[Prenn]

Taken from my post at BWFC.co.uk

Jussi - Pretty solid game, his kicking was better than usual.

Mendy - Looked really good going forward, was our best chance to get a goal. God knows why the ************ he was substituted. Perhaps because he wants to play with the ball on the ground maybe...

Whitlow - Gives 110% but he's past it now, he's always going to be playing catch up with better players.

Campo - I wish Bolton's defence, and English football in general, would learn something from Campo in terms of composure. There's no need to just hoof the ball up front every time you get it. Play it from the back and keep posession. However I think Campo is a bit too composed, he needs to know when to play and when to hoof.

Bruno - 10/10

Nolan - Had a rare off day, enough said.

Ricardo - Had a good game but I think sometimes he over does it sometimes. He'll try to beat the opposition rather than cross it.

Frandsen - Past it. He's definately not Premier League standard anymore, looks slow and lathargic. He seems to lack the vision he once had.

Youri - Didn't have a bad game but he looks out of sorts. His usual close control and vision just isn't there at the moment

Farrelly - Had a pretty good game (I can't believe I said that) but I'm not sure we can play him with Youri and Okocha in the squad.

Ricketts - Working much harder than ever but he's got 0 confidence. His first touch is gone and he seems to drop too deep. If he moves from Bolton he'll start scoring again, it's a sad fact of life. He can't head the ball too well so playing long ball with us isn't going to suit him.

Okocha - Really beginning to settle in, he wanted the ball everytime. He seems to be lacking match practice but that'll come. I can see no reason to leave him out of the team from now on. I wonder whether his exclusion from the team says more about big Sam than it does Jay Jay, after all he was in the World XI after the World Cup. I get the feeling that if he'd have had a few more games under his belt he'd have ripped the piss out of Sunderland. We looked far more dangerous when he came on.

Barness - An honest pro and a solid defender but just another one of Sam's long ball merchants. Bring him on when we need to defend a 1-0 as opposed to come back from a 1-0.


All in all a shite night, tactically inept and technically poor. Nobody in the Premiership will be scared of either team after seeing this. Our early season form is a distant memory now, something needs to be done and ************ing fast!

[bettyrasta]

Agree almost wholeheartedly Prenn with the massive exception of Farrelly. I don't think I have ever felt a combination of frustration and anger so much at a player since he first joined us and started playing so poorly. The way he played against Utd last year came close but at least then he was playing against some better players (that hurt). It's the not trying and incompetence bordering on stupidity that drive me so mad. Like that stupid pass to Okocha who had previously run about 10 yards offside or those not-very-long throw-ins again and again aimed at Whitlow to no effect because he was surrounded by 3 defenders. What is the point of a midfield player who can't tackle, shoot, pass or head and has no pace?
I completely share your bewilderment at the substitution of Mendy who was starting to look increasingly effective, especially for such a conventional replacement. Just couldn't see the logic.
Feel sorry for Ricketts. Has forgotten how to score and not likely to remember until he can get some support and us play to his strengths.
Nolan was terrible last night but as you say he has been one of the main men so often.
Bruno sensational.
Campo good for 95%. then a bit of a nutter for the other 5.
Frandsen, Whitlow, Gudni, Charlton all to varying degrees starting to fade. We need some legs in the team and what happened to last seasons against-the odds team spirit.
Hard to see enough positives to engender hope which is a pretty shocking thing to say with only a quarter of the season gone. To think I normally go on at you Prenn for your pessimism!

[pething101]

Prenn,

I have never been too impressed with Campo. In the few matches I saw him play for Real, he consistently got abused. He just seems a bit daft and prone to commiting dumb fouls.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by bettyrasta
Agree almost wholeheartedly Prenn with the massive exception of Farrelly. I don't think I have ever felt a combination of frustration and anger so much at a player since he first joined us and started playing so poorly. The way he played against Utd last year came close but at least then he was playing against some better players (that hurt). It's the not trying and incompetence bordering on stupidity that drive me so mad. Like that stupid pass to Okocha who had previously run about 10 yards offside or those not-very-long throw-ins again and again aimed at Whitlow to no effect because he was surrounded by 3 defenders. What is the point of a midfield player who can't tackle, shoot, pass or head and has no pace?
I completely share your bewilderment at the substitution of Mendy who was starting to look increasingly effective, especially for such a conventional replacement. Just couldn't see the logic.
Feel sorry for Ricketts. Has forgotten how to score and not likely to remember until he can get some support and us play to his strengths.
Nolan was terrible last night but as you say he has been one of the main men so often.
Bruno sensational.
Campo good for 95%. then a bit of a nutter for the other 5.
Frandsen, Whitlow, Gudni, Charlton all to varying degrees starting to fade. We need some legs in the team and what happened to last seasons against-the odds team spirit.
Hard to see enough positives to engender hope which is a pretty shocking thing to say with only a quarter of the season gone. To think I normally go on at you Prenn for your pessimism!

You're probably right about Farrelly, I'll admit I spent most of the night in shock.

Someone next to me commented that it was like watching Bolton Wanderers V Bolton Wanderers, quite apt I think you'll agree.

I don't want to be pessimistic, earlier in the season I was really confident that we'd start picking up wins escpecially with the way the team was playing. However now we're ************ and there's no other word for it, if we can pull ourselves out of this mess it'll be a minor miracle (and we're only 1/4 the way through the season). I think Bolton yet again displayed their unique ablitlity to play just below the level of the opponent regardless of whether it's Liverpool, Arsenal, Southampton, Sunderland, Bury...

Do you think it's time for massive team changes? Or even more drastic a change of manager?

I'd like to see Okocha and Mendy starting from now on with Bulent looking to get on and Campo playing at the back.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by pething101
Prenn,

I have never been too impressed with Campo. In the few matches I saw him play for Real, he consistently got abused. He just seems a bit daft and prone to commiting dumb fouls.

He looks really good, very comfortable on the ball but he does take a lot of risks. He's been responsible for about 75% of the goals we've conceeded since the Liverpool game, and I find that pretty disturbing. There's no doubt he's better in many ways than all of our other defenders but his momentary lapses of concentration are costing us.

[bettyrasta]

Change of manager, certainly not.
Drastic team changes, possibly.
Not that I like to quote John Major but I think it's time to go back to basics. Let's face it, the team knows 4-4-2 and changing to some other statistical manipulation is not going to provide a miracle cure. The team though looked more confused than ever on Monday about where to find another player.
Element of surprise has gone so it's time to grind the results out.
Would like to see Delroy Facey up with Ricketts (well, who else is there?) but most importantly the defence needs to improve. Individually, they are all quite capable but that's not what it's about, is it?

[Prenn]

Agreed, a change of manager is not required..... yet.

I agree we look better with 4-4-2 although I prefer having a withdrawn forward, I think at times our players don't have clue where they're supposed to be playing, or in Farrellys' case, if they should be playing at all.

Brum City today, we'd better get 3 points or there's going to be a huge backlash.

I want to see Okocha and Mendy starting, I don't want to see the Holdsworth brothers anywhere near the squad and I want to see STIIIIIG make an appearance at some point


My team for today (4-4-1-1)

Jussi

Left Back - Whitlow
Centre Back- Campo
Centre Back - NGotty
Right Back - Mendy

Left Mid - Riccy
Centre mid - Jay Jay
Centre Mid - Stig/Frandsen
right Mid - Nolan

Forward - Youri

Striker - Ricketts

[bettyrasta]

Mostly agree (as ever!). My choice would be:-


Jussi

N'Gotty Campo Whitlow Charlton


Mendy Stig Okocha Ricardo

Youri

Ricketts


Think Nolan and Frandsen need a rest and Farrelly needs a nice retirement home by the seaside.

[Prenn]

I didn't put Charlton in because he's injured

I agree that Nolan needs a rest, looks like Sam does too as he's on the bench today.

Farrelly needs a rest under the sea.