Trouble at't Mill(ers". At home to Rotherham, Tuesday 8th Apr. 19-45.

[Mar]

On one of the unofficial podcasts, a Rotherham fan mentioned that a 4-0 win by Crawley made them look like prime Barcelona.

Crawley had 17 shots with 9 on target that day, and won 4-0.

We've just had 36 shots with 7 on target, and lost 0-1.

[BorsdaneWhite]

What can be said. An extraordinary feck-up and yet an almost perfect (in the same way that an almost perfect rocket launch is almost perfect) performance. The finishing notwithstanding, there were so many flaccid half-chances down the sides and through the middle. The bluest of blue balls.

[TANGODANCER]

Imagine having someone like Cosgrove on the bench for one or two of those 58 crosses.

I mean anyone other than Etete and Randall two of the worst signings we’ve ever seen.

You mean " you" have ever seen? Only started one game each and had 20 minutes at best for the other few. . I'll risk the wrath, but I doubt Ian Evatt would have lost tonight. It had little to do with tactics, more for a hair dryer at half-time. But hey-ho..

[truewhite15]

Not much more to say. We were far and away the better side. We battered Rotherham. We did everything but score. But they've come away with three points and we've got nowt.

Still a lot of football to be played. The season isn't over. But I hope Schumacher is making lots of notes about where we need to improve over the summer, whichever league we're in.

[DJBlu]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

[TANGODANCER]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

What can't speak can't lie. A possible fifteen points if we're being cruel. Not the best of starts.

[BWFC_Insane]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

He says ‘it’s a pattern and we have to address the reasons for it’. Hallelujah.

Love Schuey and he’s spot on again. It’s what winners do. Don’t just say ‘ah we were unlucky’. It’s not luck. We need to get more clinical players.

[BWFC_Insane]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

What can't speak can't lie. A possible fifteen points if we're being cruel. Not the best of starts.

He’s averaging 1.7ppg since being here which is probably just about top 6 across the full season. The problem is not what’s happened since he was here. It was the criminal in charge before and some of the rubbish he signed.

[dave the minion]

The time wasting was also ridiculous -again- tonight. I counted 3 or 4 occasions where the keeper held the ball for 20 seconds before kicking it, and near the end a goal kick and a free kick took 30 and 35 seconds each.

The ref wasn't interested - barely even gestured for them to hurry up. And only 6 minutes added time over both halves.

[irie Cee Bee]

I haven't seen us play this well in a long time. The result sucks and we did not win. But the players left everything out there except for Etete who barely touched the ball and when he did, did not know how to pass it tp a Bolton player; Randall, running around giving us nothing; and Mendes Gomes, maybe not as good as we thought.

Its now out of our hands but continue to play like this, and we will win a few more and see where we end up.

[Worthy4England]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

What can't speak can't lie. A possible fifteen points if we're being cruel. Not the best of starts.

He’s averaging 1.7ppg since being here which is probably just about top 6 across the full season. The problem is not what’s happened since he was here. It was the criminal in charge before and some of the rubbish he signed.

1.7 isn't great, but they're not his squad picks and it's still higher than the departee...with a DoF they might not have been his picks either.

It was a great encapsulation of the world and everything relating to this season, tonights game. Leaked a softie - check (I did take notes about our defensive midfielders tackle in that move). Did lots of stuff - check. Reasonably funded strike force couldn't convert - check (this was supposed to be an improvement on last years attacking options). Reverted to bag of bits subs - check.

Can't wait for summer.

[BWFC_Insane]

Schumacher isn't happy, he's said he doesn't want to sound like a broken record but that's the 5th game they've lost that they shouldn't whilst he's been here.

Might be something in what Evatt said. I've no doubt he knows who and what he wants to do just hope the club can back him.

What can't speak can't lie. A possible fifteen points if we're being cruel. Not the best of starts.

He’s averaging 1.7ppg since being here which is probably just about top 6 across the full season. The problem is not what’s happened since he was here. It was the criminal in charge before and some of the rubbish he signed.

1.7 isn't great, but they're not his squad picks and it's still higher than the departee...with a DoF they might not have been his picks either.

It was a great encapsulation of the world and everything relating to this season, tonights game. Leaked a softie - check (I did take notes about our defensive midfielders tackle in that move). Did lots of stuff - check. Reasonably funded strike force couldn't convert - check (this was supposed to be an improvement on last years attacking options). Reverted to bag of bits subs - check.

Can't wait for summer.

Yeah my point is that with the players he’s been left 1.7 is about as good as you will get.

Needs a summer and a complete refresh. Schumacher has done well and is a breath of fresh air….hes just in interview said exactly how it is rather than pretending that dominating but not scoring is ok. But yeah test comes over summer and next season - he has to build a better side than this that is far more efficient. This team is not good enough everyone can see that.

[jimbo]

We’re paying the price for 2 consecutive poor windows of recruitment and holding onto Evatt too long.

Performance and attitude were great last night. We were undone by our regular tendency to concede soft goals, and the lack of a ruthless instinct at the other end.

Realistically how many signings from last summer or January are in our strongest 11? Probably only Tutu. We’ve got a lot of players who are individually fine, but the balance doesn’t feel right. I’m still convinced Sheehan would be a key player with the right mix around him. As it is we’ve got a collection of players who are all a little lightweight. I like Collins, but again he doesn’t play with the 90 minute intensity you ideally need.

[Harry Genshaw]

Dempsey post game said, "We have to win all our remaining games." It won't happen, but this squad, for all its failings and injuries, is capable of that.

[The_Gun]

Football is a low scoring sport where luck/variance plays a major role. Last night we were unlucky, and if that were the type of performance we were regularly putting in we’d probably have been promoted automatically. Doesn’t change the fact that we couldn’t afford a defeat last night, though.

Whilst I am confident that Schuey is the right manager for us, and I look forward to next season with a degree of optimism, I do worry that we’ve hamstrung ourselves with some very strange transfer business. SS clearly doesn’t rate Randall, Lolos or Schön, but realistically we’d have to take horrific losses on all of them, so it’s hard to see them departing. Who else is there that we could sell to generate funds?

[BWFC_Insane]

Football is a low scoring sport where luck/variance plays a major role. Last night we were unlucky, and if that were the type of performance we were regularly putting in we’d probably have been promoted automatically. Doesn’t change the fact that we couldn’t afford a defeat last night, though.

Whilst I am confident that Schuey is the right manager for us, and I look forward to next season with a degree of optimism, I do worry that we’ve hamstrung ourselves with some very strange transfer business. SS clearly doesn’t rate Randall, Lolos or Schön, but realistically we’d have to take horrific losses on all of them, so it’s hard to see them departing. Who else is there that we could sell to generate funds?

As Schumacher has said - it’s not luck. It keeps happening. It’s a pattern and needs to be fixed. At last we have a manager who faces reality and isn’t pretending that it’s luck.

It’s not luck. This team has some major failings in both boxes and they need addressing.

[BWFC_Insane]

Schumacher has also called out Sheehan for bottling yet another tackle. About time. Absolutely need one or two proper defensive midfield types in the summer. Can’t keep relying on a bloke who has absolutely no desire to do the grafting part of the game.

[The_Gun]

Football is a low scoring sport where luck/variance plays a major role. Last night we were unlucky, and if that were the type of performance we were regularly putting in we’d probably have been promoted automatically. Doesn’t change the fact that we couldn’t afford a defeat last night, though.

Whilst I am confident that Schuey is the right manager for us, and I look forward to next season with a degree of optimism, I do worry that we’ve hamstrung ourselves with some very strange transfer business. SS clearly doesn’t rate Randall, Lolos or Schön, but realistically we’d have to take horrific losses on all of them, so it’s hard to see them departing. Who else is there that we could sell to generate funds?

As Schumacher has said - it’s not luck. It keeps happening. It’s a pattern and needs to be fixed. At last we have a manager who faces reality and isn’t pretending that it’s luck.

It’s not luck. This team has some major failings in both boxes and they need addressing.

If you play like we did last night then you probably win 90% of games. We mostly haven’t played like that, though, so I’m not saying we’re unlucky to be where we are in the league.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Schumacher has also called out Sheehan for bottling yet another tackle. About time. Absolutely need one or two proper defensive midfield types in the summer. Can’t keep relying on a bloke who has absolutely no desire to do the grafting part of the game.

I don't think it is fair to say Sheehan doesn't graft. He's lightweight and not great defensively. That said he takes plenty of hits in possession. The problem is we can't stop conceding soft/daft goals and we've an army of lightweight 10s and no 9s. I think a preseason of working on Schumacher's pattens of play and a few personnel changes and he'll fix it. How much we can flog players for and how much he can spend will dictate whether we're automatic contenders or playoff hopefuls.

[dave the minion]

Can’t keep relying on a bloke who has absolutely no desire to do the grafting part of the game.

Utterly, utterly ridiculous statement, about another player you can't wait to shoot down at every opportunity.

Sheehan grafts - if he didn't he wouldn't be picked for us or be picked as captain of Wales.
As already said, he isn't necessarily the toughest tackler, but thats not his game. And for someone as "lightweight" "non-grafting" "soft" "etc etc" he doesn't half take a kicking every game and continues to get up, dust himself down and crack on.

Last night he was completely dictating play from the middle for large periods. Interestingly, whilst also acknowledging the mis-tackle that led to the goal, a non-Bolton fan mate of mine who came along singled him out as our best player by far.

SS called him out for the tackle - rightly - but also said "he hasn't made too many mistakes" either. Sounds to me like a manager who acknowledges the value Sheehan brings to the team but isn't afraid to point out the odd mistake.