Bolton vs Barnsley FA Cup 1st Round

A totally awful performance again.

We were outthought, outfought, outtackled and totally out-tacticed for all but the last 20 minutes.

Barnsley had a game plan and executed it very well. They thoroughly deserved to win. They were streets ahead of us in passing, tackling, shooting until the final 20 minutes when Bodvarsson almost single handedly turned the game in our favour.

As in the match last month, Barnsley had all the time wasting/niggly tactics but, as I said at the last match, so would we if we had something to hold on to.

They let us roll the ball out from the back which today was an awful useless tactic. They aimed high balls at Jones who was beaten every time. They tackled in midfield and won nearly every ball and their defence just mopped up the endless ridiculous high balls which we insisted on pumping forward.

We played 4-3-3 fro the start.

We hadn’t even got into their area once before they had scored. A ball was played in from the left. Jones and their man missed it, Trafford chose not to come but our plank in defence, Santos, chose not to try and clear the ball and it bounced off his leg and trickled past Trafford for an OG. Many faults there. We allowed the ball to be centred, we cannot win any balls in the air and head clear and Santos does not bother trying to clear it.

So 0-1 after 5 minutes and they were all over us.

We had some attacks but were constantly offside including a “goal” for Charles. So sloppy.

Barnsley had masses of the ball in midfield and it was no surprise when they attacked down their right. They had a man totally on his own out on the right. He just played it back for another unmarked man on the edge of the box who just rocketed a shot in. Dreadful defensive play and that is not just the defence because the midfield just hadn’t bothered to try and mark.

And that was the 1st half. Afolayan had a good chance but just curled the ball straight into the keeper’s hands.

A dreadful 1st half.



Second half, we changed to 5-3-2 with Sadlier going to left wing back.

We had a decent 1st minute when we had a good passing move but everything drifted backwards with Barnsley being so comfortable.

Considering we were 2-0 down there was no urgency whatsoever. Trafford, Santos and Jones buggered about at the back. Barnsley just waited and took the ball off us when we crossed the halfway line.

Eventually things changed when 3 subs came on. Two subs made no difference but Bodvarsson started to win the ball and keep possession.

We put in some effort. Barnsley were pushed back but were still comfortable. They resorted to the annoying delaying tactics they had played last month.

We eventually scored when Beck, a later sub, played the ball across to Jones for a centre which Bodvarsson headed in.

We pressed and went close a couple of times but we got what we deserved. Knocked out at the 1st round for the 3rd successive season.



There was an absolute lack of confidence about our play. How many times were we caught offside? Our corners were abysmal – I don’t think we got a head to one of them, just easy defensive heading practice for Barnsley’s defenders. It was dreadful and with 2 away games coming up, the manager needs to sort this out quickly.



On the manager, he was a disgrace.

Screaming at the ref, screaming at the 4th official and arguing with everyone after the final whistle. I know it shows he cares but his behaviour was terrible.



Marks:-



Trafford - 4 Bit iffy today. Not really at fault for either goal but some poor catching. Poor kicking also and a couple of moments of real flapping. Very slow in releasing the ball also.

Bradley - 4 Some poor passing in the 1st half when he played as a right back. 2nd half, it was as a wing back and was better.

Jones - 2 Put in the cross for our goal but overall dreadful. His passing was terrible, heading non-existent. Barnsley targeted him in the air.

Santos - 2 Woeful. I cannot recall him winning a header. His sole contribution seemed to be to try and wrestle Devante Cole and he failed at that. The playing out from the back was so slow and not productive.

Iredale - 3 Wide open down our left in the 1st half. He got no help defensively but was poor.

Morley - 3 Our so-called main passer of the ball. His passing was awful. So inaccurate. His performance was summed up in the 97th minute when a defensive boot from Barnsley landed near him. All he had to do was control it and play the ball forward again but he managed to foul the Barnsley man and, effectively, waste our final chance to get forward.

Thomason - 3 An absolute struggle. One shot wide in the 1st half and a booking in the 2nd for a stupid needless foul. Very poor.

Lee - 3 Major disappointment. He just could not get any control in the game.

Sadlier - 3 Everyone was calling for him to get a start. Well he did and he totally wasted it. How many times was he offside in the 1st half and how times was he simply dispossessed?

Charles - 3 No ball control. The ball just bounced off him. A couple of half chances in the 1st half which he totally wasted. 2 goals quite rightly disallowed for offside.

Afolayan - 3 Played on the left and created nothing. One feeble shot straight into the keeper’s hands. Wasted his chance.

Bodvarsson - 6 He changed the game when he came on. He held the ball up, brought players into the game and scored.

Dempsey - 3 So disappointing. Came on as a sub and just sunk into nothingness.

Bakayoko - 2 Looked totally disinterested. Caught offside. Lost possession endlessly. A waste of a shirt.

Beck - 4 Created the goal with a run across the pitch and a pass to Jones.

Kachunga - 2 Just one overhead kick which was over the bar and that was it.

Fair point OooM

At the risk of living in the past. I would love to see Big Sam oversee a training a session at Lostock. Bet it would take him 3 minutes before he had to stop to ask "Who the F- has told you to do that?" "Why is he here when he should be there" and thats before he sees a corner routine. Imagine he'd have his hands over his face in disbelief.

But hes a dinosaur isnt he. No interest in the pivot, the double pivot, the fake 8, the low block, high press and hybrid players.

Why long throw in the box when its a perfect chance to boost your possession starts and go move it around at the back. Wait for them to tire and then after an hour make 5 subs in blind panic and talk about giving it a go.

What’s so sad is that everyone on here can see the problem is over coaching, or even just over complicating instructions. Even Bradley who started so brightly for us is now struggling to deliver and looking at davidm’s comments you really do have to wonder if the players have given up on even trying to implement Evatt’s methods which seem to have totally drained confidence. I’ve said it before but constantly changing the team and then making the full 5 substitutions in EVERY game surely can’t be helping? At the end of it all we are still 6th so still in with a good shout of the play offs but only if the players are up for it and at the moment im just not sure they are. I certainly don’t think Evatt’s constant railing at officials and other teams staff paints a good picture. Maybe he’s under more pressure than we think? Whatever, it surely can’t help settle the players down, nor the fans who have every right to be annoyed at current performances. We can’t wait until January, things have to change now but if those whose contracts are expiring don’t believe they’ll get another you can maybe understand why they’re not putting everything in?

when we were losing 2-1 and the stadium was quiet....it was my 5yr old grandson shouting...c,mon bolton...c,mon bolton...c,mon bolton!!!...only his 2nd game !!!

There was a story a few weeks back about why we didnt need a 20 goal a season man and the basis seemed to be on form Bradley would be up there.

Was always pie in the sky to think he could continue at that rate. But so many new recruits start so well and then you see them fade by the match.

At this point Ian could play 352, 532, 424, 442, 451....he could even cheat and play 444 I dont think it matters. Players seem to be shellshocked. Or they've had enough.

I think the HMS PTL is now a sinking ship with Evatt watching it go down. Hard to gauge FV stance on it. Previously very supportive but could boil down to money. He hasnt returned a single penny on sales, hes given away assets in Sarcevic and Doyle(£500k) John looks similar (say another £500k) a million pound giveaway. Plus the £1M spent on Morley, Dempsey who dont feature and Charles who looks fed up.
Plus theres FA Cup money weve given up on. Chorley have had a much better time of it than us under Evatt.
Plus Dapo and Santos must have been valued conservatively at around £4M at the start who would not be worth half that.

On a personal note too if I saw him constantly on the pitch arguing with refs, managers, players for god sake i'd be embarassed and have to remind him that he represents a founding memeber of the football league not the Dog and Duck.