Pre-season, 2024(/25)

[Worthy4England]

Not sure what to make of our current transfer dealings.

Lolos, Southwood, Forino, Arfield, all look like they may be heading in the right direction, but have we improved on last season?

Feels like we're really missing backup for LB and missing a replacement for Maghoma.

Am right there with you. For all different reasons, none of these are quite the mic-drop moment - which is not to say they're bad ideas.

Lolos is a "see how good he can get" signing from a lower division. Fair enough.
Southwood should address a huge, arguably promotion-crushing problem last season.
Forino is another 'potential' signing. Plenty were asking for a unit, a tackler.
Arfield is kinda the opposite to Lolos - he's been 'up there' so we know how good he can be. Or has been? Also: the rolled-sleeve battler many were asking for.

However, none of these feel like The Saviour. Which is clearly a problem both tactically and spiritually...

Regarding Southwood/Coleman - you could certainly make a case that we dropped points with Coleman in goal. I'm not sure how many we'd put down to "Coleman in goal" as opposed to any other naff performances when he wasn't or other's poor defending when he was....Sorta felt a bit convenient...You'd be hard pressed, for me, to blame him for a 4-1 dicking at Blackpool, the 2-2 at Barnsley, the 0-1 at Wigan, the 0-1 at Derby...

Not wanting to kick a guy when he's down but I suspect there's a case for lapses in concentration, or panicky moments from the players being directly attributable to not knowing what the goalkeeper is going to do.

Can't blame Coleman for all the points dropped, but he clearly had an impact on our results and clearly impacted those around him to the detriment of our squad.

If Southwood's an improvement on that then great. Coleman looked decent in the latter half of his season, but if the Middlesbrough friendly is anything to go off, we're likely to have more mad moments from him.

I had a look at a good few of the goals he conceded, and whilst I think there absolutely was more nervousness, there was also significant chunks of just plain poor defending.

[TANGODANCER]

Too soon to make consequential comments. Boro was obviously an experimental exercise and a watching brief. First match of the new season should be a letter of intent. That said, never too soon to start winning. Que Sera.

[Mar]

I had a look at a good few of the goals he conceded, and whilst I think there absolutely was more nervousness, there was also significant chunks of just plain poor defending.

Last season, I compiled the goals he conceded into a video to analyse the cause of what was happening and see if he was given a fair crack or wrongly critiqued. I came to the conclusion that there were at least 5 goals that he could've done better with and that he has a tendency to rush out.

He seemed to kick the habit in the latter part of his outings, so there did seem to be improvements made. So much so that I was under the impression he was making a decent deputy by the end of it, but theres no escaping the first half of his season and the points it cost us.

Sure there was a terrible patch in there by the team, but we needed a stabilising influence in net and in defence and it was missed all round.

I wasn't under the impression that we needed a new backup goalie coming into the season. Sure Southwood looks an improvement, but nothing that was duly concerning given Coleman's tail end of season. The Middlesbrough friendly goal was maybe a reminder that maybe old habits die hard.


For balance, it's easier to see mistakes than it is to see the good stuff that saves goals, the goals conceded go on the highlights reel, the rushed clearances less so.

Middlesbrough 3-0 Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj7KvTh ... esbroughFC

[Prufrock]

I blame the dozy bastard for Blackpool, hard-pressed or otherwise!

His f"ck up (with some help from the referee) turned a salvageable 1-2 into 1-3 with 10 men. It's never just one person's fault, but he had a(bother) shocker that day.

It's partly by-the-by mind, it always comes back to the manager. We cheaped out on a back up keeper having signed a number 1 with injury issues. I get why he took that gamble on allocation it resources, but it didn't pay off.

[Worthy4England]

I had a look at a good few of the goals he conceded, and whilst I think there absolutely was more nervousness, there was also significant chunks of just plain poor defending.

Last season, I compiled the goals he conceded into a video to analyse the cause of what was happening and see if he was given a fair crack or wrongly critiqued. I came to the conclusion that there were at least 5 goals that he could've done better with and that he has a tendency to rush out.

He seemed to kick the habit in the latter part of his outings, so there did seem to be improvements made. So much so that I was under the impression he was making a decent deputy by the end of it, but theres no escaping the first half of his season and the points it cost us.

Sure there was a terrible patch in there by the team, but we needed a stabilising influence in net and in defence and it was missed all round.

I wasn't under the impression that we needed a new backup goalie coming into the season. Sure Southwood looks an improvement, but nothing that was duly concerning given Coleman's tail end of season. The Middlesbrough friendly goal was maybe a reminder that maybe old habits die hard.


For balance, it's easier to see mistakes than it is to see the good stuff that saves goals, the goals conceded go on the highlights reel, the rushed clearances less so.

Middlesbrough 3-0 Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj7KvTh ... esbroughFC

There were certainly some I felt he could've done better with - absolutely. Would I lay the blame entirely at Coleman's near post for being the difference between promoted and not promoted? That's the jump I'm having a problem with. You could equally share that around quite a few of the others, IMO, acknowledging that he probably played some part in it, also.

I'd struggle to blame him much for Blackpool. I mean Santos missed his man for most of the game (see goal 2 and the free header 4 yards out), there was the one where they have three players goal side 6 yards out where Coleman saves too and the only time he tackles his man, he gives away a pengy - it'd be tough to blame Coleman for me, in a game we were already losing and looked like losing prior to the pen that was given.

Point is, whilst I welcome the upgrade, I think he's been a bit hard done by, if you're trying to lay the we didn't get promoted because - and it turns out it's all Coleman. Coleman was not the reason we didn't get promoted.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Baxter is only signed up for this season right? Maybe they're not confident of him staying and they see Southwood as a successor and someone to challenge him this season. I wouldn't have thought he came to us just to get splinters on the bench.

[TANGODANCER]

So, after all the lending and blending, will we finish up with a Bolton Wanderers side, or one where our progress depends solely on temporary loanees that just use us as a stepping stone to further their careers? It's surely time to define just how "massive" a club we are. I know everybody is trying to drink at the same oasis, but we need to make a statement of intent and not just die of thirst before we get our turn in the queue. Sticking with what you have is okay at the card table, but it's twist or bust time for us. Come on Mr Evatt, it's almost show time....

[Mar]

I had a look at a good few of the goals he conceded, and whilst I think there absolutely was more nervousness, there was also significant chunks of just plain poor defending.

Last season, I compiled the goals he conceded into a video to analyse the cause of what was happening and see if he was given a fair crack or wrongly critiqued. I came to the conclusion that there were at least 5 goals that he could've done better with and that he has a tendency to rush out.

He seemed to kick the habit in the latter part of his outings, so there did seem to be improvements made. So much so that I was under the impression he was making a decent deputy by the end of it, but theres no escaping the first half of his season and the points it cost us.

Sure there was a terrible patch in there by the team, but we needed a stabilising influence in net and in defence and it was missed all round.

I wasn't under the impression that we needed a new backup goalie coming into the season. Sure Southwood looks an improvement, but nothing that was duly concerning given Coleman's tail end of season. The Middlesbrough friendly goal was maybe a reminder that maybe old habits die hard.


For balance, it's easier to see mistakes than it is to see the good stuff that saves goals, the goals conceded go on the highlights reel, the rushed clearances less so.

Middlesbrough 3-0 Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj7KvTh ... esbroughFC

There were certainly some I felt he could've done better with - absolutely. Would I lay the blame entirely at Coleman's near post for being the difference between promoted and not promoted? That's the jump I'm having a problem with. You could equally share that around quite a few of the others, IMO, acknowledging that he probably played some part in it, also.

I'd struggle to blame him much for Blackpool. I mean Santos missed his man for most of the game (see goal 2 and the free header 4 yards out), there was the one where they have three players goal side 6 yards out where Coleman saves too and the only time he tackles his man, he gives away a pengy - it'd be tough to blame Coleman for me, in a game we were already losing and looked like losing prior to the pen that was given.

Point is, whilst I welcome the upgrade, I think he's been a bit hard done by, if you're trying to lay the we didn't get promoted because - and it turns out it's all Coleman. Coleman was not the reason we didn't get promoted.

No chance i'd be looking to blame Coleman for the reason we didn't get promoted. That'd be a pretty pathetic thing to do. He's guilty of mistakes, but as is every other player in the squad. We had loads of near misses last season, loads of defensive mistakes, midfield going missing, etc. etc. It's a team game and no-one should be bearing the brunt of blame on their own. Take the Wigan 1-0 defeat for example, we dominated the game, Coleman rushes out and they score, that doesn't take into consideration that we had the lions share of possession but failed to do anything of note with it. Can't blame Coleman for that match, and wouldn't want to either. These things happen.

Coleman's born in Bolton, so he's 'one of our own' as far that goes, Nicky Hunt esque signing. I'd very much like him to come good, as having a local lad playing for the club is always a plus in my book.

[Worthy4England]

I'm just thinking back to Shazza's review of the season. About the only thing offered up was "Coleman" - felt pretty unfair to me...

[Mar]

I'm just thinking back to Shazza's review of the season. About the only thing offered up was "Coleman" - felt pretty unfair to me...

Definitely. For Shazza, it's probably a case of weighing up decision making in pre-season. Had we done X we would've got Y.

Signing someone as capable as Baxter would likely have given different outcomes, so the cost saving decision making we did in preseason last year is probably a little irksome.

There will likely be the same questions raised over sticking with Evatt, not signing more forwards, defenders, etc.

Just doesn't sound good when it's particularly pointed at a player.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

What we did last season wasn't good enough, so we look for places to improve

GK depth clearly judged to be one of them

Got a well-regarded goalkeeper, regular and impressive at this level with years left on the clock, on a free transfer

The issue doesn't seem to me to be even in the top 10 of Problems To Fret About

[TANGODANCER]

V Chorley time..No messing about lads..On with it..

[TANGODANCER]

Good start .1-0 penalty converted by Morley

[TANGODANCER]

Good to see Chorley giving us a game. All the best games are decided by a fine edge.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Finished 4-0. Reckon we’ll finish above Chorley.

[HMX]

Umm, Collins possibly injured against Fiorentina. Subbed at half time for Arfield.

From the BN live feed:
8:15pm
He's been helped to his feet now but not moving great at all.
8:13pm
Aaron Collins down just outside the Bolton penalty box. Doesn't look too happy.

[officer_dibble]

Great news, already excited for orient away

[Worthy4England]

"Santos took a knock just before the final whistle and seemed to be in a bit of discomfort leaving the pitch."

1-1

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Good to hear Johnno smashed into a tackle fiercely enough to set off a melée. Possibly a brouhaha. Or even a hullabaloo.

[dave the minion]

Well I for one thoroughly enjoyed that tonight. Thought we looked good. New formation could be effective and might bring the best out of Vic (who I thought was superb all game).

If say we more then held it own against a (weakened?) Serie A (presumably) team and possibly had the lions share off the chances.


Concerns over Colin's and Santos picking up knocks (Santos looked to just his knee stretching into a superb tackle - sky often ends up tweaking ligaments)