Bolton vs Crystal Palace

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Can't remember anyone else commenting on this. Towards the end of the half time interval, Bolton came out early, complete with a coach, armed with cones. He set them up, and the entire team engaged in that five meter shuttle run thing that they do in the pre-game warm-up (for those who don't know, it consists of starting in various stances [facing backwards, facing sideways, on your toes, things like that] before twisting and sprinting for the end cone).

I've never, ever seen anything like that before (that being the first team coming out early to do an EXTRA warm-up). Now, I'm no expert, but surely it's pointing to a lack of fitness in the squad, or a lack of energy, or something? It just hints at a general lethargy in the team...

Nowt to do with fitness. Someone finally sussed out that Coyle is boring them to feck with his stupidity at half time that they need waking up. This didn't work, so next time it will be a bucket of cold water!

[officer_dibble]

And im convinced we are the most unfit team in the league. what i saw at burnley was a squad who had not done a proper pre season. not seen enough positives to change my view.

[DJBlu]

How knackered is K Davies?
He will have a good game every 2-3 which isn't good enough.
So fecked off with this inconsistency.
Leeds tuesday, Diouf is on fire, will another home loss be enough to get rid of him?
Doubt it but who knows.
I have been hoping for this miracle turn around but it aint coming.

[50sQuiff]

first match of the season for me yesterday.
quite enjoyed it
we could/should have won.
when Eagles isnt on a going day (yesterday)it seems we lack creativity.
Andrews Spearing look solid. Knight looked heavier (as did one or two others) than he did last year.
Warnock looks a decent acquisition.

I thought Andrews was really poor and Spearing a bit off but nevertheless they were bodies in midfield. Taking Andrews off and not replacing him like-for-like was a classic Coyle suicide sub.

As much as N'Gog contributes to a game he doesn't look like scoring in a million years. We can't afford two non-scoring forwards. On this performance it would have to be KD to drop to the bench.

My first home game of the season and the atmosphere was fairly oppressive. Not completely toxic like I remember from the latter McFarland days but it feels like the situation is beyond redemption. Coyle has to go for his and our sake.

[bobo the clown]

So, he really has got us full circle to the Megson days, when fans are bickering amongst themselves while violently agreeing with each other.

Whatever evidence you take; long-term or short-term; who's playing or not; what formation or tactics we're using; we are performing very, very poorly, our revenues are falling, we are currently in more danger of slipping further down that climbing up and the fans are getting increasingly tetchy.

It's my view ... & I think that of the vast majority ... that the gig's up. He should go - voluntarily or otherwise asap.

This is not going to turn around under his 'leadership'. As we have a game on Tuesday I suspect he'll be allowed to manage that one. But, in all honesty, I think anyone of the people at the club now (thinking Sammy Lee, David Lee, Jimmy Phillips etc.), could organise us better & have us more organised and more spirited than at present on a short-term basis. The players yesterday largely went through the motions. We offered no threat up front whatsoever. I think the biggest cheer of the day was when Bogdan broke ranks & rolled the ball out. (We very nearly scored from that btw.)

So, whether you are new to the view, or dyed-in-the-wool with it the 'Coyle Must Go' camp is, by now, so far the deal that he cannot survive.

Even a win on Tuesday won't alter any of that, tho may, again, give him a small bit of extra time. But how many would return to believing in him due to it ? His failings are ingrained, not just 'result based'.

I really am wondering whether I can be arsed going on Tuesday.

He has to go. ... & quick.

[Peter Thompson]

And im convinced we are the most unfit team in the league. what i saw at burnley was a squad who had not done a proper pre season. not seen enough positives to change my view.

We are a very unfit team who are simply unable to play for 90 mins, but I would also say we are the most under / poorly coached team in the league - most of the teams we play have 8 or 9 players that I've never heard of and managers that have never coached in the premier league, but all if not most tactically outsmart Coyle week after week.

What did Coyle promise when he joined us, was it better more entertaining football !! - when all we've done since he joined apart from 5 games (with Holden & Elmander) is play aimless, disorganised, shambolic hoofball to grandad K Davies. Why can't Coyle coach the players to play it on the floor, can't he tell the players to stop playing hoof ball or do the players just ignore any instructions ?

Its getting to something when week after week the fans cheer when Bogdan rolls the ball out to the full backs - instead of lanching another aimless punt to 'can't jump anymore' KD. saying that though (and again down to shocking coaching) - the full backs just punt it long instead - surely we have players more than capable of playing better passing football than most championship sides, so whey do we still hoof it all the time - simply awful managing & piss poor coaching

He's been allowed to keep most of the players he wanted, he's said numerous times that this is now his squad, his players - and also he's been allowed by the board to add 2 x premiership players to make us harder to beat (Spearing & Warnock), we have a squad of players that 'on paper' are better than anything else in this league (just check out our bench yesterday), but he's totally incapable of managing & coaching this squad of players.

We are still very wasteful in front of goal and continually make the same mistakes at the back, game after game - WTF does Coyle do in training ????

I'm also sick of hearing about Gartside being a passionate loyal BWFC fan - he was many years ago, but when was the last time that he had to pay hard earned money for a match ticket & travel etc....and if he really cared about the club, Coyle would have gone last October and he'd certainly have been sacked yesterday, hardly a worthwhile shot on goal in 90 mins at home in the championship.

Anyone who really cares about BWFC cannot possibly allow Coyle to cause more damage to this club than he already has - because he's clearly incapable of arresting this seriously alarming slump since Stoke at Wembley.

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

I thought the atmosphere was ok until we went behind.
didn't have that "peering at the game nervously through fingers" type of feel to it that EVERY game last season had.
as i say i quite enjoyed it apart from the getting beat part.
first time in the Fanzone as well- nipper enjoyed that.

[Leyther_Matt]

The Andrews substitution was the one that lost us the game. Knight was left so exposed because our entire midfield effectively consisted of Spearing on his tod with M Davies, Petrov and Eagles all pushed forward with the latter cheaply giving away possession which created the chance for the penalty. The lack of basic skills in controlling the ball and short range passing throughout virtually the entire team is something that is a big concern to me. Surely a professional footballer should already have mastered these skills and maintain them in training?

[bobo the clown]

It wasn't AWFUL, it's was simply inept.

Was there any moment when you felt Palace were a better team ? Not for me .... nor, however, was there a moment when I felt we looked likely to score. Oddly, even in the goalmouth scramble I didn't feel it would go in.

The lack of spirit was the most amazing thing. Both on the pitch & in the fans. Nothing.

But Palace are not very good.

I suppose you can only lose to what's in front of you !!

[Wandering Willy]

Coyle trapped a ball on the sideline and played it perfectly on the floor to a Bolton player - so at least one person at the club can do it.

[Worthy4England]

I thought the atmosphere was ok until we went behind.
didn't have that "peering at the game nervously through fingers" type of feel to it that EVERY game last season had.
as i say i quite enjoyed it apart from the getting beat part.
first time in the Fanzone as well- nipper enjoyed that.

Certainly the atmosphere didn't seem anywhere near Megson levels where I was sat. Not sure whether people are resigned to our fate or not.

[Jez]

I thought the atmosphere was ok until we went behind.
didn't have that "peering at the game nervously through fingers" type of feel to it that EVERY game last season had.
as i say i quite enjoyed it apart from the getting beat part.
first time in the Fanzone as well- nipper enjoyed that.

Certainly the atmosphere didn't seem anywhere near Megson levels where I was sat. Not sure whether people are resigned to our fate or not.

there was a chant of megson in where I was sat

[TANGODANCER]

So, all that said, we don't score goals. That's why we lost. Pretty obvios statement, but chances created don't get remembered, goals do. Whatever our faults, fitness, midfield, defence, build up etc etc, we lost by one goal to a penalty, again. (used to be an event at one time, now players will go to any lengths to get them). Three against in three games is just a bit hard to take. All the talk is about defence, but no teams are knocking a panful past us. Bottom line, we need goals.

[truewhite15]

I thought the atmosphere was ok until we went behind.
didn't have that "peering at the game nervously through fingers" type of feel to it that EVERY game last season had.
as i say i quite enjoyed it apart from the getting beat part.
first time in the Fanzone as well- nipper enjoyed that.

Certainly the atmosphere didn't seem anywhere near Megson levels where I was sat. Not sure whether people are resigned to our fate or not.

The atmosphere definitely seems to be a kind of hopeless resignation. Although the infighting between fans is rearing its ugly head again, as I saw (and heard) some middle-aged bloke shouting at another middle-aged bloke in the North Stand, over the quality of our side/manager/backroom staff/chairman or lack thereof.

[Wandering Willy]

Now you know whatWorthy looks like.

[Harry Genshaw]

I missed it yesterday so Mrs G took a mate instead. She goes to about half a dozen games a year but she said she'd never known an atmosphere like it. That it was really flat and really quiet until we went a goal behind. Mrs G reckoned it was getting a bit nasty where we sit (corner of North & West lower) but there are 1 or 2 really gobby gits here who cant wait to jump on the teams back.

Is this a general malaise in all seater stadiums or is it due to a large proportion of our fans knowing us as nothing other than a Premier league side?

[Worthy4England]

Now you know whatWorthy looks like.

Not me yesterday, I only managed to muster the enthusiasm for a couple of "FFS's" under my breath every time we managed, under little or no pressure, to pass the ball out over the touch line.

In this regard, Mills, Boggers and Mears were all worthy of note.

[BWFC_Insane]

I missed it yesterday so Mrs G took a mate instead. She goes to about half a dozen games a year but she said she'd never known an atmosphere like it. That it was really flat and really quiet until we went a goal behind. Mrs G reckoned it was getting a bit nasty where we sit (corner of North & West lower) but there are 1 or 2 really gobby gits here who cant wait to jump on the teams back.

Is this a general malaise in all seater stadiums or is it due to a large proportion of our fans knowing us as nothing other than a Premier league side?

Or just people who have had their fill of paying good money for tickets, to see utter rubbish on the pitch?

I have sympathy, I'm not a booer at the ground, I don't see the point in getting on their backs. But there is very little, if anything currently to 'support' at Bolton Wanderers....

[Mar]

Daft challenge by Knight in the penalty box. He was going nowhere and he sticks a lazy leg out when the ball is nowhere near. He should know better and i'm sure he's disappointed he got lulled into the challenge. I suppose thats what happens when you come up against tricky forwards they'll catch you out with their movement.

We're 17th in the table now and the table doesn't lie. We got relegated in 18th place and we've been the worst performing team that dropped.

Can't see us beating Leeds and at this rate i'd expect a Diouf penalty to make the difference. Neil Warnock sets his sides up quite well and they always seem well drilled to a plan (even if the plan is wrong at times).

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

one more thing.
why doesn't Petrov EVER take a touch,drop his shoulder and go past someone?
isn't that sort of in the job description for a winger?

he reminds me of that poor mans subbuteo game when i was a kid (Striker?). push the head down and kick it .
he's got dream of a left peg but he crosses it in way too early- even if we had natural strikers they'd be struggling to get on the end