combination of both but the creative side isn't always easy. Take Dion - even when he has a barren run he still works his ballbag off. So while I want in a central midfielder to make things happen for us, he's also got to stop the other buggers having their way. I come back again to what Allardyce said to Okocha - basically "you can do whatever you want when you're on the ball, but when they are, you stand in their way and stop them."

(For clarity - I'm not saying Maghoma doesn't, or indeed Morley doesn't. I suspect anyone in an Evatt side who stops working for the side will soon see his number in the air.)

[Worthy4England]

I deffo wasn't referring to the creative. Just sometimes I feel there's a bit if a hole when the necessary requires doing, moreso when we're in transition rather than when we're set at the back (or set at the front)...

I'm not really trying to compare individuals, coz if you've voted for/against one of them, you have to then defend that sometimes in despite of what's actually going on, on the pitch. I can see the future opportunities for our best 3 are X how dare you do Y...bit like who can we drop Vic for...

[boltonboris]

Good game to watch and came away quite buoyed by the entertainment factor, but we defended poorly. I imagine everything has already been said about the keeper, but that second goal especially, he could literally have stuck his foot out, controlled it and picked it up it was that close to his right side. Poor goal to concede

1st one was unfortunate, but I think he could have sorted his feet a little quicker. I'm not a keeper, I don't know.

Our fans are dicks though. Bloke behind me. Thanking god Santos is injured as we'd have conceded 6 if he was playing and Sheehan is shit. Maghoma is shit and we're absolutely doomed. Thankfully i was in a rush to leave at the FT whistle, or I would've been having a few words

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I deffo wasn't referring to the creative. Just sometimes I feel there's a bit if a hole when the necessary requires doing, moreso when we're in transition rather than when we're set at the back (or set at the front)...

I'm not really trying to compare individuals, coz if you've voted for/against one of them, you have to then defend that sometimes in despite of what's actually going on, on the pitch. I can see the future opportunities for our best 3 are X how dare you do Y...bit like who can we drop Vic for...

Yep to all that. To be perfectly honest right now I couldn't tell you our best XI, with or without knowing the opposition. And that's usually better than having a default XI miles ahead of the subs.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Our fans are dicks though. Bloke behind me. Thanking god Santos is injured as we'd have conceded 6 if he was playing and Sheehan is shit. Maghoma is shit and we're absolutely doomed. Thankfully i was in a rush to leave at the FT whistle, or I would've been having a few words

This is the main problem with seats over terraces. Time was, you could just shift away from such a gobshite. Now you often realise within two minutes of kickoff that you're doomed to spend the next two hours bracing for unrequested commentary from Shouty Shitebrain.

[irie Cee Bee]

I have not been impressed with Paris in the past with his little moments of flashes, nor his inability to tackle, nor his inability to shoot...but thankfully, and credit to the Manager and the player, he is definitely improving and can be a game winner based on his skills and ability to go past players in tight spaces. Dempsey for me, at this moment is the better all-round player. He works hard, has a good engine, tackles well and can kick. Thomasson, Morley and Sheehan have their strengths and weaknesses also. So no one has everything or else they would be playing above this level.

Best 3 of the lot to me is Thomasson, followed by Dempsey who also needs to be more consistent, then Paris based on his improvement which I hope will continue because there is a player in there.