Not exactly a Derby. Away to The Rams, Sat 16th March 3-0'clock.

[officer_dibble]

Even after Tuesday I’m not confident. Evatt is saying they are using the doubters to spur them on - so use the doubt lads, prove me wrong!

I think the frustrating thing is on our day I think we are the better side. But our day hasn’t happened enough yet this season.

[Worthy4England]

Even after Tuesday I’m not confident. Evatt is saying they are using the doubters to spur them on - so use the doubt lads, prove me wrong!

I think the frustrating thing is on our day I think we are the better side. But our day hasn’t happened enough yet this season.

To me, this is part and parcel of being at the top end. The "doubters" haven't got us to a place of doubt, our points haul has. Tomorrow we need to be brave and believe in our ability. We need to play like we believe we're the better XI. Top end of Divisions are no place for faint hearts, yet a different place than stupidly over-confident.

Tuesday's attitude please. 2-1 Whites (although I'd accept more goals for us on the balance of risk / reward...

[BWFC_Insane]

Even after Tuesday I’m not confident. Evatt is saying they are using the doubters to spur them on - so use the doubt lads, prove me wrong!

I think the frustrating thing is on our day I think we are the better side. But our day hasn’t happened enough yet this season.

IMHO and plenty will disagree but Evatt has gone and done it again. Best performance of the season against Oxford a massive game coming up against Derby and he’s banging on about doubters.

It’s just maddening. People have views. Let them. Use it to spur you on absolutely. But don’t talk about it till it’s done. Don’t be creating the drama before you can turn round and say ‘done it’.

It’s just adding pressure and frustrating people.

[boltonboris]

Just trying to create a siege mentality for the players. Other managers get lauded for it. Ours gets criticised

[Worthy4England]

Just trying to create a siege mentality for the players. Other managers get lauded for it. Ours gets criticised

I don't mind how he goes about it. We just need Oxford rather than Exeter...

[boltonboris]

I'd take the Exeter result to be fair, but won't get a sniff if we match the second half performance!

I'm really nervous about this. So much so, that I have broken a 2 year gambling hiatus and put £15 on Derby, as a fall back option for the disappointment of defeat.

[irie Cee Bee]

I am not nervous at all. We can more than match them. To prove that we are top 2 in L2, we have to show it. They will have their moments in the game, and we will have ours. Should be a good game of football. Looking forward to it.

[Mar]

If Charles is back fit, does he feature tomorrow?

Or do we rest him and hope NI rest him too

[TANGODANCER]

If Charles is back fit, does he feature tomorrow?

Or do we rest him and hope NI rest him too

Probably not at the start, although he'll be champing at the bit. I reckon he'll get 30 mins, depending how the score stands. Dion's always capable of a goal against the tide, but much will depend on our defence. Playing at home, the Rams will want to impress the fans. I reckon I.E will go with J.D.B and one of Vic or Jerome alongside him.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

If Charles is back fit, does he feature tomorrow?

Or do we rest him and hope NI rest him too

Iles:
“ Ian Evatt says there is “zero per cent” chance of Dion Charles being involved for Wanderers before the international break.”

[DJBlu]

If Charles is back fit, does he feature tomorrow?

Or do we rest him and hope NI rest him too

Iles:
“ Ian Evatt says there is “zero per cent” chance of Dion Charles being involved for Wanderers before the international break.”

Nod, nod, wink, wink, your honour.

[Mar]

If Charles is back fit, does he feature tomorrow?

Or do we rest him and hope NI rest him too

Iles:
“ Ian Evatt says there is “zero per cent” chance of Dion Charles being involved for Wanderers before the international break.”

Even if he was fit I think we'd probably lean on the rest until after international break.

[officer_dibble]

Narr if there’s a chance Charles is on the bench, surely?

[TANGODANCER]

It's match time. All the questions will soon be answered and the nerves are twanging already. Time for a "COME ON YOU WHITES" !, so let's get positive. Go get em lads...

[McD]

Even after Tuesday I’m not confident. Evatt is saying they are using the doubters to spur them on - so use the doubt lads, prove me wrong!

I think the frustrating thing is on our day I think we are the better side. But our day hasn’t happened enough yet this season.

IMHO and plenty will disagree but Evatt has gone and done it again. Best performance of the season against Oxford a massive game coming up against Derby and he’s banging on about doubters.

It’s just maddening. People have views. Let them. Use it to spur you on absolutely. But don’t talk about it till it’s done. Don’t be creating the drama before you can turn round and say ‘done it’.

It’s just adding pressure and frustrating people.

So here I am - One of the doubters.
Not in the talent within the team, which has been displayed on several occasions.
My doubt has always been with IE and his managerial style, no strategy, lack of tactics, game-plan and of course a plan-B.
Too many losses against inferior opposition who effectively used our "Style of play" to their advantage and won!
When he (apparently) allows the players to express themselves, we play on the front-foot and attack. When he invariably reverts to the tippy-tappy, we cause ourselves problems - how many goals have we conceded by forced errors - too many!
I realise this may cause consternation and possibly alarm, but the facts speak for themselves - We are where we are despite IE.
Yes, I would have him replaced (said this after promotion from L2) and failure to win promotion should leave him in no doubt that he is simply not good enough to take us any further forward - Not knowing how to play Bodv is a prime example.
He has already started to protect his position by saying how much he loves our club - prepare for much more of the same if results do not happen
That said, I of course want us to be promoted - but will still maintain he is a "fur coat, no knickers" manager
Regards to all

[McD]

I'd take the Exeter result to be fair, but won't get a sniff if we match the second half performance!

I'm really nervous about this. So much so, that I have broken a 2 year gambling hiatus and put £15 on Derby, as a fall back option for the disappointment of defeat.

Practical and Pragmatic - Not for me though, but so so funny - thankyou

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Been thinking a lot about the "big-game bottlers" tag. Here's a question open to all: Who was the last Bolton team you truly trusted to win those very crucial games against (other) table-toppers?

Parky's promotion team? Not for me. I've written several times before about how confident I was once they went one up at a Northampton or a Millwall or whatever. But I didn't approach promotion six-pointers with anticipatory relish.

We were lucky to host Sheff U on the opening day, before Wilder started to work – they got one point (home to Rochdale!!) from their first four league games as well as losing at home to 4th-Division Crewe in the league cup. And as someone (Worthy?) posted on here after we'd won that opener, we might well have lost it in the division above - they had some good chances before we scored. In the return at theirs they beat us 2-0; we had one shot on target.

Wasn't the only six-pointer that team lost on the road. I was at Scunny when they beat us 1-0 and we didn't really turn up until it was too late. The win at Fleetwood was brilliant but nobody expected it – we'd not won in four. We didn't beat Bradford - a six-pointer and the Parky Derby - home or away.

So that's a no from me. Let's look further back. Allardyce's promotion team? Well, the win over Preston is one of my fondest memories, but let's not forget it was in the play-offs, because we finished behind Fulham and Blackburn. Fulham beating us 2-0 at ours seemed humbling until Blackburn shellacked us 4-1 (and the 1 was a late consolation: the BBC report says "Rovers could have run in a cricket score"). As for the away games, another late goal got us a point at Ewood (we'd gone behind after 48 seconds) and we also squeaked a draw against 10 men at Fulham (who, per BBC again, "dominated").

We'd also failed in three semi-finals the previous season (including a complete no-show in the both League Cup legs against Tranmere, plus contriving to concede 7 goals in the play-offs). That's worth remembering, because a lot of fans did at the time. Especially when we were 2-0 down in the first leg at West Brom... I'm obviously ecstatic we turned that round but at that moment you'd have been hard-pushed to find a fan who thought we were good in the big games.

So to me, it seems the last Wanderers side I "trusted" in the big games was Colin Todd's 1997 promotion side. And even they drew both six-pointers against fellow automatic promotees Barnsley....

[officer_dibble]

Was at both those Barnsley games, one at theirs we were second best in. The home game we were behind and the original tomo snatched a point, but I think we were knocking on the door in the second half.

I dunno, for me it’s about whether we are playing to the best of our ability - I think this squad should be top two and if we finish below Derby it will be disappointing - they’ve lost some games they were expected to win same as us - we’re pretty even over the season.


Wonder what we will do if it’s a draw with ten minutes left - stick or twist?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Was at both those Barnsley games, one at theirs we were second best in. The home game we were behind and the original tomo snatched a point, but I think we were knocking on the door in the second half.

That's a very questionable description Dibs! Peter, Steve and maybe even Chris might disagree

I dunno, for me it’s about whether we are playing to the best of our ability - I think this squad should be top two and if we finish below Derby it will be disappointing - they’ve lost some games they were expected to win same as us - we’re pretty even over the season.

Wonder what we will do if it’s a draw with ten minutes left - stick or twist?

Yep, our teams are very similar this season success-wise... hence only one point betewen us... for now...

Stick or twist with 10 to go? Fascinating. Well, I imagine they'd gun for it, so could we hit on the break?

[Harry Genshaw]

The Allardyce team with 14 away wins was definitely one I trusted. They were so effective at dismissing opponents and making the most of a fairly limited squad and finances, compared to the two who went up automatically.

That said, I was out of the country for much of that season, so viewing it remotely and with hindsight, perhaps I feel more confident about it now than I was.

No slight on you or Pru, DSB, or any of our exiles, but perhaps that's why you can dismiss my fears in 6 pointers like this? On the other thread you talked of ignoring the 1-0 win over Blackpool rather than the 1-4 defeat. It's the 2 Wigan hammerings, and particularly the later one that plays into my fears about our capability in the big fixtures. It's like 'Nam. You weren't there man!!

Hopefully at 5pm today, we're all a lot more optimistic about such fixtures in the future.