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

[The_Gun]

We need better players next season. From the starting side last night, I would say that we should be able to get get good transfer fees for McAtee, Thomasson, Tutu and Sheehan that can be reinvested. We must cut our loses or loan out CMG, Lolos, Dan and Randall. Jones and Santos are out of contract and seem to be gone. Then there are loan options to replace poor loan signings of Etete, Murphy and Matete.

Schuey does not like a large squad but has enough room to get some quality in all 3 areas of the pitch.

McAtee we’d get maybe half what we paid for him. Tutu we could probably get our money back. Thomason and Sheehan perhaps £500-£750k apiece. Assuming my guesses are about right, I wouldn’t be rushing to do any of those deals.

[Worthy4England]

I agree that we have a decent base of potentially useful players, including potentially folks like Randall. We have a poor base of "team." at the moment and consistency.

[irie Cee Bee]

We need a couple #9's for sure. We need a couple mean tacklers in midfield. We need a couple good defenders to stop the leaking. Therefore 6 better players plus a couple loan deals will make us stronger. Is this a heart transplant? Absolutely not, but lets not think that our current squad of players are "ok". Maybe they are to some of us, but I have higher ambitions.

[Mar]

Last nights result isn't a problem. Sometimes getting beat like that is how it goes.

What is a problem, is the pattern of losing games that we should be winning given the number of chances we've created. Isn't that why we sold Charles?

Here's the defeats under Schuey...

Reading (A)
Wrexham QF (A)
Bristol Rovers (A)
Stockport (H)
Blackpool (A)
Rotherham (H)

Only the following had the opposition outshooting us:
Bristol Rovers (A)

His record so far:
P14 W7 D1 L6

Not looking great. Not that i'm trying to critical of Schumacher's efforts, he needs time to change things around, but we're very much in the same territory as Evatt was touting. Doesn't matter if we change the manager, the problems will persist. Wins against Birmingham are evidence to the contrary, but there's still worrying concerns that we're not past our weak underbelly.

We need a midfield of battlers that won't let people through. We saw how good Wigan were at stopping any forward momentum, there's no reason we can't get that from our midfield and defence.

Stop the crap goals at the back and I believe we'll go up.

[BWFC_Insane]

Last nights result isn't a problem. Sometimes getting beat like that is how it goes.

What is a problem, is the pattern of losing games that we should be winning given the number of chances we've created. Isn't that why we sold Charles?

Here's the defeats under Schuey...

Reading (A)
Wrexham QF (A)
Bristol Rovers (A)
Stockport (H)
Blackpool (A)
Rotherham (H)

Only the following had the opposition outshooting us:
Bristol Rovers (A)

His record so far:
P14 W7 D1 L6

Not looking great. Not that i'm trying to critical of Schumacher's efforts, he needs time to change things around, but we're very much in the same territory as Evatt was touting. Doesn't matter if we change the manager, the problems will persist. Wins against Birmingham are evidence to the contrary, but there's still worrying concerns that we're not past our weak underbelly.

We need a midfield of battlers that won't let people through. We saw how good Wigan were at stopping any forward momentum, there's no reason we can't get that from our midfield and defence.

Stop the crap goals at the back and I believe we'll go up.

It’s clearly improved since Evatt left - the stats show that. But as some of us have been saying a while the fundamental issue is that the squad isn’t good enough.

[Bertie Wooster]

Evatt & Markham's 'Moneyball' has brought in several younger players from lower leagues with potential. This doesn't get you promoted from league 1. We need 2-3 experienced proven ex championship 31 -33 year old players to get us promoted, Kieran Lee experience types along with a couple of top premiership loans from the likes of Everton / L/Pool etc.

Just look at most of the previous BWFC teams who got promoted, they all had a few experienced, proven, older players - proven at other clubs, proper winner types.

[Bertie Wooster]

Many have said Collins needs to be a starter next season, not for me only if Schumacher can't bring in anyone better. His goals have been vital this season & he's a decent player and could improve more, but he's very frustrating and to me he has a bit of a soft, lazy, laid back, I'm cool, strutting attitude - give me a Le Fondre, McGinlay, Blake, Davies even Ricketts any day of the week.

He has it in his locker to be very good & in some games he shows it - but as with most of our players he lacks consistency to perform game after game. For all Collins goals this season, is he really good enough or the type to be a regular starter for a top 2 auto promotion team - not for me.

[jimbo]

Many have said Collins needs to be a starter next season, not for me only if Schumacher can't bring in anyone better. His goals have been vital this season & he's a decent player and could improve more, but he's very frustrating and to me he has a bit of a soft, lazy, laid back, I'm cool, strutting attitude - give me a Le Fondre, McGinlay, Blake, Davies even Ricketts any day of the week.

He has it in his locker to be very good & in some games he shows it - but as with most of our players he lacks consistency to perform game after game. For all Collins goals this season, is he really good enough or the type to be a regular starter for a top 2 auto promotion team - not for me.

Again with Collins I think he would work really well with a hard running, physical, real handful of a number 9. That would leave him more space to drift around just behind and do the things that he can do. The last few months he’s been playing with Macatee, and neither are suited to being on the shoulder of the last defender. They’ve done ok, but often both end up in the same areas.

We’ve got some very useful parts individually, but no way currently of fitting them together into anything coherent.

[irie Cee Bee]

Collins is really good but has this languid style which makes it seem that he is not trying hard enough, but that's his style. Kevin Davies style is to batter defenders into submission. I believe if Collins had a proper #9 to work off like a Davies, he would be very dangerous.

[irie Cee Bee]

Many have said Collins needs to be a starter next season, not for me only if Schumacher can't bring in anyone better. His goals have been vital this season & he's a decent player and could improve more, but he's very frustrating and to me he has a bit of a soft, lazy, laid back, I'm cool, strutting attitude - give me a Le Fondre, McGinlay, Blake, Davies even Ricketts any day of the week.

He has it in his locker to be very good & in some games he shows it - but as with most of our players he lacks consistency to perform game after game. For all Collins goals this season, is he really good enough or the type to be a regular starter for a top 2 auto promotion team - not for me.

Again with Collins I think he would work really well with a hard running, physical, real handful of a number 9. That would leave him more space to drift around just behind and do the things that he can do. The last few months he’s been playing with Macatee, and neither are suited to being on the shoulder of the last defender. They’ve done ok, but often both end up in the same areas.

We’ve got some very useful parts individually, but no way currently of fitting them together into anything coherent.

Yesterday I thought we were very coherent. We looked really good. Schuey has them playing really well. We just lack that quality to make it count. We need some better players in the squad to make that happen.

[Worthy4England]

The problem I have, is we have McAtee and Collins on 11 goals each. Last season we had Dion on 14, Vic on 10 (league) so this years vintage might edge it, but has it been a significant improvement overall? Pretty clearly not, for me.

[Harry Genshaw]

but we're very much in the same territory as Evatt was touting. Doesn't matter if we change the manager,

Evatt never was short of an opinion but he was hoisted by his own petard with that one. "You can't expect anyone else to do something with this weak willed, under performing bunch I've recruited!"

[Prufrock]

The problem I have, is we have McAtee and Collins on 11 goals each. Last season we had Dion on 14, Vic on 10 (league) so this years vintage might edge it, but has it been a significant improvement overall? Pretty clearly not, for me.

I think they're better players now. But you and I both know that's not the issue. The other end is the issue.

FWIW Collins for me is comfortably a Championship player. Our best forward by miles. Of course he doesn't win big tackles. For someone "soft", mad how many headers he wins. He also plays 90 minutes week in week out. There's also the mad "he's technically good so he mustn't try" about him. He covers as much ground as Viv. Maybe not Dion, but Vic. Our best player. And Morley and Baxter aside, by a long way.

[Worthy4England]

The problem I have, is we have McAtee and Collins on 11 goals each. Last season we had Dion on 14, Vic on 10 (league) so this years vintage might edge it, but has it been a significant improvement overall? Pretty clearly not, for me.

I think they're better players now. But you and I both know that's not the issue. The other end is the issue.

FWIW Collins for me is comfortably a Championship player. Our best forward by miles. Of course he doesn't win big tackles. For someone "soft", mad how many headers he wins. He also plays 90 minutes week in week out. There's also the mad "he's technically good so he mustn't try" about him. He covers as much ground as Viv. Maybe not Dion, but Vic. Our best player. And Morley and Baxter aside, by a long way.

I don't dislike Collins and McAtee, but if they're not pressing high up, then there's going to be more pressure further back. I agree we both know that's not the main issue and I don't have Collins down as noticably soft - he's not a battering ram or SKD - I'd like better press though.

[Prufrock]

They both run their arse off. There's not a drop off imo in pressing. But because they can both kick it people are suspicious. We're not conceding 60 goals a season because the front 2 don't run enough.

[Worthy4England]

They both run their arse off. There's not a drop off imo in pressing. But because they can both kick it people are suspicious. We're not conceding 60 goals a season because the front 2 don't run enough.

I can run and look at the effectiveness of my press ain't the same thing. My comment was related to that and we've not moved the dial on goals scored upwards. It's about the same on that front. But if you're trying to press and defend from the front and you're not that good at it, then you need players who can tackle and position better, further back in the MF. Collins isn't at a Charles level of press. At best I have them about the same (obviously this year's Dion wasn't great).

We don't have any major slackers in the squad, but we still suffer from our overall defending from front to back.

Looking across our forwards, Ali Dia will head back, we get a returning Dan. I do think there should be a hole for a Bod type/Target/Back to goal/hold up alternative, not necessarily as a change in footballing style, but at the moment we don't have that option and Schumacher got 8 goals from Cosgrove from 13 starts. Most of his 8 cames from subs bench. Most in under 25 minutes, including turn arounds v Derby and Sheff Weds and the only goal V Wycombe. All top 10 teams.

I think when you have forwards that are all a bit similar in what they lack, people are going to see a bigger gap.

[Prufrock]

I kind of agree, though it's pace rather than "target man" we lack for me. Though one of each would be perfect.

Or maybe we could get a L1 Drogba








*Waits for DSB to arrive screaming "it was a joooooooke"*

[BWFC_Insane]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... not-freak/

Schumacher saying what I’ve said for two years. It’s hugely frustrating that the previous ‘manager’ insisted it wasn’t the case and that if we keep doing what we are doing we’d see success. Clearly that was not the case. A repeated flaw is something that needs fixing. Not pretending it’s just luck.

[The_Gun]

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/2 ... not-freak/

Schumacher saying what I’ve said for two years. It’s hugely frustrating that the previous ‘manager’ insisted it wasn’t the case and that if we keep doing what we are doing we’d see success. Clearly that was not the case. A repeated flaw is something that needs fixing. Not pretending it’s just luck.

How many other games this season have we had 28 shots in? I’m positive that Schumacher would be delighted if we turned that kind of performance in every week.

[Worthy4England]

I would too, but only in the event the scoreline changed on the back of it!