Rising in Wembley's Glow: A Bolton Wanderers Tale - Bolton vs Oxford. 18th May 2024, 4.15pm

[TANGODANCER]

Good semi this. Competitive.

It is now. Penalty a bit tough on Posh, Tom Daley has a lot to answer for.

[officer_dibble]

Stonewall penalty for me!

[DJBlu]

Stonewall penalty for me!

Aye, can't have 2 keepers on the pitch.

[truewhite15]

Yeah, it was about as blatant a penalty as you're likely to get. Daft from the Posh skipper.

Oxford very much bus-parking their way through here, but Posh haven't shown an awful lot of ability to break them down...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Can't say I've been very impressed with Posh.

[officer_dibble]

No; I keep thinking they will step up a gear here but they have failed to do so, so far.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

No; I keep thinking they will step up a gear here but they have failed to do so, so far.

I mean, it's by no means the same bottle job as last season. But still.

They have more matchwinners but they haven't shown up.

Only takes a second though...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

ooh, "you have to wonder if Oxford will regret that miss" etc

[jmjhb]

That should have been it.

Oxford look a totally different side to the one we battered 5-0.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

That should have been it.

Oxford look a totally different side to the one we battered 5-0.

I know what you mean but they're not, really. Buckingham had been playing a 4-2-3-1 but he's tweaked that to more of a 4-3-3 - basically inverted the midfield triangle from "two behind one" to "one behind two" (like us). It's not a massive change but it's certainly worked for them. So far...

[Mar]

I'm hoping we get the bad Oxford and not this better version of Oxford.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bye bye, Posh.

[DJBlu]

Wow, didn't expect that. Gonna have to be on it. Can't underestimate them.

[truewhite15]

Oxford make it!!

I wouldn't say they've been "good". Dogged. Disciplined. Determined. Their entire game plan was "keep Posh out". It's worked, and fair play to them.

Different proposition in the final. We've got to get players like Maghoma unlocking that defence, get Williams/Ogbeta and JDC round the outside and get quality deliveries in. Collins will be invaluable - they can't just sit in, because he will shoot on sight, regardless of where he is on the pitch.

[jmjhb]

Bye bye, Posh.

I can see them getting picked apart over the summer. Lots of talent there but not the consistency in what will be undoubtedly be a much tougher division next year.

[knobpolisher]

I feel the better team lost, but posh have only themselves to blame. Oxford certainly haven't the attacking threat that Peterborough have.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Wow, didn't expect that. Gonna have to be on it. Can't underestimate them.

Clearly they're not a bad team but I'd still rather face them than Posh – who did indeed replicate our last-season shape of winning the cup then blowing the play-offs.

Posh have more players who can hurt us. Oxford more systemic but they don't press much and that could really be to our advantage at Wembley.

Far from easy but far from the hardest task you could set us in a one-off, winner-goes-up, *genuinely* must-win game.

[sonicthewhite]

Well done Oxford

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I wouldn't say they've been "good". Dogged. Disciplined. Determined. Their entire game plan was "keep Posh out". It's worked, and fair play to them.

Different proposition in the final. We've got to get players like Maghoma unlocking that defence, get Williams/Ogbeta and JDC round the outside and get quality deliveries in. Collins will be invaluable - they can't just sit in, because he will shoot on sight, regardless of where he is on the pitch.

Agreed with all that. They had a job to do tonight and did it well. I didn't see their first leg (I was busy on stage!) but tonight's performance was as you describe - keeping a fairly lacklustre side at arm's length.

I think we have more weapons to hurt them than they have to hurt us, but the tactical battle will be interesting.

Bye bye, Posh.

I can see them getting picked apart over the summer. Lots of talent there but not the consistency in what will be undoubtedly be a much tougher division next year.

I shan't lose sleep. Can't abide MacAnthony. I think I've said before

They'll make money on their assets (except Clarke-Harris) and start again, but as you say it's a big ask for them next year.

[BWFC_Insane]

Oxford were really very good tonight. They did what we struggle to, defend. That’s all they did. Peterborough completely ran out of steam for me.

If they defend like they did tonight that’s a tough game. No game is easy. I’d still prefer our chances against Oxford than Peterborough.

And there is a narrative here - beat them 5-0 they will want revenge and will no doubt be very very determined.

However, on their day Peterborough can beat you by being unplayable. And I don’t think Oxford can do that.

Edit: Whilst it would be much much much more frustrating to lose to Oxford it would for me be less galling than seeing Darren Ferguson and that awful chairman celebrating round Wembley.