Bolton v Bristol City.... match thread

If you've seen the other sections on here you'll know morale for me is very low.

I'll get the negatives out of the way. I just don't see the fire power with this team. Goals will be very hard to find and like the same fixture last season, we might require a wonder goal or set piece to get one chalked on. Means defence will have to be pretty near perfect every game.

Reasons to be optimistic. The first eleven is better than last season. Whilst I worry when we get to injuries, suspensions and congestion, at the moment we should be able to pick our best eleven and that, generally is capable of beating a Bristol City team, who could end up anywhere at the end of the season. Top 3, bottom 3 nothing would shock me.

Ex? No longer army or no longer mates?

Any person that serves my country for the right reasons gets a massive thumbs up from me Chip👍🏻
PS: at £8 a drink, stay away from that Beetham Tower pal🍺🍺🍺and being a drunken vocal Wanderer in the middle of Manchester is a doddle as most of their fans come from Ireland

Or North London😂😂

It’s always infuriating to lose a two goal lead in the last half hour. But, putting those feelings to one side, a draw was probably a fair result. For me, apart from a 10-15 minute period during which we scored twice, most of pur best play was without the ball. And that does worry me. Bristol dominated the first half, without really threatening and we just kept giving the ball away. Defensively we were solid, the defence all playing well, especially Alnwick and the much maligned Taylor. Noone was tireless and did great work, but I’m afraid, goal notwithstanding, I’d be wanting far more from Buckley. Super Josh was again excellent and Vela and the other central midfield were good.

Some strange refereeing, including booking one of their players for diving when it looked a stone wall penalty.

I’d like to see us with a midfield that enjoyed possession, rather than one which sees its main function as being defensively organised. I can see us having a lot of draws this season. Draws when we could easily win, if Bristol’s wobbling when under pressure was anything to go by. Still 4 points from 2 games is fine by me!

Well I know that points are what matter and I know I am a grumpy old man but that was a terrible performance.



Yes, we got a point. Yes we could easily have had three. Yes we have 4 points already but after last week’s euphoria, the quality in our play and our tactics were horrible.



That style and quality of play is bottom of the table stuff.



The first half we hardly got a touch. Bristol just passed the ball around us and we dug in and hung on for dear life and somehow got to the break with a clean sheet.



Our manager has us set up not to concede. He leaves McGennis up front – 20 yards on his own. His 2 wingers play as additional full backs. We played 6-3-1 for most of the game.



Yes we got a point against a decent side but where is the entertainment?



Second half followed the same pattern but we got a rare attack. Noone swung in a centre which evaded everyone and their goalie had to push it around the post. From Vela’s corner, Wheater got in a fine header which Buckley diverted goalwards and Goal Line Technology gave us a goal



Not really deserved but we’ll take it.



Within a few minutes, we took a very quick free kick, Olkowski got down the right and pulled the ball back to McGennis – who had evaded their defence with some surreptitious shirt pulling – for him to turn and score well.



By this time, Mr Parkinson had brought O’Neill on presumably to kill the game but he didn’t and Bristol totally dominated the next 30 minutes.



Weimann somehow broke through the centre – was he not offside? – and scored within 5 minutes of our goal. If it wasn’t offside the central defenders made a huge mistake. Then it became mass panic. As usual, mass panic doesn’t do us any good and Bristol broke, O’Neill fail to clear when a big hoof this time would have been appropriate and they scored from the edge of the box.



You had to be happy with a point at the end as Bristol had totally dominated us and but for their airy-fairy finishing would have won.



Our negative attitude to matches will kill us again this season but we have 4 points so I’ll take that.





One final moan – the referee was awful. How could he book Vela for that challenge? How was Beevers’ challenge late on even a foul? AndyL – you are the referee’s champion on here. What did you think of him?





Alnwick - 6 Did OK. Don’t think he had a chance with either goal.



Olkowski - 6 Very promising. Got caught defensively a bit in the second when we were wide open.



Wheater - 6 Allright but if Bristol’s first goal wasn’t offside, he and Beevers were flat-footed.



Beevers - 6 Same comment re first goal and too many hoofs into open space



Taylor - 6 Some good stuff but again there were times when we were wide open down the flanks.



Lowe - 6 Steady but some desperate passing.



Murphy - 5 Couldn’t get in the game.



Vela - 5 Midfield was totally overrun by Bristol.



Noone - 5 He played much too deep but I assume this was following instructions.



Buckley - 4 Same as Noone – too deep. Despite his goal, he is not worth a first team place.



McGennis - 7 Worked hard but had no support. Took his goal well.



O’Neill - 4 Brought on to steady things but badly caught for the equaliser.



Wildshut - 5 Brought on to play on left wing but almost immediately pushed back deep when Le Fondre came on. No impact at all.



Le Fondre - 5 No service to him or McGennis.

Fxck sake dancing and singing at 2-0 up then it all went pear shaped and people was laughing at me but 4 points from 2 games I will take that COYWM

Glad I don't go anymore, I couldn't put up with this manager. Two games into the season and anyone with half a brain can see things havnt changed. 30% possession is a joke and is solely down to the idiot in charge. Better players either sat on the bench or nowhere to be seen is not the way to manage a struggling football club. I hated Megson but Id swop him any day for this clown. I feel sorry for you fans who go and want a change, but not for the fans who are happy to keep this moron. Football is expensive enough to watch, and some attempt should be made to entertain IF last season and the first two games of this season is anything to go by, nothing has changed. If we get relegated playing like this....AND WE WILL.... we will of got what we deserved.