Tiny Danns-er. Watford at Home

[malcd1]

Fantastic game but gutted not to get at least a point. Watford are a very good side but our defence was found wanting today. I think we missed Mills.

I like Bannon. Very rarely wasteful and a good passer. He reminds me a lot of John Sheridan.

[Nicko58]

Why did he swap Janko and Vela at half time?

4-4-2 was working. Stubborn arse.

Oh and Neil Danns. Learn to pass.

Agree with this....but what an excellent & entertaining game of football, we should have been out of sight 2nd half had Le Fondre taken one of his 3 easy chances on the break, but they also missed a load -Lonergan made some excellent saves. I thought going forward we were very good, Zach Clough MOM for me again - what a talent, but defensively although Watford's movement was good - the centre backs & Ream just don't read the game and are too static and ball watch.

I would also like to know why in the last 15 mins Feeney played RB, with Vela ahead of him - very strange. Some decent performances from Clough, Bannan, Le Fondre (apart from missing a boatload of chances) and Ream 1st half, I thought that the game was too open for us IMO, but Watford were the best side that I've seen at the Macron under NL.

The team got clapped off at the end by many.....

Last point from me - Danns & Vela were absolutely shocking today, between them they must have given the ball away at least 10-15 times, Danns especially was unbelievably bad

Danns had a bad game but I can't help but wonder how much of that is down to Pratley's absence. Without his pressing high up the pitch and with Clough, attacking talent aside, and Bannan not offering much in terms of defensive cover when the opposition are bombing forward, I thnk we're asking a bit too much of Danns as our holding midfielder and it's starting to show.

Vela's poor performance, for me, was down to him coming up against a quality winger and him not being a natural right-back.

[danardif1]

I think Vela and Clough can be cut a bit of slack because of their inexperience. It's easy to forget with all the positives they've brought to the team that they have less than 25 games between them.

Clough doesn't need to be cut any slack - he was excellent again today, we have a hell of a talent here he glides past players and is a very clever player, he scored two and played the pass out wide for our 2nd.

We can't keep conceding all these goals - NL was a bit kamikaze today though, they had 4 strikers on in the last 20 mins or so and he should have tried to tighten it up, great game to watch but it did expose our very evident defensive frailties, compounded by the totally inept Danns playing for the opposition for 90 mins

Oh completely agree, I just meant that if he does show a bit of inexperience at times it's to be expected. I love the guy and the way he's come into the team and looked like he's been there for 2/3 seasons at times is just amazing. There'll just be moments where he needs more games under his belt, the Liverpool game being a good example. On talent he didn't look particularly out of place but you could tell he just wasn't quite as canny as the veterans around him... forcing Skrtel to concede the penalty shows he's a smart player though.

His positioning and movement when in the box is very impressive IMO... his two goals today were perfect examples of not just being in the right place at the right time but giving the provider something to aim for.

[danardif1]

Why did he swap Janko and Vela at half time?

4-4-2 was working. Stubborn arse.

Oh and Neil Danns. Learn to pass.

Agree with this....but what an excellent & entertaining game of football, we should have been out of sight 2nd half had Le Fondre taken one of his 3 easy chances on the break, but they also missed a load -Lonergan made some excellent saves. I thought going forward we were very good, Zach Clough MOM for me again - what a talent, but defensively although Watford's movement was good - the centre backs & Ream just don't read the game and are too static and ball watch.

I would also like to know why in the last 15 mins Feeney played RB, with Vela ahead of him - very strange. Some decent performances from Clough, Bannan, Le Fondre (apart from missing a boatload of chances) and Ream 1st half, I thought that the game was too open for us IMO, but Watford were the best side that I've seen at the Macron under NL.

The team got clapped off at the end by many.....

Last point from me - Danns & Vela were absolutely shocking today, between them they must have given the ball away at least 10-15 times, Danns especially was unbelievably bad

Danns had a bad game but I can't help but wonder how much of that is down to Pratley's absence. Without his pressing high up the pitch and with Clough, attacking talent aside, and Bannan not offering much in terms of defensive cover when the opposition are bombing forward, I thnk we're asking a bit too much of Danns as our holding midfielder and it's starting to show.

Vela's poor performance, for me, was down to him coming up against a quality winger and him not being a natural right-back.

Danns looks so much better when he's got a bit of space around him to play from deep. Sure he'll muck in and do his bit of running, but without Pratley he seems to rush a bit with his passes and makes life harder for himself.

[Worthy4England]

Great game, but we really need to stop letting 4 in. Won't win many doing that. If I get chance, I'll post Danns' opta stats tomorrow. Don't think he compares too badly generally on pass accuracy...

[Peter Thompson]

Great game, but we really need to stop letting 4 in. Won't win many doing that. If I get chance, I'll post Danns' opta stats tomorrow. Don't think he compares too badly generally on pass accuracy...

He's possibly ok with 5 yard backwards or sideways passes which is why his stats may be decent - but I can't recall one single positive contribution today, he wasn't bad in the initial few game under NL - but personally apart from a spell 2nd half against Fulham he's been very poor for half a dozen games now - and IMO simply not deserving of a place at the moment he's a liability, it was possibly one of the worst individual performances I can recall in recent times, nothing to do with our shape, tactics or missing Pratley he just continually fell over or lost control of the ball or was caught on the ball by 3 or 4 Watford players at the same time - his awareness of space & his team mates was terrible he really did have yet another shocker - I've said it for months he's far to inconsistent having 1 good game in 3 or 4.

I would have to see the highlights , but from memory did he not lose the ball or get over run 'for the 10th time' in the lead up to their winner ?

[Nicko58]

Lennon's post-match interview can be found here.

Spoiler: He's not happy.

[Il Pirate]

All of a sudden we are missing Pratley, whereas previously he shouldn't have been seen in the north of England, never mind in a Wanderers shirt. Oh do fck off.

A great game. We want entertaining football, we get it. People still feckin' moan.

Looking good for next season, but something tells me Clough may be in a different coloured shirt next year, such are our money problems.

[bobo the clown]

Well, I summoned up the enthusiasm ... and we lost !!

However, my what a game. Some great football and overall saw some good things. Of course if 7 goals went in then there were some errors and faults and things to pick at. Also losing 3-4 is still a loss and I'd not want that week in, week out.

It was interesting to hear Lenin refer to some players being mentally brittle. I think there may be some changes afoot.

Midfield was too easily overrun on occasions and we missed a number of opportunities to get ahead by a few goals. But I also saw Le Fondre movement and Clough's directness as well as his great ability on the ball.

I want the gaps closing ... I'd want us to win ... but all in all that level of entertainment after the turgid shite I'd been watching previously was a breath of fresh air.

[DJBlu]

Bolton manager Neil Lennon:
"I have got to get it through to these players that if they are not going to come with us, they are going to have to find employment elsewhere.
"It may sound harsh but that's the reality of football. We did brilliantly to get back to 3-3, we were attacking and five seconds later the ball is in our net.
"It is not good enough at any level. When you get to 3-3 with a couple of minutes left, take the point, see the game out."

If you want em to stick it out you tell them as the manager.
Sorry but these comments have irked me. The team didn't want to lose. The manager set them up with a system that failed.
When players deserve to be slated then do so but when you get it wrong admit it.
We continued with the 3-5-2 with Feeney on the right when Janko went off. It wasn't working with him there either.

I really don't understand the change at half time. I still can't get over it. We were well on top.

[Nicko58]

All of a sudden we are missing Pratley, whereas previously he shouldn't have been seen in the north of England, never mind in a Wanderers shirt. Oh do fck off.

A great game. We want entertaining football, we get it. People still feckin' moan.

Looking good for next season, but something tells me Clough may be in a different coloured shirt next year, such are our money problems.

I don't care what went on previously, the Pratley under Freedman is a far cry from the Pratley of the last few months.

We're a far more open side without him in the team and his presence was missed today in my opinion, however hard that is for you to believe.

[officer_dibble]

Not sure who people would play as dm instead of danns at the mo...? Not saying he had a good game but he's our only ball winner in midfield. Maybe Ream could do a job but he's too valuable at left back at the moment.

I'd be interested in how his stats compared to bannon.

[Peter Thompson]

All of a sudden we are missing Pratley, whereas previously he shouldn't have been seen in the north of England, never mind in a Wanderers shirt. Oh do fck off.

A great game. We want entertaining football, we get it. People still feckin' moan.

Looking good for next season, but something tells me Clough may be in a different coloured shirt next year, such are our money problems.

I don't think anyone is moaning, it was a great entertaining game of football against a very good Watford and we could have won it. In an attacking sense I can't recall a more entertaining performance for a good while, we bombed forward at every opportunity, with pace and good passing & movement which we haven't seen for a long while - Clough was immense today and is worth a lot of money and he'll get better with every game at his age.

But I think a few comments on here mirror NL's - it was disappointing to lose (Watford aren't Liverpool regardless of how well they played today) we are brittle at the back and its simple piss poor individual mistakes that keep costing us and these are by the senior players, and we should not be conceding 4 goals yet again - our CB's & Ream (who had a great 1st half) switch off far too often - Lonergan was going mad at them after their 4th.

[Jugs]

Danns had a poor game in terms of possession, but he robbed the ball off Watford numerous times for us to launch counter attacks.

It was a fantastic game, and for once I'm not even disappointed to be on the losing side. Credit to Watford, they're a fine attacking team, but we also played our part with some scintillating counter attacks. Clough and Le Fondre linked up well together.

[twilight]

I didn't see the match today, wish I had it sounded very entertaining from most comments on here. Lennon sounded really disappointed in his post match comments and sounds like we deserved something from the game.....
We have something really exciting building up with this team and indeed with some players who are out injured and with Lennon at the helm (hopefully) next season I think we could become a very very good team....We are poles apart from the team who started the season in August

[TANGODANCER]

I'm intrigued wondering who the "seek employment elsewhere" comments were aimed at? Going through the team (I can only remember seeing him have a rant at Clough for not passing sideways instead of shooting, and it surely can't be him) it seems hard to nail anybody who deserves that much stick.I did think Janko seemed to fall off and lose some enthusiasm, later on,and Vela didn't over-sparkle, but that apart any mistakes just seemed the norm in a high octane game like that. Any ideas? .....

[Il Pirate]

All of a sudden we are missing Pratley, whereas previously he shouldn't have been seen in the north of England, never mind in a Wanderers shirt. Oh do fck off.

A great game. We want entertaining football, we get it. People still feckin' moan.

Looking good for next season, but something tells me Clough may be in a different coloured shirt next year, such are our money problems.

I don't care what went on previously, the Pratley under Freedman is a far cry from the Pratley of the last few months.

We're a far more open side without him in the team and his presence was missed today in my opinion, however hard that is for you to believe.

I have always championed Pratley you nobber. All of a sudden those who previously thought he was a bit shit now think we are a worse team without him. Re read what I have written.

[Peter Thompson]

I'm intrigued wondering who the "seek employment elsewhere" comments were aimed at? Going through the team (I can only remember seeing him have a rant at Clough for not passing sideways instead of shooting, and it surely can't be him) it seems hard to nail anybody who deserves that much stick.I did think Janko seemed to fall off and lose some enthusiasm, later on,and Vela didn't over-sparkle, but that apart any mistakes just seemed the norm in a high octane game like that. Any ideas? .....

IMO possibly Dervite, Ream, Wheater & Danns....

[StaffsTrotter]

really enjoyable game of football that. disappointing result, but the difference in the way the team is playing in such a short period with a collection of dougie remnants, loans and youth, should give everyone confidence in whats possible under NL and get their arses down to the macron.
next season is going to be a ding dong do.

[jmjhb]

really enjoyable game of football that. disappointing result, but the difference in the way the team is playing in such a short period with a collection of dougie remnants, loans and youth, should give everyone confidence in whats possible under NL and get their arses down to the macron.
next season is going to be a ding dong do.

This really. With a depleted and knackered squad he's working wonders. With some rest and a full pre-season behind em...onwards and upwards!