CYL injury scare ??!!

[Harry Genshaw]

Its only my opinion - but I'm sure in training no one would have have lunged in like that

I just can't see what the club can gain playing the 1st team against Newport County.

Match fitness? Since time began top flight clubs have played friendlies against lower league opposition, with the quality of the opposition usually getting better the nearer to the seasons start you are.

It's upsetting yes, but nobody to blame and nothing to see. Lets wish him all the best on his recovery and move on..

[BL3]

Shocking decision by OC to play a friendly against a team of cloggers who want to prove a point against premier league players

'Team of cloggers'? Are you sure?

[TANGODANCER]

I hate to say this, but at some point we really do have to start thinking about a future with Davies, unless we bring in someone who does the same job.

Plays every game for 90 mins, hard as nails, never gives in to injury and scores and assists. might be easier said than done in one man.

Any striker who is mobile and can score 10-15 goals a season will be an improvement on Davies. Not saying we can just pluck someone out of thin air and finding that sort of player is easy. But it's certainly not impossible like you are trying to make out!

Easier said than done does not equate impossible which I'm certainly not trying to make out.. I'm well aware that KD is approaching the twilight zone but finding a replacement is very far from a simple task. He's far more of a force in the Whites than he gets credit for from some. Let's get it right.

[BWFC_Insane]

I hate to say this, but at some point we really do have to start thinking about a future with Davies, unless we bring in someone who does the same job.

Plays every game for 90 mins, hard as nails, never gives in to injury and scores and assists. might be easier said than done in one man.

Any striker who is mobile and can score 10-15 goals a season will be an improvement on Davies. Not saying we can just pluck someone out of thin air and finding that sort of player is easy. But it's certainly not impossible like you are trying to make out!

Easier said than done does not equate impossible which I'm certainly not trying to make out.. I'm well aware that KD is approaching the twilight zone but finding a replacement is very far from a simple task. He's far more of a force in the Whites than he gets credit for from some. Let's get it right.

All depends what we are asking him to do TD. Up front on his own leading the line then I'd agree it would be difficult to find someone to do that job as well as Kev has managed for us. If its to play in a 2 as Coyle opted for all last season and seems to be carrying on doing, then I don't think its as hard to find a better player than Kev. Ultimately if you take loan striker battering ram away, what Davies offers is relatively limited to most forwards out there. He's not a great link up player with feet, he's not quick either of thought or pace wise and he certainly won't get you many goals. As an example I'd really like to see how a mobile clever striker would play up with Klasnic, as I feel that's what Klasnic needs, someone who makes the runs and creates the space and who Klasnic can bring into the game. Eagles did that a bit second half at Bury and we looked a lot better than we did first half with Kd and Klasnic up top together!

[TANGODANCER]

I'll rest my case and just sit backand wait for the "I wish we still had Kev" thread.

[BWFC_Insane]

I'll rest my case and just sit backand wait for the "I wish we still had Kev" thread.

Yeah but I'd swap KD for Anelka back now! End of the day it's about goals for us we are less reliant on Kevs lone man heroics up front than we were before. What we need is someone who will find the net relatively regularly. Now if Kev proves the best partner for that man then great, no problem. But as it stands Kev will have to contribute more goals than he did last season. Can't afford him not to!

[TANGODANCER]

I'll rest my case and just sit backand wait for the "I wish we still had Kev" thread.

Yeah but I'd swap KD for Anelka back now! End of the day it's about goals for us we are less reliant on Kevs lone man heroics up front than we were before. What we need is someone who will find the net relatively regularly. Now if Kev proves the best partner for that man then great, no problem. But as it stands Kev will have to contribute more goals than he did last season. Can't afford him not to!

FFS, will you keep it in proportion and stop talking like we're Chelsea, Untited, Arsenal, real or Barcelaona. We're Bolton Wanderers, just like we've always been, right up and down four divisions and back again over a lot of years. We had two seasons where we got to sixth and eighth in the league and made a decent fist in UEFA. We've also diced with relegation more than is healthy. With a little good fortune and a lot of hard work we may manage top half this year.

Of Course you'd swap Davies for Anelka, who wouldn't, but it's pipe-dreaming. Our super-John days were in the Championship, not the Premiership. We're still a small club, deep in debt and punching above its weight just like we've always been and probably always will be. That's the club I've always supported and our mission statement is survival plus, not league champs. What we can't afford is to start thinking in cloud land. Let's see what pans.

[Lord Kangana]

4 seasons.

[Worthy4England]

I'll rest my case and just sit backand wait for the "I wish we still had Kev" thread.

You threaten to do that one, every time there's a debate about SKD.

[jimbo_bwfc]

Agree with TD. Clubs like Bolton (and another 11-13 teams in the PL) do not have strikers who guarentee you regular (15+) goals in the Premier League, and the ones that do have them taken away from them within a couple of seasons.

However we've managed to keep someone who regularly weighs in with goals here and there and creates a hatful of chances every game. Last season created something like 85 'goalscoring chances', was it? I realise that's abit of a wishy washy phrase but the calibre of players he's up there with- top class creative midfielders and wingers- speaks for itself.

Our best return in a Premier League season came when only 1 player passed ten league goals. Nobby on 11. Was all about the players chipping in collectivley and being good at the other end.

If we get a top class goalscorer it's a bonus, what we need to do is make sure we're tighter at the back than last year, hopefully additions of Pratley, Coker and Mears should help that and then need to rely on likes of Davies, Klasnic, 'other striker', 'other striker 2', Petrov, Pratley, Eagles, Holden to all be weighing in north of 5 goals.

Ideally one of those 'other strikers' will be someone who we can rely on to go on and get 15 goals. But I highly suspect that will be down to what other managers will lend us, rather than what we can afford to buy. Saying that, the odd exception to the rule will become available, see Odemwingie last season.

[Lord Kangana]

Well its all moot anyway, cos unless and until we find a replacement of suitable calibre, hes in the match day squad. And its also moot that we should find a replacement. They cost plenty of money. Cameron Jerome is being hawked around at £6m. How much did Stoke pay for Kenwyne Jones? I don't believe we've even got £8m+ to find another Elmander, for example.

Eaves, Davies, Klasnic and Blake cost a grand total of about £300k. Thats where we're actually at, at this moment in time.

[BWFC_Insane]

Well its all moot anyway, cos unless and until we find a replacement of suitable calibre, hes in the match day squad. And its also moot that we should find a replacement. They cost plenty of money. Cameron Jerome is being hawked around at £6m. How much did Stoke pay for Kenwyne Jones? I don't believe we've even got £8m+ to find another Elmander, for example.

Eaves, Davies, Klasnic and Blake cost a grand total of about £300k. Thats where we're actually at, at this moment in time.

Youre right about not having the money to find an obvious replacement. But I still believe that with Coyle we need to find players we can develop in order to get the value! We probably can't go and blow 10M on a striker but I imagine we could go and get one from Scotland ala Steven Fletcher for 2M develop him and sell him on!

[Tombwfc]

I hate to say this, but at some point we really do have to start thinking about a future with Davies, unless we bring in someone who does the same job.

Plays every game for 90 mins, hard as nails, never gives in to injury and scores and assists. might be easier said than done in one man.

Any striker who is mobile and can score 10-15 goals a season will be an improvement on Davies. Not saying we can just pluck someone out of thin air and finding that sort of player is easy. But it's certainly not impossible like you are trying to make out!

Someone who scores 10-15 goals a season probably is, if not impossible, pretty unlikely.

IIRC, since we've been in the Premier League nobody has scored 15 goals in a season for us, and only Anelka, Ricketts, Taylor, Elmander and Davies himself have managed 10 or more. Two of those cost £8mil each, and none of them did it more than once for us.

I know you were making a wider point about Davies, but a lot of people talk about 10-15 goal a season striker like it's a neccesity. If someone scores 10 goals for us they've had an amazing season. To get someone who can do that on a regular basis would be a miracle.

[Beefheart]

I hate to say this, but at some point we really do have to start thinking about a future with Davies, unless we bring in someone who does the same job.

Plays every game for 90 mins, hard as nails, never gives in to injury and scores and assists. might be easier said than done in one man.

Any striker who is mobile and can score 10-15 goals a season will be an improvement on Davies. Not saying we can just pluck someone out of thin air and finding that sort of player is easy. But it's certainly not impossible like you are trying to make out!

Someone who scores 10-15 goals a season probably is, if not impossible, pretty unlikely.

IIRC, since we've been in the Premier League nobody has scored 15 goals in a season for us, and only Anelka, Ricketts, Taylor, Elmander and Davies himself have managed 10 or more. Two of those cost £8mil each, and none of them did it more than once for us.

I know you were making a wider point about Davies, but a lot of people talk about 10-15 goal a season striker like it's a neccesity. If someone scores 10 goals for us they've had an amazing season. To get someone who can do that on a regular basis would be a miracle.

Anelka got 10+ twice.

[Tombwfc]

Shit, so he did. I was under the impression he only got 8 in his first season.

I don't think it changes my point though. Anelka is arguably the second best striker the club has ever had.

[TANGODANCER]

Anelka got 10+ twice.

And he's top-end,top-end of the striker clan. Sturridge, or someone of his quality may do it. Your average striker has a bit less of a chance, which makes 10-15 goals a season a top end bonus, not a necessity. Teams have nine other outfield players; what matter who scores the goals?

[Lord Kangana]

Shit, so he did. I was under the impression he only got 8 in his first season.

I don't think it changes my point though. Anelka is arguably the second best striker the club has ever had.

That is a hell of a statement.

Maybe in the modern era, but the records of David Jack and Joe Smith are pretty special.

[Worthy4England]

Shit, so he did. I was under the impression he only got 8 in his first season.

I don't think it changes my point though. Anelka is arguably the second best striker the club has ever had.

That is a hell of a statement.

Maybe in the modern era, but the records of David Jack and Joe Smith are pretty special.

Not to mention Lofthouse and our last golden boot winner...

[Tombwfc]

I did say arguably... feel free to argue it.

Lofthouse is the obvious number one. I can't speak about players I didn't see, but I would be very surprised if we've had many with more ability than Nicolas Anelka.

[BWFC_Insane]

I hate to say this, but at some point we really do have to start thinking about a future with Davies, unless we bring in someone who does the same job.

Plays every game for 90 mins, hard as nails, never gives in to injury and scores and assists. might be easier said than done in one man.

Any striker who is mobile and can score 10-15 goals a season will be an improvement on Davies. Not saying we can just pluck someone out of thin air and finding that sort of player is easy. But it's certainly not impossible like you are trying to make out!

Someone who scores 10-15 goals a season probably is, if not impossible, pretty unlikely.

IIRC, since we've been in the Premier League nobody has scored 15 goals in a season for us, and only Anelka, Ricketts, Taylor, Elmander and Davies himself have managed 10 or more. Two of those cost £8mil each, and none of them did it more than once for us.

I know you were making a wider point about Davies, but a lot of people talk about 10-15 goal a season striker like it's a neccesity. If someone scores 10 goals for us they've had an amazing season. To get someone who can do that on a regular basis would be a miracle.

I think IF Klasnic stays fit and is played he'd get 10 goals plus! Whether he will work in the system with Davies or give us the other attributes we need is a different matter, but I don't think a 10 plus goals a season striker is necessarily beyond us!