Pre Season Friendlies

[LeverEnd]

Ah, I don't have a twitter account.

Also 1-1.

Then you will not suffer the indignity, as I did, of being blocked by the legend that is Nixon.

[89bwfc89]

Eagles, Tierney, Baptiste and Odelusi are on for Hall, Lester, Mears and Ream. (67)

[LeverEnd]

Eagles, Tierney, Baptiste and Odelusi are on for Hall, Lester, Mears and Ream. (67)

Sounds like Hall did OK.

[89bwfc89]

Knight, Medo, Craig Davies, Pratley and Riley are on in place of Wilkinson, Mills, Andrews, Bolger and Sordell. (73) 1-1

[LeverEnd]

Either the feed has broken, there's nothing at all happening on the field, or Iles has dozed off. No update for 10 mins.

[officer_dibble]

Booooo

[LeverEnd]

It's back ..... and we've lost at the death! Boooooo indeed!!

[89bwfc89]

Straight through the defense apparently.

[Turkish Trotter]

It's back ..... and we've lost at the death! Boooooo indeed!!

Normal service resumed in more ways than one !!

[TANGODANCER]

Splendid. Start as you mean to go on. No doubt we'll be told it was a useful excercise

[LeverEnd]

Splendid. Start as you mean to go on. No doubt we'll be told it was a useful excercise

Look TD we all know friendlies mean nothing in terms of results when the season starts, I mean look at last seas.... oh.

[bobo the clown]

So ... who was the "Trialist" named on the bench ?

[89bwfc89]

So ... who was the "Trialist" named on the bench ?

You mean that wasn't his name!?

[LeverEnd]

So ... who was the "Trialist" named on the bench ?

Marc Iles ‏@MarcIles 5m
Trialist apparently from Azerbaijan... but have no name to hand. Wouldn't worry too much...


Clear as mud.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Meh, I'm sure things will be worked on. It was our first game and Rotherham's fifth; team shape and tightness come slowly.

Taking the positives: Hall sounded lively, Sordell scored, Gregus was given the full 90 minutes, Ream might not be a terrible standby left-back and young Wilkinson seemed up for it. Oh and Andrews was skipper in his first appearance since January.

[TANGODANCER]

I'm really wanting to take those positives D.S.B, honest. It's just the scoring first then losing to Rotherham that irks a bit. Not your actual confidence booster. I'll keep trying.

[Armchair Wanderer]

First half I didn't recognize a lot of the players and those I did weren't used that much last season for whatever reason, then you look at the bench and it's more of the first teamers. I thought we started doing better in the second half but two lots of wholesale changes makes it tricky. Maybe we could have just switched the whole team after the break.

I thought Bolger looked solid, Mills and Ream have both got mistakes in them wherever they play. Mills was great at throwing his head at things but give him a few seconds and it could go anywhere. I like the concept of Baptiste, thought he had a good few minutes going forwards.

[ChrisC]

Dougie..

"These games are all about players getting minutes under their belts. It's a fitness exercise, one in which I'm able to assess where players are at."

[wanderers_on_tour]

Gonna have to say I really, really disagree with the Bolger comment AW, first half in particular I felt he was woeful. From constantly misjudging the height of the ball to being totally unaware he had a defender peeling off his shoulder, made one vital block in the second half but apart from that he wasn't for me.

I have an awful knack for confusing Ream with Mills and vice versa but both appeared to look good knocking the ball away at height, yet calamitous when played on the floor. To re-iterate what we already know, a central defender is a must. I have no doubt Dougie must also be aware but somethings are easier said than done I guess and it seems the hunt for Dawson is a long and potentially fruitless wait and see.

Speaking of Dougie it appeared him, Lenny and another were doing the old Allardyce trick and watched from a few rows up from the bench but it could have just been a bunch of over-enthusiastic lookalikes in Bolton tracksuits!

On the positive side Hall looked sharp, Bogdan (minus one wee fumble) looked assured and the midfield of Andrews and Gregus were tidy if not particularly exciting. First half more of a Bolton XI then a full pre season out-ting and despite losing at the death we looked ALOT better from the 70th minute onward. Kept the ball nicely in the middle of the park and Davies may have proven the difference had he played from the off.

Overall I feel there's NOTHING for people to worry about, yet not alot to get excited about either. Usually expect these matches to be full of fringe players, or an alternative XI so to speak but this appeared much more of a development squad with a sprinkling of first team regulars until the latter parts. Nice ground there mind.

[wanderers_on_tour]

Forgot to mention..it looked like we had one of Mills/Ream at left back for long periods of the game. As stated previous I can't remember which one it was that decided to attempt a back-pass less than five yards from goal and with a defender on his tail but apart from that I don't believe our left side was over-run that often. Kudos there I guess.