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Post by davidm on Nov 27, 2021 10:01:55 GMT
I expect this to be a much harder match than Tuesdays.
Expect an aerial bombardment from Cheltenham although the guy who hurled the long throws in last season left to join Wrexham.
Sidewise, I expect the same defence with Johnston in the MJ Williams role. Lee and Thomason midfield.
Kachunga and Doyle and, wait for it!, Delfouneso the 3 front men.
I don’t think Amaechi will be risked for a full 90 minutes so for me, Delfouneso to start and Amaechi to come on for the final 30 minutes.
No Afolayan so quite a lot of creativity missing but, despite the massive injury list, the starting eleven should be capable of a decent result.
As I say, a much harder match but a 2-1 win.
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Post by whitesince63 on Nov 27, 2021 10:53:54 GMT
Disappointed I’m going to miss today, deep snow here so not risking the trip over the Pennines just in case we get more later so it’s Radio Nuts commentary for me. Just can’t call today though after Tuesday. Obviously Cheltenham will be a much tougher outfit than Doncaster and we’ll seriously miss Dapo and if all we’ve got to fall back on is Delf then I fear the worst. I also don’t think he’ll want to risk starting Xav, although the lad is obviously keen to do so, but instead of bringing him on late, IE may decide to start with him and hope we can get ahead and hold on? Doyle being back is obviously a big plus, whatever doubts we’ve had about him and Kachunga is at last starting to look a player, so there are some pluses. I quite liked the look of Johnson in midfield and with Baps possibly also back, defensively we should be ok. Obviously I’d love a win and hope that against all the odds it galvanises the team and we get a 2-1 win.
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Post by riochforthereebok on Nov 27, 2021 15:20:45 GMT
Ian Evatt’s team talk
If in doubt lads, revert to type and give them a goal before the 20 minute mark
Oh wait……..
We have injuries and suspensions🤔🤔
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Post by kenglowhite on Nov 27, 2021 18:04:11 GMT
This was a fine comeback by the Whites after Cheltenham started like a house on fire. true we played into their hand somewhat at time back passing so much it seemed we were joining in their attacks, However, Amaechi had different ideas and showed the way with some great dribbling and shooting. It was fitting that he got the equaliser, and one can only speculate how good our attack might be when both he and Afalayon are in it together. Some more slack defending ensured Cheltenham went in up 2-1 t half time.even though the Wanderers had played well at times. In the second half we took over and after some more polished moves Kachunga brought the house down, coming in from the left and shooting powerfully over the keeper with his right. We should have won it if Doyle had not made his usual miss after a wonderful passage of play, shooting too soon rather than steadying himself and thus enabling an easier save for their defence.
This game was a classic of its type, and well worth braving the arctic conditions to watch, and it was a satisfying point considering the class of the opposition and the fact that Ian Evatt had only 13 fit senior players to choose from with outstanding performances coming from Santos, Amaechi, Thomason and Lee. Just wish we'd attack a bit quicker at times, though.
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Post by davidm on Nov 27, 2021 18:58:34 GMT
A very good match but a disappointing result.
We started so slowly yet again. We kicked off and the ball did not get into the opposition half for a full 5 minutes such was our desire to just pass it around at the back.
The first 20 minutes of the game were terrible- yet again. We had 1 attack in all that time when Amaechi and John combined down the left. Cheltenham meanwhile passed the ball about well and went forwards. They split our defence early on and it needed a very good save from Dixon to prevent a goal but then he blotted his copybook. Gordon was turned inside out and the Cheltenham player’s shot squirmed under Dixon at the near post for a really poor goal.
The manager, fair play to him, realised that we were being outplayed and changed to 3 at the back with Johnston dropping back from midfield to defence and the fullbacks pushing up. This improved us enormously. Amaechi was allowed to float and caused problems.
Lee did the one thing that we, as a team, are shy of doing – he tackled an opponent and won the ball. This drove us on and Amaechi got the equaliser when the keeper couldn’t hold a scramble in the box and he tapped in.
We were on top now but couldn’t press home the advantage and in the last minute of additional time our defensive frailties showed up again. Initially the centre halves were at fault as a high ball was collected by the Cheltenham no 9 and he was allowed, without any challenge, to chest the ball down, turn and play it across the field. Gordon was then caught out by a pass and their no 10 scored from an acute angle. Questions all round for the defence.
So instead of a deserved equality at half time, we were behind.
Second half, we improved considerably. Doyle got, and missed, numerous very good chances. I have complained in previous games that he never got any chances. Well today he did. The keeper saved a couple and he missed a couple – all very very good chances.
Kachunga then pulled a thunderbolt out with a shot from the corner of the box. Really he shouldn’t have shot because there were men in the middle unmarked but what a shot it was.
So, 30 minutes to go and all square. We attacked from there but couldn’t get a winner. All this time, Cheltenham also managed to look dangerous. We have a terrible habit of not tackling in midfield so Cheltenham happily passed the ball through us and got to our penalty box easily but we then crowded them out. We could easily have conceded playing like that.
In the end, a decent performance once we had got our usual 20 minutes of rubbish sluggish football out of the way.
Marks:-
Dixon - 5 A very good early save but where was he for their 1st goal? I also wish he would come and catch some highballs.
Gordon - 5 Turned inside out for the 1st goal and caught again for the 2nd.
John - 7 Some decent attacking runs and centres
Santos - 6 So so. Wide open defensively early on when Dixon saved them
Aimson - 6 As with Santos, mostly OK but then caught a few times
Johnston - 6 Started in midfield, then into back 3.
Lee - 6 Steady
Thomason - 8 Some very good long passes
Amaechi - 7 Very busy. Fast but needs to occasionally pass to better placed colleagues
Kachunga - 8 Quiet first half but very good after the break. Spectacular goal.
Doyle - 5 Today was the day he got the chances which have been missing over the previous weeks and he missed them all
Delfouneso - 5 A chance to perform but just nothing
Baptiste - 5 Missed a great chance in the last minute
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Post by OohMac on Nov 27, 2021 19:01:43 GMT
Cant be too disheartened when you trail twice in a game and get a point.
And i'll take positivity in the two players badly in need of a confidence boost both getting on the score sheet today. With Doyle, Dapo, Amaechi and Kachunga fit we really do have an exciting, albeit fairly inconsistent, forward line. We should not be getting nil to our names as we have done in the past.
We dont other draw games so although ideally we should be winning home games if we can go on a bit of an unbeaten run from now until Jan then we can hopefully strengthen and go into last third of the season with some confidence.
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Post by davidm on Nov 27, 2021 19:05:16 GMT
Forgot to mention the amazing clearance off the line by Aimson at 2-2.
How he got to it, I don't know
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Post by chip on Nov 27, 2021 20:32:54 GMT
Missed today's game as I was on the Christmas Train with the grandkids but reading the comments even with all our problems we still managed to give them an early Christmas present. I will have to wait to watch the hi light's later but it sounded as though we could have won it at the end. Onwards and upwards stay safe one and all COYWM
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Post by realtrottersforever on Nov 27, 2021 20:59:50 GMT
just had to make a quick post about the Bolton fm (i-follow) co-comm Harlan Dane Fallon. twitter.com/Harlan_BRDCST?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthortwitter.com/our13thmanmy god after ditching Steve Eyre & Gary Henshaw last year, following criticism from Evatt, they've not half got a nodding dog of a puppet in with this guy. this Fallon chap, isn't a former player like most pundits. he's not from Bolton. and not a Bolton fan..(actually a Man city fan as one of his twitter profiles admits) . not that you'd think that listening to him or is he just reading a script. predicted 3-1 to us today. final result 2-2. his comment on the final whistle. " a very very very good point ". 3 very's !! . he was like that all game. at 2-2..."we're favourites to score next". probably fair that one. but then you can't follow it, with 3 very's. expectations bring pressure. OM has rightly said, how would Evatt cope at PL level, too thin-skinned. had a go at some BN podcast, and ifollow Comm's. that's why you're best pitching things as realistic as possible with just a slight positive spin. expectations raised too high can come crashing down on you like a stock market bubble going pop. you can't just talk things up like a deluded x-factor contestant, who then sings like they're tone deaf. I think it was 1st match of the season vs Mk Dons when i first heard this Fallon with a classic line...... "this is great football, it's like chess" hahahahah . i bet the headbangers in crazy corner were thinking the very same thing seeing the ball endlessly passed about at the back . people like Super John on Radio Manc are way better. probably rates Evatt way more than I do, ( who doesn't ..lol ) but still fair, balanced calls a spade, a spade. same goes for Phil Brown, Gowling, Paul Jones etc . |
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Post by andyl on Nov 28, 2021 10:27:15 GMT
Decided against the journey yesterday. Have just seen limited highlights. They showcase Kachunga and Thomason to good effect. Not sure how Doyle misses the chance from Kachunga's pass.
Goal one is on analysis another Santos debacle to add to his catalogue. Firstly his man comes off him to receive the ball. He half follows but neither marks close nor holds a position at the back. The player turns and easily finds his colleague. Santos ambles back and takes up a position in Noman's land--pretty much as we used to be taught not to do. When the player cuts in Santos, initially lummoxed, makes a slight move forward--better players would have flung themselves forward to block. Dixon then makes a hash of it. My oft repeated point here is that Santos with a weak keeper behind is costing us goal after goal.. Where I stand on IE is that no matter what we say he ought to be able to see this-it's not as if there has been a dearth of examples to study. The weakness of the keeper to be clear is not that he doesn't make saves- he does and he's not bad one on one but he has no physical or vocal strength or authority-- all of which Santos needs behind him if he is to make any kind of showing.
Goal two, although you could say the defence is a bit square ( leadership?) is really just a good pass, much as Kachunga's late one to Doyle was. Credit where credit's due- the only real antidote to that is a solid midfield and Lee was just a bit too far off to stop it.
Top transfer targets as well as a strong striker have to be a good experienced centre half and a keeper who can compete with Dixon, in my opinion. And maybe keeping Amaechi.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2021 12:28:38 GMT
Decided against the journey yesterday. Have just seen limited highlights. They showcase Kachunga and Thomason to good effect. Not sure how Doyle misses the chance from Kachunga's pass. Goal one is on analysis another Santos debacle to add to his catalogue. Firstly his man comes off him to receive the ball. He half follows but neither marks close nor holds a position at the back. The player turns and easily finds his colleague. Santos ambles back and takes up a position in Noman's land--pretty much as we used to be taught not to do. When the player cuts in Santos, initially lummoxed, makes a slight move forward--better players would have flung themselves forward to block. Dixon then makes a hash of it. My oft repeated point here is that Santos with a weak keeper behind is costing us goal after goal.. Where I stand on IE is that no matter what we say he ought to be able to see this-it's not as if there has been a dearth of examples to study. The weakness of the keeper to be clear is not that he doesn't make saves- he does and he's not bad one on one but he has no physical or vocal strength or authority-- all of which Santos needs behind him if he is to make any kind of showing. Goal two, although you could say the defence is a bit square ( leadership?) is really just a good pass, much as Kachunga's late one to Doyle was. Credit where credit's due- the only real antidote to that is a solid midfield and Lee was just a bit too far off to stop it. Top transfer targets as well as a strong striker have to be a good experienced centre half and a keeper who can compete with Dixon, in my opinion. And maybe keeping Amaechi. Agree with all you say Andy with one exception that is you fail to mention the fact that as the forward shapes to shoot Santos instead of making himself larger and blocking the shot adopts the cowards code and half turns (thus becoming smaller ) and goes into what I call the self protect mode , if I were in goal I would have played hell with any central defender who did that having played in both positions during my time I can see both points of view but the protect code was not allowed in my time or yours I'll bet . |
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Post by andyl on Nov 28, 2021 12:55:44 GMT
Totally agree, owdonlad. Nearly did say that.
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