|
Post by OohMac on Oct 1, 2024 20:47:47 GMT
At 4-0 points where in the bag but really disappointed to not see it through and everyone get a good pick me up.
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Oct 1, 2024 20:55:04 GMT
Well other than the football no way can Rico complain about the fans tonight because they chanted his name for the whole match and even gifting Northampton two goals didn’t seem to stop them. I may be wrong but yet again despite that he didn’t go to applaud the fans and just stood on the half way line. If I’m right and that’s the case then Evatt needs to be having a word in his shell like because that’s unacceptable.
|
|
|
Post by chip on Oct 2, 2024 6:46:44 GMT
What I like to know is how the fxck did Huddersfield thrash us 4-0 at home, was is the players pushing back at Ian or was we just crap 🤷♂️ we move on to Saturday COYWM
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Oct 2, 2024 8:44:33 GMT
Not wanting to take anything away from the positives but to be beaten in the air so easily for both their goals is quite concerning.
Tom Eaves was sandwiched by 2 defenders but he still managed to out think and out jump Toal and Santos and for the second, a corner and we had 4 defenders chasing shadows.
If height at the back is going to be our Achilles heel then we’re in all manner of trouble
Get this sorted Evatt and if you’re still here in January we need some savvy 6 foot general who’s been around the place and knows how to organise a back line
SulkySantos needs a rocket too for not appreciating the 1000 or so fans that managed to scive off work to make the trip down there in the pissing rain, another thing Evatt needs to address
|
|
|
Post by kenglowhite on Oct 2, 2024 8:57:30 GMT
I'm far from happy with our defence. They too readily concede corners and throw-ins in dangerous positions, and they are completely shambolic at controlling a goalmouth scramble. Someone needs to introduce an air of cool.
Charles' selfishness in not passing to the unmarked Arfield which could have made it 5-0 helped to take the gloss off things, and maybe led to the Cobblers' resurgence to score those two late soft goals with no-one taking control of things at the back once again.
|
|
|
Post by andyl on Oct 2, 2024 9:31:53 GMT
I watched this on TV, despite the match being unusually 15 or so miles from home. It was very wet and I was sceptical that the match would go ahead or be completed. Somehow it was , but television will very much have sanitised the difficulties presented by areas of sogginess on or off the field and also the quite high winds.
All that being the case Wanderers seemed to manage the conditions exceptionally well, playing the ball confidently from defence via Thomason and Sheehan and , in the early stages pushing the whole team forward. McAtee especially but also Collins were giving Northampton a much more physical test of their defence and we controlled the early exchanges. When we scored it was as good a goal as we could hope to see. Santos for once driving forward sped a perfect pass for Schon to run on to. For the 2nd game in succession he curled it across behind the high line of defenders and as on Saturday McAtee, this time not needing Collins, thumped it confidently into the net. Wham!
We carried on in this vein for fully 20 minutes. Dempsey again came very close with head and a driving shot. Then Sheehan hoisted a through ball, which Thomason chased, reached and deftly caressed over the stranded keeper who, as all of us could only gaze at the slow motion inevitability of the outcome.
For the last fifteen minutes of the first half we seemed to fall back and fall into the trap of overly defensive and negative short passing in our half. Santos and Baxter are both too slow thinking for this and gave some unnecessary 'heart in mouth' moments . meanwhile Dacres- Cogley , far from continuing to move forward kept getting isolated. He seems to be quite routinely done for speed. Crosses were getting in that shouldn't. Nevertheless at this point Santos was getting a head on most things, Toal and Johnston were steady and Schon quite biting and aggressive. Baxter was very sure handed making a couple of awkward and , in the condition, spillable saves and we went into the break in command.
The second half saw us with a measure of control until a horror moment from Santos, back-passing to Baxter , when he hit the pass too slowly for the conditions and it got stuck. Baxter did really well to smother the opportunity getting quickly out. Thereafter Santos' brief glimmer of form abated. It felt as though the next goal would be decisive. The set piece fell to back post loitering Toal and the ball seemed to bounce off him unmarked and go in. 0-3. Game over? Enter Charles. Just too good for Guthrie in the conditions he chased a through ball, shrugged his opponent off and then turned him inside out to go with his favoured right foot and score easily. 0-4. Game over? Soon after he got through on the right this time, advanced on goal and with a two foot side-foot to Arfield for an open goal tap in 0-5 for game over? No he shot to the near post. 0-4 still game over?
Added time- 7 minutes ( some of which we had added. Deliberately? Through genuine Baxter injury?- I do worry because at times this season we are practising Arsenal-like dark arts. Baxter regularly goes down for timeouts, Schon dives and there's a lot of Dapoesque fakery creeping in). Anyway a routine cross exposed Santos' known inabilities ( can't mark, jump or head a ball with direction or control) and no other than Tom Eaves had the easiest of headers for 1-4? Game over still? Corner to Northampton. Guthrie outjumps Santos . 2-4 . Game over? Thankfully soon yes . We got Makete again booked. Thomason had negotiated his early booking as had Schon , a booking which could have been a red card- a 50/50 referee call which went for us. Evatt had the sense to withdraw them as a late dismissal was well on the cards for both.
Overall a strong victory, principally earned because our four forwards in relay were over 90 minutes too strong. Also we had better control than on Saturday and our passing was at times better. I do think we do well to draw teams on to us and we are quite solid. But we need to be wary of the combination of Santos's inabilities and 'stay at home on crosses' Baxter if we are encouraging opponents to have possession. Cogley must get better at preventing crosses. On balance though I prefer this to when opponents drop off and we go into negative passing mode. Santos is too ponderous and Toal and Johnston not goo enough footballers to play from the back to excess> Jones would improve this but we must be aware when opponents are pressing us. If only for our spectator heart rates. Why , I wonder do we subscribe to the zeitgeist of taking mad risks at the back, no risks in midfield and on the flanks and few risks upfront. It seems the wrong way round now that teams have cottoned on and press. It seems sometimes that all managers , not just Bolton's are enthralled and seduced by a mode of playing that serves only to contribute more and more howlers to rtf's 'passing from the back' thread. Only the top teams can really do this well with exceptional footballers at the back and in all positions, and evn they.... Santos, Toal, Johnston and Baxter ( and from what we have seen to date Forino and Forester) just can't pass well enough to do it..
Baxter 7 Dacres-Cogley 4 Toal 6 Santos 4 ( sorry a goodish game but an added time nightmare- if he gives 2 goals away per game, how can he responsibly be maked higher) Johnston 7 Schon 7 Thomason 7 Sheehan 7 Dempsey 7 McAtee 8. C Collins 7 ( Charles 8) ( Victor 6)
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Oct 2, 2024 10:33:55 GMT
Good report that Andy and fair marks for all (I’d have put Collins at 5/6 as we’re not seeing anything like what I expected from him)
I also get your point on dark arts as my first impression when Baxter went down, he never got touched and he never over stretched, he was just play acting a bit.
What will Evatt change to suit the Salop on Saturday one wonders, as it’s not in his nature to stick with a winning combo
In other news, I have to say Birmingham look unstoppable, praise to 10 man Lincoln for scraping a late draw at Blackpool and who’d have thought Stevenage would hold out against the Disney boys for a 1-0 win
The way the league is forming, strange results etc, I can only hope that we’ve had the bad run and got those 3 defeats out of our system and they have served to fire us up and be ready for absolutely anything, we certainly have the players to do that.
My only worry is Evatt….
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Oct 2, 2024 12:50:46 GMT
I did say when everybody was claiming how much harder the league would be this year that I disagreed. That’s on the basis that with more “decent” teams in the league this year the points would be shared more equally and that’s exactly what’s happening. On that basis I don’t think the high points totals we’ve seen in recent seasons will be repeated this year so other than possibly Birmingham, I don’t think there’s another team apart from us to get anywhere near the 90 points level so if we just shape ourselves we should comfortably make a dash for the automatics. If we win on Saturday, which let’s face it we should, we’ll very likely be in or near the top six before the next international break. When we return from that we should hopefully have more of our wounded back to strengthen us even more. As for Evatt I genuinely think he’s learned that his slowly slowly system just didn’t work and his new more pragmatic system seems to be paying dividends. Let’s hope it continues against the stronger sides? 😁
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Oct 2, 2024 14:37:02 GMT
I did say when everybody was claiming how much harder the league would be this year that I disagreed. That’s on the basis that with more “decent” teams in the league this year the points would be shared more equally and that’s exactly what’s happening. On that basis I don’t think the high points totals we’ve seen in recent seasons will be repeated this year so other than possibly Birmingham, I don’t think there’s another team apart from us to get anywhere near the 90 points level so if we just shape ourselves we should comfortably make a dash for the automatics. If we win on Saturday, which let’s face it we should, we’ll very likely be in or near the top six before the next international break. When we return from that we should hopefully have more of our wounded back to strengthen us even more. As for Evatt I genuinely think he’s learned that his slowly slowly system just didn’t work and his new more pragmatic system seems to be paying dividends. Let’s hope it continues against the stronger sides? 😁 Think you might also see W63 that the likes of Birmingham and probably Wrexham will know that playing strong sides in the cups is a no no and they’ll concentrate solely on the league with one intention - promotion whereas Evatt will throw everything to have another Wembley date Bloody hope not😬
|
|
|
Post by OohMac on Oct 3, 2024 6:51:06 GMT
I did say when everybody was claiming how much harder the league would be this year that I disagreed. That’s on the basis that with more “decent” teams in the league this year the points would be shared more equally and that’s exactly what’s happening. On that basis I don’t think the high points totals we’ve seen in recent seasons will be repeated this year so other than possibly Birmingham, I don’t think there’s another team apart from us to get anywhere near the 90 points level so if we just shape ourselves we should comfortably make a dash for the automatics. If we win on Saturday, which let’s face it we should, we’ll very likely be in or near the top six before the next international break. When we return from that we should hopefully have more of our wounded back to strengthen us even more. As for Evatt I genuinely think he’s learned that his slowly slowly system just didn’t work and his new more pragmatic system seems to be paying dividends. Let’s hope it continues against the stronger sides? 😁 I agree that the points will be shared and 2nd place, think, will have a much lower total than Ipswich and Derby had. BUT think it will be tougher because all last season we were never in danger of not getting the play offs at least. Pretty much from week 1 we were near the top. The season before we secured play offs with one game to spare with a pretty nervous April(post Wembley) So this season we could be 2nd in April and still in the risk of the pack swallowing us up. We've proven not to be able to cope too well with being front runners so if the league does go the way you say it could be easier to go up in terms of points but harder because of the participants. So I guess Quantity over quality.
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Oct 3, 2024 8:35:01 GMT
Yes, good points OM but I think this year with the addition of players like McAtee and Arfield as well as George who is now captain all of whom have the right attitude plus the learning from previous results including Wembley, I think the players will be better able to cope. Obviously teams can strengthen in January but I honestly don’t see anyone other than Birmingham who worries me greatly so if we can just do our job I don’t see any reason why we can’t be well placed by April and even well before.
|
|
|
Post by andyl on Oct 3, 2024 9:57:24 GMT
I entirely accept the statistical premise that more teams will thwart one another and that the top two points scores may well be lower than in recent years. However, re the conclusion I'd say that the logic of this is that therefore the league will be harder not easier. An easier or poorer league is when a couple of teams slog it out and beat everyone else whereas a harder, more competitive league is when several are in the mix taking points off one another throughout and thus denyoing potential runaway leaders?
This also is contrary to the argument that with lower points scores it will be proportionately easier for Bolton ( or anyone else) to make a late charge for the automatics or the play offs, Surely not? If it has been difficult throughout, then it will remain so in the run in and teams will all struggle to make a Lincoln style 2023 run or an Oxford style recovery?
There is also the argument that the hardness or ease of the league in part depends on how many pushovers there are? Watching Crawley and Reading I suspect very few and imagine that Cambridge and Burton will topple some ambitions. There aren't any obvious Carlisles and Fleetwoods this year? This could be good for Bolton maybe in that we are better when teams come prepared to attack whereas we were hopeless at times last year v Burton, Carlisle and Shrewsbury at home.
Birmingham as yet aren't that wonderful and will surely lose a few especially if they get an injury or two, which can stifle anyone. Wrexham ditto- they aren't a Plymouth or old Rotherham/Wigan powering teams away ( McLean notwithstanding)
I suspect that the teams at the top of this league in May will be the ones with the best keepers and most impervious defences.. There is an argument that we are and will be a good attacking force, our midfield especially if strengthened could be good but keeper ( aerially and by foot) and defence generally are our weakness. The Opta stats seem to be bearing that out although Dempsey is on a goodish run, even of passing accuracy , which I hadn't particularly noticed. I keep harping on about this but our season may turn on what IE does about the obvious Santos problem and whether either Forino, most likely, Toal possible or Forester can step up to offer Johnston more consistent support. Also can Baxter get his missing mojo back or can Southwood step up?
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Oct 3, 2024 14:22:40 GMT
Again Andy very good points. I wasn’t actually saying the league would be easier generally this year just that rather than a top half bottom half split as we seem to have had for a few years now with a couple of better than average teams hogging the points, the league will be more evenly split. Certainly for a team to stand out they will have to more consistently outperform. Like you I believe Birmingham will suffer adversities as all clubs do over the season but probably not to the extent that they will fall back too far. As for us I don’t think this year will be much different to last in that I think we’re better than almost all others so if we can gain results against the other top teams and also our neighbours which we’ve constantly failed to do I don’t really see anything preventing us making top two. Like you though I have concerns about our defence and keeper positions. Baxter is an excellent shot stopper and handler but for me is slow of thought, poor with his feet and doesn’t command his area. Likewise Southwood who I don’t personally rate as highly as Coleman and for me was a strange and unnecessary signing but maybe I haven’t seen enough of him yet to judge properly. I can’t say that I rate Forino yet but I do like Forrester and think he’ll turn out to be a good one. I’m quickly losing faith in Santos both on and off field and fear we may have had the best of him and would be looking to replace him in January if possible. His contracts up at the end of the season and I wouldn’t be looking to renew it and would encourage him to find somewhere new. I think he’ll struggle to find anywhere comparable to where he is now and I hope it makes him realise what a lucky boy he’s been! 🙂
|
|