Rising in Wembley's Glow: A Bolton Wanderers Tale - Bolton vs Oxford. 18th May 2024, 4.15pm

[BWFC_Insane]

Yep. You're obviously right (as always).

Professional sportsmen in the biggest games of their careers - with the prospect of promotion on TV and with no doubt chunky promotion bonuses and/or pay rises riding on it - really would turn up and just not try.

There's just no other possible conclusion....

Yes, we were truly awful and I'm not going to argue otherwise. There are problems that needs sorting , obviously.

But the notion that they couldn't even be arsed to try to win??? Give me a f#cking break.

I Also love this concept that you've been peddling most of the season that they don't deserve be playing for us. FFS we're a 3rd tier team on a rebuild from the brink of collapse. No more, no less. Despite repeated denials, the sense of entitlement from some is, frankly, embarrassing.

I get anger. I get frustration. I get being upset. All those are fine after an season like we've had. I'm as upset as the next man, but some of the analysis on here and elsewhere is just ridiculous at best

Watch it. They aren’t sprinting. They aren’t busting a gut. They hide. That’s all stuff that happened. You can be awful and have put real effort in. They did not yesterday. They were awful and also did not put the effort in. It’s clear as day.


There are a number if they are still here next season who are in for a very rough ride if they don’t seriously up their standards.

[dave the minion]

They are shithouses. And I can’t honestly come to any other conclusion. They will no doubt go elsewhere and not care one bit. Fans can’t. We are stuck here. And we deserve a hell of a lot better than this group and their ‘efforts’.

One could argue - if they were so inclined - that given the. Level of criticism constantly levelled at manager and players by some, questioning their character, desire and professionalism, and general lack of support, some fans have got exactly what they deserved......

[BWFC_Insane]

They are shithouses. And I can’t honestly come to any other conclusion. They will no doubt go elsewhere and not care one bit. Fans can’t. We are stuck here. And we deserve a hell of a lot better than this group and their ‘efforts’.

One could argue - if they were so inclined - that given the. Level of criticism constantly levelled at manager and players by some, questioning their character, desire and professionalism, and general lack of support, some fans have got exactly what they deserved......

Nope. They’ve had an incredibly easy ride and got away with far too much.

Fans have been amazing. Shame players haven’t been. But they don’t care. They will just go elsewhere and half heart it.

[irie Cee Bee]

They are shithouses. And I can’t honestly come to any other conclusion. They will no doubt go elsewhere and not care one bit. Fans can’t. We are stuck here. And we deserve a hell of a lot better than this group and their ‘efforts’.

One could argue - if they were so inclined - that given the. Level of criticism constantly levelled at manager and players by some, questioning their character, desire and professionalism, and general lack of support, some fans have got exactly what they deserved......

One could argue they were proven right yesterday..

[dave the minion]

Ok. Sorry, you win.

You're right. Obviously.

I admit it now, The players all got together before the game and agreed to sabotage it by not even trying. They just couldn't be arsed...

Cos they thought it might be funny.

Jesus wept.....

[The_Gun]

Despite that being probably the most disappointing Bolton performance I’ve ever seen live, I still had a good day with my pals touring various drinking establishments.

It would be easy to dwell on yesterday, but I think I’ll instead try to forget about Bolton for the next few months and fully focus my sporting attention on England (who have never disappointed me as far as I can recall).

[BWFC_Insane]

Ok. Sorry, you win.

You're right. Obviously.

I admit it now, The players all got together before the game and agreed to sabotage it by not even trying. They just couldn't be arsed...

Cos they thought it might be funny.

Jesus wept.....

No. They are just too casual, not determined enough. You don’t walk round a pitch by accident or because you are off form. It’s because you aren’t prepared to do the work or because you think you don’t need to.

A fully committed performance it was not.

[dave the minion]

Ok. Sorry, you win.

You're right. Obviously.

I admit it now, The players all got together before the game and agreed to sabotage it by not even trying. They just couldn't be arsed...

Cos they thought it might be funny.

Jesus wept.....

No. They are just too casual, not determined enough. You don’t walk round a pitch by accident or because you are off form. It’s because you aren’t prepared to do the work or because you think you don’t need to.

A fully committed performance it was not.

Ok. I've said, your clearly right. Manager and players just couldn't be arsed, despite their collective career and financial aspirations.

It's obvious

So let's cull them all and get a whole new squad, management and backroom team, which is 100% guaranteed to improve us (despite is not identifying who we.replace.them all with)

Arseholes.fhe lot of them. Laughing at us all for believing when they had no intention of trying to win in the end

And so we're all clear, the way we played was in no way anything to do with there being another team on the pitch who made it difficult for us or anything

Anyway, I'm done now. I'm going to make the most of my remaining all inclusive food and bar......

[Worthy4England]

I agree with you DTM, it's not can't be arsed. I think it's more fundamental. Handling pressure. Needs to be factored into our recruitment thinking, for me. You can have all the skillz, but if you can't bring them to bear, when it counts, you're just a shit spreadsheet number.

[Mar]

I agree with you DTM, it's not can't be arsed. I think it's more fundamental. Handling pressure. Needs to be factored into our recruitment thinking, for me. You can have all the skillz, but if you can't bring them to bear, when it counts, you're just a shit spreadsheet number.

Recruitment thinking and team selection. Clearly Dempsey had the stones for the game yesterday but didnt get brought on till the second half. We saw what he could deliver a year ago so for him to miss out in favour of Sheehan was questionable, but hardly unexpected given his success in previous matches.

Some people don't deal with the situation well. Pressure is telling. Sadly we didnt have the players yesterday to drive the rest on.

Certainly seemed like Bradley and Dempsey had it in them last season.

[officer_dibble]

I know dempsey ran around a put a few tackles in but was he actually any better? I dont think hes going to drag us to promotion next year.

[BWFC_Insane]

I know dempsey ran around a put a few tackles in but was he actually any better? I dont think hes going to drag us to promotion next year.

No. He put a shift in and that was noticeable in a team that didn’t but I don’t think he’s the answer particularly. Neither one thing nor another for me.

In my view you can trace a lot of our problems back to the point where Thomassons legs ran out this season after having to do all the midfield work himself for most of the season.

As much as Maghoma is a great player he’s also a luxury at times and Sheehan is like carrying man often when it needs a more scrappy approach.

[DJBlu]

I agree with you DTM, it's not can't be arsed. I think it's more fundamental. Handling pressure. Needs to be factored into our recruitment thinking, for me. You can have all the skillz, but if you can't bring them to bear, when it counts, you're just a shit spreadsheet number.

Recruitment thinking and team selection. Clearly Dempsey had the stones for the game yesterday but didnt get brought on till the second half. We saw what he could deliver a year ago so for him to miss out in favour of Sheehan was questionable, but hardly unexpected given his success in previous matches.

Some people don't deal with the situation well. Pressure is telling. Sadly we didnt have the players yesterday to drive the rest on.

Certainly seemed like Bradley and Dempsey had it in them last season.

Even Kachunga had the bollocks to have a go at Wembley. No fear. Losing the pizza cup would've been a "meh" so maybe they played with a little more freedom however yesterday not one of them took a risk. It was a do not lose situation that we all know and love.

[GhostoftheBok]

Well, that was shite.

First things first, Evatt needs to make it very clear that he's 100% committed to the club for next season. If not, he should step down.

Not having this "I'm not talking about that, we all need to do some soul searching" bollocks. Clubs are already signing players and building for next season started Saturday evening. Get your head in the game.

We need fresh blood in each are of the pitch to kick on, though we don't need to sack everyone and start again as some on social media have been suggesting. Can't do anything until everyone has fully signed up for a year of hard work, though.

Anyone not focused and committed can find the door very easily. Sharon will have to shelve her House of Lords application process and focus back on her current job. Ian needs to get over his crisis of the soul.

Work to do now and what is likely a real last chance for this current phase, if it survive the summer.

[GhostoftheBok]

Even Kachunga had the bollocks to have a go at Wembley. No fear. Losing the pizza cup would've been a "meh" so maybe they played with a little more freedom however yesterday not one of them took a risk. It was a do not lose situation that we all know and love.

Helps when the manager sets his side up in a way that doesn't ask them to make 40-50 brilliant passes just to stay in the game.

The lads undoubtedly bottled that game (that gets said too often, but it's 100% true this time), but the manager put so much extra pressure on them by getting it totally wrong.

[BWFC_Insane]

Even Kachunga had the bollocks to have a go at Wembley. No fear. Losing the pizza cup would've been a "meh" so maybe they played with a little more freedom however yesterday not one of them took a risk. It was a do not lose situation that we all know and love.

Helps when the manager sets his side up in a way that doesn't ask them to make 40-50 brilliant passes just to stay in the game.

The lads undoubtedly bottled that game (that gets said too often, but it's 100% true this time), but the manager put so much extra pressure on them by getting it totally wrong.

How are you proposing he set them up?

[Worthy4England]

He had a wobble, in February when he was on about "the world's against me." If he's that fcuking soft, then it's pretty obvious why the team is.

Stats <> Bollocks.

[Worthy4England]

Even Kachunga had the bollocks to have a go at Wembley. No fear. Losing the pizza cup would've been a "meh" so maybe they played with a little more freedom however yesterday not one of them took a risk. It was a do not lose situation that we all know and love.

Helps when the manager sets his side up in a way that doesn't ask them to make 40-50 brilliant passes just to stay in the game.

The lads undoubtedly bottled that game (that gets said too often, but it's 100% true this time), but the manager put so much extra pressure on them by getting it totally wrong.

How are you proposing he set them up?

You're missing the story, Insano. The engine room is recruitment. It's not there fault if they reccomend botleless fckrs. It's the managers for not setting them up right.

The truth, is probably somewhere in between.

[Mar]

I know dempsey ran around a put a few tackles in but was he actually any better? I dont think hes going to drag us to promotion next year.

Yes, he was better. He was pushing the team forward and pressing the opposition and looking to get the ball and the team forward up the pitch. If we had more looking to do that in the game we'd've seen a much better game. We can't win a game when only one person is trying. Everyone else seemed reluctant.

As flawed as Dempsey is, he tried.

[GhostoftheBok]

How are you proposing he set them up?

Not to pass through a narrow 3 with a single pivot who is obviously going to be marked out of the game.

Oxford were warming up with Harris marking and their back three doing heading drills over their heads.

Their plan was always to shut down that short route out to Sheehan and then clean up long balls.

The only two players who reacted to the reality on the ground were Collins and Paris (it took them a while). Evatt never did.