Bolton - Leeds

[truewhite15]

We were great in the first half of the first half. Top notch. Can't fault it. I still can't fathom why Sordell wasn't playing instead of Afobe, like...

Anyway, we knocked it around well, pulled off some good moves, and generally looked like the promotion contenders we're supposed to be. In that first 25/30 mins, we could well have been 3 or 4 up, what with Andrews drawing a save out of Kenny, Eagles hitting the post, and Afobe going close. Then Leeds started to ramp up the pressure in the middle of the park, and suddenly it all got very sloppy and scruffy, giving away silly fouls and silly corners, and we just generally looked shaky. Diouf's delivery was excellent, but the defending in the middle was very, very poor.

2nd half, more of the same. Scruffy play, in the main, and again poor defending lead to their penalty. If the ball had been defended adequately higher up the pitch, then it would never have got to our penalty area where Warnock was left, on the right hand side of the area, to make a make-or-break challenge to give away the foul. I mean, where were the other three defenders that should have been there before him?

In the last ten minutes, we did start to look threatening again, but never once did we look like it was gonna go in from open play. Coyle's choice to bring off Spearing was baffling. His decision to play Petrov wide right even more so. Fine, we got an equaliser. Great, we didn't lose. But yet again it's a game where we could have taken away so much more if we just did the basics right.

[Harry Genshaw]

Well that could've been worse!

Just to pick one vignette from the game, did anyone notice how Eagles and Petrov contrived an excuse to return to their proper wings, only for The Wanker to tell them to switch back? After Petrov had languished on the right for ten minutes or so, Eagles made a mad charge across the pitch for a completely lost cause. He got nowhere near the ball but managed to park himself on the right as a consequence. At the same time Petrov skulked over to the left. But after a few minutes Coyle intervened and they sheepishly swapped back. Finally Coyle relented and we looked like scoring once the two players were back in their natural positions.

Petrov on the right wing was utterly bonkers. I wondered why Eagles went off on a mad charge across the pitch! Thank feck he did

[Athers]

Was in the concourse for the first goal due to the traffic which was horrific, but seems I turned up in one of our good spells, before waiting until the last 10 for another spell of proper pressure. I don't expect 100mph brilliance for the whole game but when we're not doing particularly well it always looks like we'll come out the other side of it a goal to the worse. Another one after half time as well ffs.

In isolation as a game it probably wasn't that bad, Leeds an in form team and we were better - 16 shots (10 on target) to 6 (3), more corners etc, just every game is now viewed alongside 18 months of sliding down the leagues.

I make it 1 goal from open play in the last 6 - the 'one pass and run' capitalisation on a mistake at Hillsborough. This and giving away ridiculous number of penalties isn't helping, to state the obvious.

Since when is Davo this set piece header machine by the way, he never did score enough attacking headers previously.

[truewhite15]

Was in the concourse for the first goal due to the traffic which was horrific, but seems I turned up in one of our good spells, before waiting until the last 10 for another spell of proper pressure. I don't expect 100mph brilliance for the whole game but when we're not doing particularly well it always looks like we'll come out the other side of it a goal to the worse. Another one after half time as well ffs.

In isolation as a game it probably wasn't that bad, Leeds an in form team and we were better - 16 shots (10 on target) to 6 (3), more corners etc, just every game is now viewed alongside 18 months of sliding down the leagues.

Since when is Davo this set piece header machine by the way, he never did score enough attacking headers previously.

That's just the thing though, isn't it? There are too many fans out there, and evidently Gartside as well, who are viewing our games in isolation, taking all the weight of expectation and targets and where we are overall out of it.

In isolation, a draw against an in form Leeds side is a good result.

In isolation, a scruffy defeat to Palace isn't that bad.

In isolation, a loss away to Hull isn't such a bad thing, really.

But when you look at the greater picture, things become a whole lot murkier. Fine, we're only 9 games into the season, and there's plenty of time left to get back up to the top. But teams who target promotion should be beating Palace at home. They should get results at Burnley, or at Hull; or at the very least, look like they're capable of it.

[wanderers_on_tour]

We were great in the first half of the first half. Top notch. Can't fault it. I still can't fathom why Sordell wasn't playing instead of Afobe, like...

Anyway, we knocked it around well, pulled off some good moves, and generally looked like the promotion contenders we're supposed to be. In that first 25/30 mins, we could well have been 3 or 4 up, what with Andrews drawing a save out of Kenny, Eagles hitting the post, and Afobe going close. Then Leeds started to ramp up the pressure in the middle of the park, and suddenly it all got very sloppy and scruffy, giving away silly fouls and silly corners, and we just generally looked shaky. Diouf's delivery was excellent, but the defending in the middle was very, very poor.

2nd half, more of the same. Scruffy play, in the main, and again poor defending lead to their penalty. If the ball had been defended adequately higher up the pitch, then it would never have got to our penalty area where Warnock was left, on the right hand side of the area, to make a make-or-break challenge to give away the foul. I mean, where were the other three defenders that should have been there before him?

In the last ten minutes, we did start to look threatening again, but never once did we look like it was gonna go in from open play. Coyle's choice to bring off Spearing was baffling. His decision to play Petrov wide right even more so. Fine, we got an equaliser. Great, we didn't lose. But yet again it's a game where we could have taken away so much more if we just did the basics right.

Very true TW, yet still sadly predictable. Whenever we're chasing a game Owen will always play the changes either like for like (Sordell for Afobe) or just shove on as many attacking players as possible (Petrov for Spearing), The latter whilst perhaps making us a more potent attacking force, often leaves us woefully exposed in midfield and this change in particular gave the centre backs no real outlet for the short ball to the feet (not that Knight will have been too fussed about that!)

Also with Eagles playing the best football of his career on the far left is there any reason Chung Yong Lee is being kept out of his preferred position on the right by mr inconsistent Mark Davies?? Try him out playing off the centre forward in a 4-4-1-1, or as part of a attacking three all you want Owen but a out and out winger he is not. I actually feel quite sorry for Wylde...

(p.s I still think we performed quite well...at least better than i'd hoped)

[truewhite15]

We were great in the first half of the first half. Top notch. Can't fault it. I still can't fathom why Sordell wasn't playing instead of Afobe, like...

Anyway, we knocked it around well, pulled off some good moves, and generally looked like the promotion contenders we're supposed to be. In that first 25/30 mins, we could well have been 3 or 4 up, what with Andrews drawing a save out of Kenny, Eagles hitting the post, and Afobe going close. Then Leeds started to ramp up the pressure in the middle of the park, and suddenly it all got very sloppy and scruffy, giving away silly fouls and silly corners, and we just generally looked shaky. Diouf's delivery was excellent, but the defending in the middle was very, very poor.

2nd half, more of the same. Scruffy play, in the main, and again poor defending lead to their penalty. If the ball had been defended adequately higher up the pitch, then it would never have got to our penalty area where Warnock was left, on the right hand side of the area, to make a make-or-break challenge to give away the foul. I mean, where were the other three defenders that should have been there before him?

In the last ten minutes, we did start to look threatening again, but never once did we look like it was gonna go in from open play. Coyle's choice to bring off Spearing was baffling. His decision to play Petrov wide right even more so. Fine, we got an equaliser. Great, we didn't lose. But yet again it's a game where we could have taken away so much more if we just did the basics right.

Very true TW, yet still sadly predictable. Whenever we're chasing a game Owen will always play the changes either like for like (Sordell for Afobe) or just shove on as many attacking players as possible (Petrov for Spearing), The latter whilst perhaps making us a more potent attacking force, often leaves us woefully exposed in midfield and this change in particular gave the centre backs no real outlet for the short ball to the feet (not that Knight will have been too fussed about that!)

Also with Eagles playing the best football of his career on the far left is there any reason Chung Yong Lee is being kept out of his preferred position on the right by mr inconsistent Mark Davies?? Try him out playing off the centre forward in a 4-4-1-1, or as part of a attacking three all you want Owen but a out and out winger he is not. I actually feel quite sorry for Wylde...

(p.s I still think we performed quite well...at least better than i'd hoped)

It's just another point in the "Coyle Out" column. His substitutions make no sense. Mark Davies offered the sum total of feck all during the entire 90 minutes, and while he's played out on the "right wing" he will continue to offer feck all. Indeed, I'm beginning to think that the reason Mears looks so woefully shite is because he doesn't actually have a proper right winger backing him up; he's having to man the entire right flank by himself. The logical change, if you had to bring Petrov on, was to sub Mark Davies (I happen to think that the ACTUAL logical change would have been to swap Sparky for Chungy...), and move Eagles onto the left flank. Spearing and Andrews were both having fairly good games, and were energetic with it. It didn't make sense to weaken the midfield further by removing its one defensive link.

I just can't believe that he still hasn't spotted that our best formation is a flexible 4-5-1. A 4-4-2 is ridiculously rigid and regimented, and it cannot be played with players who don't have the same qualities in their locker. A 4-5-1 would bolster the midfield and the defence when we're being attacked, with the flexibility to become a 4-3-3 when we're attacking, with the wingers joining the lone front man.

[Dr.Karl]

So are we back to playing a rigid 4-4-2? With Mavies on the right and Eagles on the left?

[SpitfiresKent]

So are we back to playing a rigid 4-4-2? With Mavies on the right and Eagles on the left?

Yeah looks like it. For the next game i'd like to see the likes of Wylde, Sordell, Ream, Ricketts and dare i say it Pratley given a run out.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

I headed to bed with it still at 1-0, fully thinking I'd wake up in the morning to find we'd lost. Summat I suppose, but he surely has to go...

[boltonboris]

So are we back to playing a rigid 4-4-2? With Mavies on the right and Eagles on the left?

Yeah looks like it. For the next game i'd like to see the likes of Wylde, Sordell, Ream, Ricketts and dare i say it Pratley given a run out.

Please, never post again.

[SpitfiresKent]

So are we back to playing a rigid 4-4-2? With Mavies on the right and Eagles on the left?

Yeah looks like it. For the next game i'd like to see the likes of Wylde, Sordell, Ream, Ricketts and dare i say it Pratley given a run out.

Please, never post again.

Why?

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

So are we back to playing a rigid 4-4-2? With Mavies on the right and Eagles on the left?

Yeah looks like it. For the next game i'd like to see the likes of Wylde, Sordell, Ream, Ricketts and dare i say it Pratley given a run out.

Please, never post again.

Why?

Wylde - 5th choice winger behind Eagles, Petrov, CYL and Mavies
Sordell - Has shown nothing so far. Needs a run out, but needs to be doing some decent cameos before he starts for me
Ream - disaster. last thing we need in our defence at the moment
Ricketts - hardly covered himself in glory this season. That said, I'd like to see him at right back and then decide who is least worst there
Pratley - Who do you think he should replace? He is 2nd best in every comparison

Organisation, shape, fitness, confidence and fight is what we need. Not swapping players in and out every 5 seconds. Lets get a settled team, instil the aforementioned and then tweak as needed. Not Coyle's classic give him a game then drop him for the next 10.

[Il Pirate]

I'd like us to have won obviously. However, it's a draw. We're not Real Madrid, never will be. Maybe Petrov was on the right because their L Back was sh*t at turning inside? I'm not backing Coyle by any means, but FFS, let's support the side. SKD to the rescue again, I've seen the goals, and boy, did SKD want that second header. Who else in the side would have thrown themselves into the fray with such power and determination? The embodiment of what we used to be, full of passion, fight and that never say die attitude. But reading some of the posts on here, you'd think he scored both by deflections off his chest whilst smoking a cigar and enjoying a pint of best sat on his arse in a wheelchair.
COYW!

[gemchris1977]

Just reading through the posts and it seems some are baffled by the decision to replace Spearing. Spearing had been booked in the first half so one tackle with the way the ref had been and he could have been off. Against their midfield we needed people who could put a tackle in they were just getting passed Spearing easily because he couldn't get stuck in properly as they would milk it.

Also he did give the ball away too easily at times but still don't get the booing at full time. Yes we should have won based on the first half but we didn't take our chances so if games like that happen you make sure you don't lose which we didn't. The performance was there last night continue playing like that with the luck going our way we won't have an issue.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Compare and contrast:

Bolton manager Owen Coyle: "Our performance level, particularly in the first half, was outstanding in terms of passing, moving the ball and creating chances.

"We showed a lot of spirit and grit to get back into the game. The skipper [Kevin Davies] epitomised everything we want at the football club, and in truth we should have gone on to win the game.

"There's a lot to be pleased about in respect of the performance level, but we're disappointed to have passed up two points. Those results will come."

Leeds manager Neil Warnock: "It's not very often you come to a place like Bolton and be disappointed in the dressing room that you've got a point. It shows how far we've come in a few weeks. I think we're improving every week.

"It's probably my fault that we did not win because I told Rodolph Austin to mark Kevin Davies. He doesn't know much about him and he got caught at two set-pieces so I probably have to hold my hand up.

"When you look at the games we've played over the last 12 days or whatever it is, we've had five games in such a short space of time and every one has been a humdinger, so I can't fault the players. They've given me everything."

Hmmmm...

[Hoboh]

Compare and contrast:

Bolton manager Owen Coyle: "Our performance level, particularly in the first half, was outstanding in terms of passing, moving the ball and creating chances.

"We showed a lot of spirit and grit to get back into the game. The skipper [Kevin Davies] epitomised everything we want at the football club, and in truth we should have gone on to win the game.

"There's a lot to be pleased about in respect of the performance level, but we're disappointed to have passed up two points. Those results will come."

Leeds manager Neil Warnock: "It's not very often you come to a place like Bolton and be disappointed in the dressing room that you've got a point. It shows how far we've come in a few weeks. I think we're improving every week.

"It's probably my fault that we did not win because I told Rodolph Austin to mark Kevin Davies. He doesn't know much about him and he got caught at two set-pieces so I probably have to hold my hand up.

"When you look at the games we've played over the last 12 days or whatever it is, we've had five games in such a short space of time and every one has been a humdinger, so I can't fault the players. They've given me everything."

Hmmmm...

La La land v honesty

[Hoboh]

Just reading through the posts and it seems some are baffled by the decision to replace Spearing. Spearing had been booked in the first half so one tackle with the way the ref had been and he could have been off. Against their midfield we needed people who could put a tackle in they were just getting passed Spearing easily because he couldn't get stuck in properly as they would milk it.

Also he did give the ball away too easily at times but still don't get the booing at full time. Yes we should have won based on the first half but we didn't take our chances so if games like that happen you make sure you don't lose which we didn't. The performance was there last night continue playing like that with the luck going our way we won't have an issue.

So coyle did what?

[gemchris1977]

What Coyle said was correct we played really well in first half created chances passed it well then when things went against us we pulled it back as for Warnock they did not deserve to get a win even a draw was fortunate.

Just shows how bad they are when Coyle can play his two wingers on the wrong side for ten minutes and Leeds still couldn't do owt. Bogdan has not had a save to make (from memory) so if I was them I would be happy with a point

[BWFC_Insane]

I've always quite liked Neil Warnock (I know thats not a popular opinion on here). And how refreshing is it to hear a manager hold his hands up and admit he may have got something wrong?

Talk about luck and decisions all you like Coyle. Bottom line is, we were 6 inches from losing that game last night. And we have gone from a club who had stayed in the premiership for 11 years and qualified for europe twice, to one scratching around the bottom end of the championship, scraping home draws and losing to Crystal Palace. Mind unlike Warnock, none of that is your fault, is it?

[Lost Leopard Spot]

What Coyle said was correct we played really well in first half created chances passed it well then when things went against us we pulled it back as for Warnock they did not deserve to get a win even a draw was fortunate.

Just shows how bad they are when Coyle can play his two wingers on the wrong side for ten minutes and Leeds still couldn't do owt. Bogdan has not had a save to make (from memory) so if I was them I would be happy with a point

Can I just point out that Leeds were playing with half the rejects from a Sheffield United side that are currently trying to scrape their way into the playoffs. In League 1. Leeds draw was not fortunate, it was a product of a manager creating a TEAM. That is where Coyle is going wrong, he doesn't know how to craft a team. DSB has pointed out on another post (and only fools argue blithely with him) that we have one of the best squads in the Championship. One of the best squads, one of the poorest teams; whereas Leeds have a squad of has-beens and makeweights, that managed a draw through teamwork and tactics.