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Post by andyl on Dec 18, 2015 13:54:44 GMT
Am launching this buoyed by optimism after our fightback at Charlton. It was quite positive really not least because Clough played so well off Heskey and pressed their defence so forcefully. His best game since last season.
It seems Vela may be fit after being stretchered off on Tuesday. I'm taking that as 100% certain that he won't play. It's another dilemma because contrary to what some other fora allege you would go a long way to see a worse defensive midfield performance than he put in on Tuesday. It was littered with lost concentration, getting caught on the wrong side of men, not running with them etc etc. I remain of the view that had he not been stretchered off, Neill would not have subbed him off, the hole that Danns immediately plugged would not have been filled and we would in all likelihood have lost. As it was his goal and his pass to Feeney for the first brought the headlines and he is generally regarded to have had a good game.
I thought that Neil otherwise did pretty well on Tuesday but leaving Caasado out was a glaring omission and transferring Holding to right back was baffling at the time though I see now that he was aware of the pace of young Lookman- not that the first minute of the game was a ratification of the wisdom of his strategy. Again though I doubt we would have conceded the second had Casado been favoured to Moxey. A booking and free kick would have been the likelier outcome and not a goal.
But if the changes were another example of Neil's predilection for tinkering with teams they were also an indication that he was prepared to shake things up after a leaky defeat to Cardiff and a firm 24th spot. And that had to be good.
Fulham have let in goals all season but they spring out quick counter attacks and have scored a fair few too. It will be a good challnege for us - a winnable game for sure but Neil will have to get the selection, tactics and substitutions right on the day- which in my opinion and the table's he hasn't thus far often done.
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Post by kazooki on Dec 18, 2015 14:00:35 GMT
If anyone is interested I have 6 x free tickets for the match: West Stand Upper Row FF Seat 3-8 They also come with 6 x vouchers for: 1 x Pie 1 x Pint of Lager or Soft Drink These are complimentary tickets and not to be resold. If anyone is interested please PM me, I will be able to meet you at the Bolton Arena before the match, likely to be around 13:30. *** UPDATE 12:32 *** All tickets gone  |
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Post by davidm on Dec 18, 2015 15:42:02 GMT
I am looking at this time between now and the FA Cup tie as the make-or-break period.
We have 4 matches, 3 at home and a very winnable one away at Rotherham.
We obviously would love to win them all but 10 points from 4 games will get us back in the pack. The usual home draws and away defeat will finish us off.
Fulham have a bit of history of 0-0 draws at our ground but, surely, we can score against one of the leakiest defences in the league.
Anyway, optimism, or is it stupidity?, abounds and I am going for a 2-1 win.
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Post by riochforthereebok on Dec 18, 2015 19:20:01 GMT
They've been paid so it's a comfortable 2-1 win for the Trotters |
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Post by OohMac on Dec 19, 2015 10:30:56 GMT
They've been paid so it's a comfortable 2-1 win for the Trotters You need to pay the other team to be confident of a win  ?. Fulham are the type of team that doesn't suit Bolton, will attack at all cost. They will probably come and score a couple but they are suspect at the back(even with Ream). I agree with a fellow poster who said Ream cannot head, he is weak in a physical battle. If it's horses for causes this could be the game for Gary Madine and Ameobi. Listened to Danny Higginbothom on talksport who said when you're at the bottom you need to look at your tunnel and know you're going to out scrap the opponents. Danns and Davies are not scrappers and we need more going on there. I would drop Mavies and look to sell. I cannot take the argument that he's one of the best in the league and constantly turning in 5/10 performances. |
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Post by andyl on Dec 19, 2015 11:45:41 GMT
Either that or the referee? |
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Post by riochforthereebok on Dec 19, 2015 15:30:42 GMT
When your on top and your giving away silly goals, there's very little hope, but we can hope!!!
COYWM
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Post by riochforthereebok on Dec 19, 2015 17:49:27 GMT
No more posts since my last un?? That's a shock!!!
At 2-1 I was hoping my prediction would come true, but at the final whistle, I was glad of the point.
They hit the wood twice and Amos did a fine save to deny McCormack i think.
Despite Princes ahocking first half mistake to gift them their first goal, he grew stronger in the game and for me, played quite well. Spearing and Mavies did their bit in the middle, Mavies making some good forward runs and Pratley played well too. Madine held the ball up well, but he doesn't go enough for me and Clough was excellent, shame he was blowing and I'm guessing why Lennon swapped him, which was a real shame as we just lost a bit of momentum and shape when he went off. Feeney does the Sam runs week in and week out, sometimes delivers s beat cross and sometimes the ball flicks off the defender to a corner, he did deliver a few good balls in the box but that's all he does, but slack on chasing back to help defend. Fulhsm really could have had the score at 2-5 if they'd converted their chances.
Like I say though, on the whole, a good point earned in s very good end to end game
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Post by thegrud1 on Dec 19, 2015 17:55:07 GMT
Points are at a premiuum for us atm.
We are winning 2-1 ,Clough(our only out/out goalscorer) is on 2 goals and looking for a hat trick.
Why not leave him on as he was running on adrenaline,and still looking a threat.
Saving him for another game we may NOT win is wrong in my opnion. and cost us the full 3 points
!st time I ever criticsed Lennon but I think he got this one wrong
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Post by andyl on Dec 19, 2015 18:28:29 GMT
More points thrown away in a match we should have won. Comical error by Prince to get them going. Clough was the bright spark throughout. The goal knocked the stuffing out of us for ages. A superb save from Amos one on one lifted the crowd and then Clough's first followed by Feeney's excellent run and low cross raised hope.
Neil took Spearing off depleted midfield and we didn't really get back into stride. Even so Feeney's missed what looked like a simple far post tap in and Heskey hooked a good effort wide.
We cannot play so badly for parts of games and expect to win
Amos 5 (real weaknesses showing up diving to right hand side Holding 7 ( impressive) Wheater 6 Prince 3 Pratley 5 Spearing 5 (horrible passing), Davies 5 (Patchy) Moxey 5 ( going forward) Feeney's 4 ( a couple of excellent moments but his usual self overall- Robert the Bruce mode.. If at first. Second-tenth you don't succeed you are bound to on law of averages if you always play) Clough 8 Madine 4 ( all second half)
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Post by davidm on Dec 19, 2015 19:01:49 GMT
A decent performance BUT more points lost and even farther adrift.
We set off reasonably well but, after 2 let-offs from slips, Prince eventually made a 3rd mistake and this was critical. We had been playing OK – not creating much but OK – until the goal and that mistake drained all confidence from us and we were shocking for the rest of the 1st half.
The passing was absolutely awful and Fulham really should have capitalised.
Credit to the manager and the players because 2nd half we pressed and looked good.
We pressed well but were caught on the break badly and Scott Parker finished up one on one against Amos who saved brilliantly. 2-0 would probably have finished us. But we came back well.
Mark Davies, playing farther forward at last, set up Clough for a lighteningly quick shot for the equaliser and Feeney burst into life with a lovely cross for Clough to bundle in.
But, yet again, we cannot close a game out and Fulham woke up and scored through a 30 yards free-kick and then hit the bar in the last minute.
It was a good game for the neutral but I am not neutral and the pessimism in me grows. I hoped for 10 points from these 4 games over Christmas. Still a chance but we must improve.
Marks:-
Amos - 4 I may be a bit too critical here but I thought that he should have saved the first goal. Prince was 99% culpable but the guy shot from outside the area. He saw it all the way but was beaten. I haven’t seen the free kick on TV yet but this was a player who scored a 35 yards free kick on Tuesday so we knew what to expect. Amos lined the wall up and if the ball has gone through the wall then it’s the wall’s fault otherwise Amos should not have conceded.
Having criticised him, praise is due for a 1 on 1 save from Parker which would have made it 2-0.
Holding - 6 Very steady. Got little or no support from the midfield, Feeney, in defending therefore the right side was wide open but he did well.
Moxey - 5 Some excellent attacking play in the second half but some woeful passing in the first half which should have cost us.
Prince - 3 He made 2 slips early on and got away with them but the 3rd was critical. Terrible decision making that took all the wind out of us for the rest of the first half. After that he defended reasonably but his distribution was awful.
Wheater - 6 Again steady but could not dominate Fulham’s forwards.
Spearing - 6 A reasonable game after a couple of dreadful passes in the first half. Why was he so shattered late on in the second half?
Pratley - 5 Bit better than recently but most of his running and passing is clumsy and achieves little. Still dives too often.
Feeney - 6 He usually makes 1 good centre/pass per match. Today he made 3 or 4. The centre for the 2nd goal was superb. Missed a tap-in in 2nd half from Pratley cross when the ball went through his legs. Easier to score. Like others, his 1st half passing was abysmal.
Davies - 6 When he moved further forward, he caused Fulham trouble. Lovely pass to Clough for the first goal.
Clough - 9 Welcome back. He had a few spells of running around and getting nowhere but 2nd half he showed how to find space and how to score goals.
Madine - 5 Outmuscled, bullied (and probably fouled) by the Fulham centre backs. He needs to toughen up and hold the ball better. One good header just wide but that was it.
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Post by bonaparte on Dec 20, 2015 8:47:39 GMT
Normally, after giving a lead away so late I would be so disappointed, but yet I enjoyed the afternoon's football. Sorry David, but I still cannot give Feeney a 6 more like a 4 for me.
My big question is why has it taken so long for a) the manager to sort out a team, only Clough has been missing for so long and b) the team to play with some enthusiasm and effort and c) the manager to actually make tactical substitutions?
Passing still poor, and defense still leaky, but entertaining.
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Post by andyl on Dec 20, 2015 10:48:16 GMT
I think we go back to the 90s or earlier to find a team where we had no competition for the No 1 keeper. And if we ever have the resources it's sorely needed. Yesterday Amos made one great one on one stop but both goals low to his right brought really slow responses and poor attempts to save. He has a glaring weakness low down to his right. If Goal 1 Cardiff was the worst goal 1 at Charlton and both yesterday's goals exposed it.
What is it about keepers at Bolton? They start out brightly then their distribution goes to pot and then they have near post difficulties. To date Amos has done well one on one made excellent saves to his left and held up well aerially. He has a good kick but never just traps a back pass before passing it out . And very seldom does he throw it out. He also has the same tendency to bat balls back into danger that the out of form Bogdan did and seldom hangs on when diving laterally although he is solid and holds balls straight at him-a couple yesterday that were spillable but well held. Perhaps if Casado had played he'd have had more opportunity for quick releases but that said he tends to ignore him.
Last year Bogdan and Lonergan vied for No1. Both made mistakes and both played. Both had their advocates.The previous year Bogdan played for the most part but Lonergan had a good run. Last year Amos came in and was so promising that he kept bth the others on the bench for several games.
Perhaps it is all about confidence. It can't be easy behind a soft slow defender like Dervite or a comic funambulist like Prince who yesterday ducked an easy header deigned to nod the ball back and then failed to kick clear all before the goal that Amos muffed. And I want him to do well as we all do. But Amos these last three games would now properly be ousted by a Lonergan or Bogdan if we still had one. Whether Rachubka could feature one wonders. But it is such an important position and in any league a team must have competition for the place between the sticks.
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Post by Pedro on Dec 20, 2015 13:56:12 GMT
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Post by Pedro on Dec 20, 2015 13:59:39 GMT
MATCH STATS From BN
POSSESSION: Wanderers 52, Fulham 48.
SHOTS ON TARGET: Wanderers 3, Fulham 4.
SHOTS OFF TARGET: Wanderers 13, Fulham 9.
CORNERS: Wanderers 5, Fulham 5.
FOULS AGAINST: Wanderers 9, Fulham 9.
OFFSIDES: Wanderers 2, Fulham 2.
BOOKED: Wanderers – none. Fulham – Stearman 53 (foul on Davies).
SENT OFF: None.
ATTENDANCE: 14,543 (507).
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?. Fulham are the type of team that doesn't suit Bolton, will attack at all cost. They will probably come and score a couple but they are suspect at the back(even with Ream). I agree with a fellow poster who said Ream cannot head, he is weak in a physical battle. If it's horses for causes this could be the game for Gary Madine and Ameobi. 
