Bolton Vs Chelsea

[Choppers]

Still reading through all of the posts, but anyone who would drop Elmander before Davies...I just can't fathom that one I'm afraid.

Davies did so very little last night, and he's now starting to moan at ref's a lot more. He still gets nothing and I don't recall a single shot in anger during the game?

Elmander on the other hand, looks a threat. It's not his fault that Petrov didn't manage a decent cross until 30 minutes into the match.

Both Davies and Petrov were at times, literally stood still looking fed up. Elmander jumped for every ball and chased everything.

If we dropped Elmander for Davies, I'd seriously question Coyle's man management skills.

I'm not saying we drop Davo forever, but he (like every player at our club) should earn the right to start, and at the moment a 4-3-3 of Taylor, Elmander, Lee with Mark Davies, Holden and Muamba behind them looks bloody appealing.

[as]

We bottled it against a team of bottlebanks.

We sh*t it against a team of sh*tbags.

I remember Newcastle hammering us (4 or 5-0?) at the Reebok when we first came up, but it was nothing like as bad as last night.

We made John Terry look like Bobby Moore FFS.

Reet, that's my last comment on the game, we'll still idolise Lofthouse when those overpaid useless c*nts have retired.

[thebish]

I'm not convinced that it is always formations that bring solidity or not...

I suspect part of what has changed is (perhaps inevitable) energy levels - and we are giving teams more time on the ball - and are getting punished for it...

we are at our best when we are an 11-man harrying unit - hunting in packs - disrupting their flow - getting a foot in - mobbing them into mistakes...

we did none of that last night - whether that's tiredness due to squad thin-ness - or january blues - or being stage struck at Chelsea's big names - or some other motivational downer - who knows - but it is obvious when we are doling it - and recently, we haven't been...

[Choppers]

I really do think that Mark Davies gives us something we don't have in the team at the moment, but I don't see how we can fit him into a 4-4-2 with Coyle's insistence on playing Muamba and Holden there.

[thebish]

anyway - when's chungy coming back?

[David Lee's Hair]

It's like Megson has returned in here today... Last night was bad granted, and trust me it was terrible when you live with a Chelsea fan, but the way everyone's going on we're in a worse position than this time last year.

Where did everyone expect us to finish this season, it seems like some where expecting Champions league qualification... Our forms off at the moment, but then again, can anyone name a season where we haven't had a bad run?

It's the first season for a while where its taken to nearly Feb to get our first absolute tonking

People are losing there minds after we've lost to City, Chelsea twice and Liverpool... plus the team in 6th with a better home record than everyone in the league but United and Chelsea (ie better than Arsenal)...

[Choppers]

All I expect is for our players to try.

I don't consider standing still looking fed up like it's everyones fault but yours to be "trying".

I believe players should earn the right to wear the shirt, that's all.

[Armchair Wanderer]

Formation definitely depends on the opposition.

When Inter and Mourinho beat Chelsea recently it was because he had his tactics 100%. Inter do/did have good players too, but in that one game they managed to completely shut down an inform Chelsea team and nick a winner.

Not sure any change in tactics would have helped us much last night. We started off ok but as soon as they score it was going to be tricky, shaky at the back and going forward we didn't do well enough.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Just seen the goals back for the first time since last night, and I'm not having any criticism of the keeper here. One was a thunderbolt, the other was rank bad defending from our star centre half and the other two were fired at pace through a crowd of players, which I think he did well from to even get a hand on the ball.

Shite shite SHITE defending on every one, from Steinsson to Robinson, every one. Piss poor.

[BWFC_Insane]

It's like Megson has returned in here today... Last night was bad granted, and trust me it was terrible when you live with a Chelsea fan, but the way everyone's going on we're in a worse position than this time last year.

Where did everyone expect us to finish this season, it seems like some where expecting Champions league qualification... Our forms off at the moment, but then again, can anyone name a season where we haven't had a bad run?

It's the first season for a while where its taken to nearly Feb to get our first absolute tonking

People are losing there minds after we've lost to City, Chelsea twice and Liverpool... plus the team in 6th with a better home record than everyone in the league but United and Chelsea (ie better than Arsenal)...

Agree with all that. But whenever we're in a bad run people are bound to be worried. The important thing is we snap out of it and fast, and I'm sure we will.

The worry is that Wigan and even more so Wolves have become really big games that should we say draw with Wigan and draw or lose to Wolves the pressure will be ramped up even more. We don't want to become the side that slides from the top half into the relegation area!

[thebish]

It's the first season for a while where its taken to nearly Feb to get our first absolute tonking

didn't we ship 4 to arsenal on the 5th game of the season??

[Armchair Wanderer]

We've only lost by the odd goal, apart from away at Arsenal, until Stoke... and now Chelsea...

[David Lee's Hair]

It's the first season for a while where its taken to nearly Feb to get our first absolute tonking

didn't we ship 4 to arsenal on the 5th game of the season??

Aye, but we played alright, without the comical Cahill sending off at 2-1 it would have been closer.

Last night was a proper tonking.

[BWFC_Wyles]

I think, as has been said, emotions have just run over from an emotional night and the worry that we are sliding down the table with the bad form showing no sign of stopping.
Beat Wigan and Wolves and things will be back on the up.

Yes, I've definitely calmed down.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Did anyone else hear 606 on the way home? All those Chelsea fans gushing over that McEchran character - he came on and was tidy, but then again so would I be having been brought on in those circumstances.

Tossers.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Thought Lofty the Lion played an excellent part last night.

[Gooner Girl]

It's the first season for a while where its taken to nearly Feb to get our first absolute tonking

didn't we ship 4 to arsenal on the 5th game of the season??

Yes!

[officer_dibble]

Still pissed off and haven't been on yet to sound off about it

CBA reading through everything but from what I've seen I'll offer the following....

Taylor was our best player, being the only one who looked of standard for 90 mins

We started off well, and even after that f*cking goal by drogba we still looked fine

Abysmal defending, Cahill, Steinsson biggest culprits (still not letting Knight and Robbo off the hook). Cahill turning his back for the second goal a particular highlight.

How the f*ck does Steinsson walk back into the team? Ricketts is an adequate full back, hasn't been that bad, and also played well in parts (blackburn at home stand out). Steinsson is having a shocking season, he backs off the winger too much and last night his contributions resulted in giving the ball away consistently. Its a joke and if I was Ricketts I would be pissed off he just waltzed back in the side off injury.

Jussi was shit for the goals. Made some good saves otherwise. Get Bogdan in for the cup match. Not sure about the league yet.

Wheater has to start in the cup as well, cos if he cant get in after that defensive performance we might as well all go up and go home.

Muamba was shit......infact he's been shit since we gave him that new contract (he was my vote for player of the season and ive stuck by him so far!)

Davies was abysmal though, worst player out there. For the third, if you watch his reaction after his pass went to them, just head down, stood still, no effort. Very un Kevin Davies like.

The calls for a 451 with Mark Davies in are definitely good shouts. What other teams do is mix formations and tactics up.....why, no matter who we have in charge, do we never seem to do this? I'd play Elmander as the lone forward FWIW.F*ck knows who I would make captain though, Taylor?

Petrov/Holdens corners......f*ck off!!

Team really let the players down, the one time we need them to stand up and be counted and they wilted away. I can stand defeats especially to good teams but I don't like it when we just give up and sack it off. Which we did second half.

[Choppers]

Steinsson is having a shocking season, he backs off the winger too much and last night his contributions resulted in giving the ball away consistently.

He's always done this, it's his biggest fault!

[RobbieSavagesLeg]

Who to be captain if we drop Davo has been discussed in other threads, and my vote goes fro Robbo. He leads with his voice as it is.