How Do We Line Up?

[borgetti_wanderers]

If we were saying Wheater OR Knight to play with a quicker more solid CB then we'd be happy... well i would.

[Beefheart]

If we were saying Wheater OR Knight to play with a quicker more solid CB then we'd be happy... well i would.

Wheater and Ream seemed to be working the season before last until Wheats did his ligament.

[BWFC_Insane]

If we were saying Wheater OR Knight to play with a quicker more solid CB then we'd be happy... well i would.

Wheater and Ream seemed to be working the season before last until Wheats did his ligament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt42SzsYL0E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ream's performance here still gives me Knightmares........

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I think that at the end of the day we can all agree that we have massive problems at CB.

Why wait that long? Been saying it for yonks...

From that clip of Knight's error, it seems to me his centre-back partner is jogging backwards into a decent position to receive a pass, which I'd say is entirely right. He even has a quick look round, as well he should, partly to check there's no clear-and-present danger but also to assess his options for an immediate pass. As a defender myself it strikes me as preposterous to blame him for Knight's error, as if we're having to assign someone to follow the big man around with a bucket and shovel.

Our current defensive options do not inspire. I could live with one of Wheater or Knight alongside a more mobile centre-back who can read the game, but I'm not convinced we possess such a player. If we take our options as Knight, Wheater, Ream, Mills, Baptiste and Bolger, that's 14 different combinations, but every single one would worry me in some way or other.

Andrews and Medo will start the season as our first choice centre mids

Yeah, I've been thinking that too. DF seemed impressed with Andrews last season and has started the two First XI games, although that may be due to him being fit first - didn't he train through much of the summer after his op? He also had the armband at Rotherham - to answer The Bish's question (dunno who was skipper at Shrewsbury).

With the questions over the defence, I think we should go with a very solid central midfield pair at Burnley. For all the endeavour of Pratley, promise of Vela and memories of Holden, at the moment that's Medo and Andrews. If we need to change the game late on, we can switch it up – but it's better not to have to do that from two goals down.

[Beefheart]

If we were saying Wheater OR Knight to play with a quicker more solid CB then we'd be happy... well i would.

Wheater and Ream seemed to be working the season before last until Wheats did his ligament.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt42SzsYL0E" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ream's performance here still gives me Knightmares........

Wasn't playing with Wheater though!

[freeindeed]

HOME



AWAY

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Interesting differentiation there, FI. I like that you're thinking.

[mcflykyle182]

I still think Lonergan is better than Bogdan.

[thebish]

I still think Lonergan is better than Bogdan.

you might be right - but you might not - he's only played 5 or 6 games for us, so i don't know how you'd judge!

[mcflykyle182]

I still think Lonergan is better than Bogdan.

you might be right - but you might not - he's only played 5 or 6 games for us, so i don't know how you'd judge![/q

True, but in the games I've seen him play he looks a much more reliable stopper.

[thebish]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

[bobo the clown]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

[thebish]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

[BWFC_Insane]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

Bish is right. Keepers always look better when they're on the bench!

Having said that it was Coyle who pushed the whole "Bogdan is better than Al Habsi and Jussi" agenda.

Jussi should have played that season out in the premiership for experience alone. Then who knows?

Bogdan clearly has promise and has talent. I can't help feeling that his flapping and occassional panic is a problem given our general panic in the back line. However, we've definitely not seen enough of Lonergan to say he's any better at this stage. Might be worth finding out though at some point.

[thebish]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

Bish is right. Keepers always look better when they're on the bench!

Having said that it was Coyle who pushed the whole "Bogdan is better than Al Habsi and Jussi" agenda.

Jussi should have played that season out in the premiership for experience alone. Then who knows?

Bogdan clearly has promise and has talent. I can't help feeling that his flapping and occassional panic is a problem given our general panic in the back line. However, we've definitely not seen enough of Lonergan to say he's any better at this stage. Might be worth finding out though at some point.

if you want to try an experiment - use the forum search engine to look for posts that have both words "Jussi" and "flapping" in them!

[Norpig]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

Does not seem to matter who is playing there always the ones who think they know better than the experts and want somebody else in. I seem to remember when Jussi came into the team he got slagged off for 2 seasons until everything seemed to click and he improved vastly all of a sudden. I think Bogdan is a good shot stopper and will improve his handling on crosses as time moves on he is a better kicker of the ball than Jussi ever was. He is young for a keeper and will improve given time. Bolton fans always want perfection from all their players, if they where perfect they would be playing for one of the top clubs.

Young players improve given time to develop without the fans booing them or expecting too much, get off Boggers back lhe will improve and will play better when not being slagged off!!

[thebish]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

Does not seem to matter who is playing there always the ones who think they know better than the experts and want somebody else in. I seem to remember when Jussi came into the team he got slagged off for 2 seasons until everything seemed to click and he improved vastly all of a sudden. I think Bogdan is a good shot stopper and will improve his handling on crosses as time moves on he is a better kicker of the ball than Jussi ever was. He is young for a keeper and will improve given time. Bolton fans always want perfection from all their players, if they where perfect they would be playing for one of the top clubs.

Young players improve given time to develop without the fans booing them or expecting too much, get off Boggers back lhe will improve and will play better when not being slagged off!!

well said that man!

[BWFC_Insane]

^ people said exactly the same about Bogdan when he first had a run while Jussi was injured...

I think you're mixing him up with Ali Al-Habsi there Bish.

I recall him jumping over the ball v Chelsea and a persistence in beating shots out to oncoming forwards, plus only catching maybe one in three crosses.

nahhh - i remember people calling for boggers to replace Jussi... for a while (for some fans) he had the magic of Ron Weasley and not just the hair

Does not seem to matter who is playing there always the ones who think they know better than the experts and want somebody else in. I seem to remember when Jussi came into the team he got slagged off for 2 seasons until everything seemed to click and he improved vastly all of a sudden. I think Bogdan is a good shot stopper and will improve his handling on crosses as time moves on he is a better kicker of the ball than Jussi ever was. He is young for a keeper and will improve given time. Bolton fans always want perfection from all their players, if they where perfect they would be playing for one of the top clubs.

Young players improve given time to develop without the fans booing them or expecting too much, get off Boggers back lhe will improve and will play better when not being slagged off!!

well said that man!

Broadly agree with that. However Bish are you saying that we shouldn't debate selections as the manager is the expert and gets them right?

Be quiet on here in that case....

[thebish]

no - i don't believe i said that at all.

what i said was that lonergan might be better than boggers - or he might not - we simply don't really have enough to go on.

[Lord Kangana]

Lets cut the crap here, Coyle pushed an "agenda"? What kind of loon writes that?

Bogdan was an incredibly promising young keeper. I know, I saw him in umpteen ressie games, and he was the f*cking business. As good as Jussi was at that age (Jussi joined the club in 97, and took about 3 or 4 years to really establish himself). Meanwhile, Jussi is on an absolute packet and is stalling over a new contract (he always did, as he was perfectly entitled to), the pressure is on to lower the wage bill, Al Habsi is wanting away if he isn't given first team football... and Wigan are prepared to pay cash money for him. So,

1) We release Jussi (probably amongst the club's 3 highest earners)
2) We are £4m in pocket for the total Al Habsi deal, and have him off the books for one year of his contract
3) We promoted the most promising keeper this club has had in the ressies for a f*cking age.

Its pointless having a discussion predicated on f*ckwittery.