ESPN Soccernet - Correspondents - Bolton Wanderers
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Bolton Wanderers

What are you supposed to do when you're furious? Have you tried counting to 10? Okay, then what about 50? 100? What about a nice long walk in the sleet to cool off? I'd love to know what Owen Coyle did between ducking for shelter after 90 dismal minutes at Ewood Park and re-emerging relatively composed for his interviews. Whatever he did to calm down, I feel like I need some of that now.

I just watched Match of the Day with the sound muted, because I still felt too raw from the game. It was such a wretched performance, so I sat in a dark room, let the shadows moving across the screen throw ugly shapes on the walls and tried to sooth myself as the 'highlights' washed over me.

Was it really as bad as I remembered? Could I have overreacted? Maybe, in the hours that had passed since the final whistle, I had stewed to the point where I couldn't think rationally about it. If this was the case, wouldn't it be prudent to review the whole horrible thing before spouting off?


Martin Olsson and Kevin Davies ©Getty Images

After all, I am a professional (of sorts), providing a service (of sorts), and if I've learnt anything from doing this, it's always important to get your facts straight before making a fool of yourself.

The worst part was Hansen's analysis. When the big red circles appeared, ringing the offending players, scarring the pitch and highlighting Bolton's defensive impotence, it all seemed so obvious, so simple. It was Subbuteo defending.

Zat Knight looked frazzled all game, possibly because he realised he wasn't going to get any help. It started to spill over and get ugly after the first goal, as Zat was left on his face in the penalty area after being left to defend two-on-one. Poor Sam Ricketts had filled in so well, but he was inadequate today, making Nikola Kalinic look like the second coming of Alan Shearer.

The defending was appalling, but what can you expect when you lose one of the best young defenders in the game? The really disappointing thing was that Blackburn had comparable problems in defence and Bolton were still inept when they had the ball. If Johan Elmander can't get the better of Keith Andrews, or if Matty Taylor can't outrun a fossilised Michel Salgado, then there are serious problems.

Ever since he signed a new fat contract in July, Matty Taylor's performances have slipped, and today he was invisible (except for when he popped up in the first half to blast a shot right into Paul Robinson's vast midriff). I don't want to just point out Taylor's absence, because there are a few senior players who have signed contracts recently who have failed to impress in this scoreless run.

500 minutes is a nice round number for the journos and the hacks (like me) to get their teeth into, but really it represents the outcome of some poor decisions that were made six months ago.

Something has to be wrong when Owen Coyle is clocking up more kilometres in the technical area that the players are on the pitch. If you check the recent match reports, Bolton concede all their goals in the last ten minutes of the first half and in the last 30 minutes of the game.

The Blackburn game was their fifth fixture in the last two weeks, so maybe it was just the grind of the Christmas fixtures, but the difference between the great players and the average players is that the great players expect to play twice a week.

It becomes a question of ambition. The thought that these players aren't fit enough should be upsetting, because you get the feeling that this team is exactly where they thought they would be at the beginning of the season.


Comments

Posted by Adrian Gray on 02/22/2010

I am a diehard Bolton fan and I support the appointment of Owen Coyle 100%. However, as a supporter I, like everybody else have an opinion and a right to ask certain questions of our Team particularly with regard to the Blackburn match selection.
After a hard graft at Wigan midweek, it did not take a genius to figure that there would be some tired Bolton legs out there at Ewood park.I applaud the 4-4-2 formation selected but just question why we didnt give Wilshere, Mark Davis and Weiss a start. I also continue to wonder how long it will take Owen Coyle to realise that maybe we should be playing Gardner or Taylor at left back (I have to assume that Jlloyd Samuel has either defaced a picture of Nat Lofthouse or suggested he would rather play for Man United as he is nowhere to be seen)as Robinson is simply not good enough for the Permiership. Also, Is Ricketts really that much better than Shittu at centre back and will Muamba ever be able to hit a barn door from 10 yards out?

Posted by Derek on 02/22/2010

I am a diehard Bolton fan too and I just feel that the team is totally confused now. You cant expect the players to play free flowing football immediately after spending the past 9 seasons pumping a long ball into the box. Somehow some players are not sure whether to pass or to pump the ball and i am really confused myself. It is frustrating to see Bolton conceding so many goals as in the past we managed to keep clean sheets even when we dont score and that got us some valuable points.
I dont believe zat knight, o'brien or shittu are good enough to partner cahill in defence. And we should never have bought ricketts in the first place. bring back good old nicky hunt and gardner on the sides and see how it goes.

Posted by Richard on 02/22/2010

Tom,

Whilst I sympathise with the contents of your report, I think the title is somewhat harsh. I don't even support Blackburn but I think I'm right in saying that on aggregate they have beaten Bolton 5-0 this season - hardly the mark of a poor team now!

Posted by steve on 02/22/2010

if you dont think blackburn are any good what the hell does that say for bolton?

Posted by Phil on 02/22/2010

Sure, by all means criticise your team but there's no need to insult Blackburn. You were beaten by a better team on the day, simple as that.

Posted by mike on 02/22/2010

coyle should give the kids a run and bring in some reserve team players, they cannot do any worse and they will at least have the balls to run and fight, most of our forwards don't know were the goals are which is frightening. Blackburn are average, but when you get goals on a plate, deflections to boot, it makes it easy. Luck plays a part at this level, just hope we get a fair share of it soon.

Posted by Mikeyboy on 02/22/2010

Don't be so sad we are the better team even if you can't bring yourself to admit it, taking the burnley manager was a massive mistake. Owen C. jumped ship from the Yorkshire outfit, but funnily enough he'll be playing his old team next season only it won't be in the Premiership!

Posted by Mikeyboy on 02/22/2010

Come to think about it, Tom, after rereading your post you are a mushroom!

Mikeyboy True Blue in Middlesbrough

Posted by NotlobFan on 02/23/2010

Looks like we have lots of "diehard" fans myself included - still watching and cheering from overseas. Watching from afar it's nice to see Owen Coyle get appointment and try to play passing football but I still think Megson got a raw deal. He saved us from relegation after the Sammy Lee fiasco and didn't do too badly after that, but the fans got what they wanted and he's gone.It wasn't a pretty way of playing under Megson but it was the "Bolton" way.
Bolton's next four league games are critical to their survival in the top flight - all against fellow strugglers - Wolves (H), WHU (A), Sunderland (A),and Wigan (H). If we don't get six points, or perhaps a bit better by picking up an away point, then Mikeboy might be right and we'll be playing Burnley in the 2nd tier next season.

Posted by Chris in Belfast on 02/23/2010

As an interested American, do you feel Holden might be able to make a difference on this team if Coyle would ever give him a run-out?

Posted by Rodney Miles on 02/23/2010

Generally, the level of play under Coyle has been way better than it was under Megson. The performance and point away at Wigan was OK given the state of the pitch. The performance against Blackburn was poor and Coyle said so after the match.

The loss of Cahill in defence is huge. He is by far the most skillful defender Bolton have and the only natural leader of the back four. The biggest immediate challenge for Coyle is to tighten up the defence without Cahill and this looks unlikely to happen without replacing Ricketts in the middle and Robinson at left back. It is worth remembering, however, that the only three clean sheets this season have been achieved under Coyle and the last two after the loss of Cahill.

Posted by Rovers til I Die on 02/23/2010

I think it was a bad decision to bring in Coyle, he is a footballing man, and playing football won't get you out of the trouble you are in. You have to roll your sleeves up and win ugly sometimes. That is what Blackburn do, no coincidence that they beat all the teams in their respective "Mini League" at home (Bolton, Hull, Fulham, Wolves, Burnley, Portsmouth, Wigan). That's not a bad side. That's 21 points straight away and a side with a manager who realises the pretty side of the game that sometimes needs to be sacrificed to ensure premier league survival.

Posted by mikeyboy on 02/23/2010

Well, I know you all hate the Rovers but I really want the Wanderers to stay up (honestly!)unlike the Burnley scum buckets. So good luck to you all from here in the hot bed of footy that is the North East......media hype as usual

Posted by henrik on 02/24/2010

I can remember Portsmouth playing good passing football to win nearly all of their games to stay up, so why cant Coyle?

I think its down to team selection, and of course the dodgy defenders we have...We really need a good centreback, and a good left back....(surely Gardner or Samuel would be a tiny bit more composed than wild Robinson)

also why does Coyle play Gardner in centre midfield instead of Mark Davies or even Cohen?
Gardner never looks like he has complete control of the ball in any position of the pitch.

If we had hung on to Diagne Faye(stoke) and possibly Nolan(Newcastle) or/and Andranik(Fulham) we wouldnt be losing 3-0 to a rovers team that I thought looked scared of us in the first half.

For many seasons now we have been awful after conceding 1 goal even if we were 2-0 up.

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