EulogyForEvolution

Hi all,
I just wanted to pop on and say congrats on a successful season and well deserved promotion. I know there's been some ill feeling between fans, mostly on the toxic social media platforms (not helped by a large number of idiots of which we at Bolton have f****** loads). I've scanned through your forum and a few others to regularly to check in on the thoughts of some of our promotion rivals over the season and as forums go, this one is generally positive and full of good and honest opinions. We have another fan called Wanderlust who often peruses the various forums and I feel he is a good fan for honest opinions too. I hope we can join you, I'm sure there's plenty of you hoping we stumble and end up stuck in L1 for at least another year, mainly for the fans who've been making stupid excuses for us not winning points this season. Reality is, you and Pompey were the most consistent teams over the season and thoroughly deserve your promotion, so well done and good luck in the championship next year. With your stadium and fanbase and what your fans have been through (trust me, I know what it feels like too), you deserve some good times now!
 
All the best gents (and ladies)

Don't say it 😬😂

Me too. I've voted Nelson and Cash for pure consistency in an ever-changing back line. They've been colossal.

Me too. I've voted Nelson and Cash for pure consistency in an ever-changing back line. They've been colossal.

Me too. I've voted Nelson and Cash for pure consistency in an ever-changing back line. They've been colossal.

It's the centre back combo for me.

This fella has us sussed, to be fair.

Looking at who we have available, we might have to go for something like this next game:
            Wildsmith
Smith Nelson Cashin Elder
      Adams  Thompson
Ward      Sibley      Wilson
          Washington
We don't have the attacking players available to afford having Ward, Sibley or Wilson in the fullback positions. I'm still not sure CBT is ready for a start - he showed glimpses yesterday when he game on, though.
To put our injury crisis into perspective, here's a alternate eleven with players that are injured or suspended:
                     Vickers
Nyambe  Bradley  Rooney  Forsyth
                Fornah   Bird
NML                                Barkhuizen
              Gayle    Collins
I think any team would struggle with so many players out.

What were those dates again?

Shocking game. Utterly s***. 
And f*** Sonny Bradley. I want him out of the club.

Shocking game. Utterly s***. 
And f*** Sonny Bradley. I want him out of the club.

Shocking game. Utterly s***. 
And f*** Sonny Bradley. I want him out of the club.

The shape doesn’t seem to be working today, and also may not be necessary? I’d like to see Elder for Bradley, switch to a back 4 and get Sibley closer to goal as part of the front 3 with NML and Waggy 

Great result for both of us today. You guys deserve to go up with such amazing support. I honestly can’t wait until we meet in April. The atmosphere is going to be electric with our fans on good form and yours as well who never disappoint. I think we both go up in the automatic promotion places it’s now down to who wins the league. We are blighted by injuries at the moment so I’m nervous for our match and if we play like we did today we could be facing a drubbing. 
 
I’m from Pompey originally but live in the midlands now so I’m pissed by the change to an evening game like I imagine many here are as well. Best of luck for the rest of the season. 

Over ten years of service, never a problem in the entire time he's been here, seen off every left back we've signed since he arrived, flexible enough to cover multiple positions.
A club legend. No doubt about it. 

Whatever 🤣

It's ridiculous if the EFL are holding this up. 
They have no right to be hand holding us now. We have a new owner, we took our punishment in the form of a 21 point deduction, relegation and narrowly avoiding liquidation.
Were QPR restricted when they returned to the Championship after breaking FFP to get promoted (over us)? How about Everton, Forest or Man City by the Premier League?
It feels like there are special rules that apply to us that no one else has to abide by.

It's ridiculous if the EFL are holding this up. 
They have no right to be hand holding us now. We have a new owner, we took our punishment in the form of a 21 point deduction, relegation and narrowly avoiding liquidation.
Were QPR restricted when they returned to the Championship after breaking FFP to get promoted (over us)? How about Everton, Forest or Man City by the Premier League?
It feels like there are special rules that apply to us that no one else has to abide by.

It's ridiculous if the EFL are holding this up. 
They have no right to be hand holding us now. We have a new owner, we took our punishment in the form of a 21 point deduction, relegation and narrowly avoiding liquidation.
Were QPR restricted when they returned to the Championship after breaking FFP to get promoted (over us)? How about Everton, Forest or Man City by the Premier League?
It feels like there are special rules that apply to us that no one else has to abide by.

Don't want him back on loan. Would much rather give our own players more game time. 
I'd understand him forcing a move to a big club...but Bristol City? It's insulting, frankly.

I really hope this happens. This is what I called for in the midfield thread a few days ago. 
We have good attacking options but they aren't free to get forward and do their thing because no one is doing the nasty stuff to allow them to stop looking over their shoulders.
Love the idea of:
Adams (DM)
Thompson/Fornah (box to box engine)
Bird/Hourihane/Sibley (number 10 or attacking mid)
I've just got a feeling someone like Adams, in the mold of Eustace, will help knit it all together and we'll start seeing the benefits of our talented squad.

I really hope this happens. This is what I called for in the midfield thread a few days ago. 
We have good attacking options but they aren't free to get forward and do their thing because no one is doing the nasty stuff to allow them to stop looking over their shoulders.
Love the idea of:
Adams (DM)
Thompson/Fornah (box to box engine)
Bird/Hourihane/Sibley (number 10 or attacking mid)
I've just got a feeling someone like Adams, in the mold of Eustace, will help knit it all together and we'll start seeing the benefits of our talented squad.

I really hope this happens. This is what I called for in the midfield thread a few days ago. 
We have good attacking options but they aren't free to get forward and do their thing because no one is doing the nasty stuff to allow them to stop looking over their shoulders.
Love the idea of:
Adams (DM)
Thompson/Fornah (box to box engine)
Bird/Hourihane/Sibley (number 10 or attacking mid)
I've just got a feeling someone like Adams, in the mold of Eustace, will help knit it all together and we'll start seeing the benefits of our talented squad.

I think the problem with our midfield is that the players we have don't have clearly defined roles that they are there to carry out. 
Think about some of our best midfields in recent times, for example Eustace/Bryson/Hughes. Eustace would sit in the front of the back four, mop up and play simple passes. Bryson was the engine who would also be making late runs into the box and linking with the wingers. Hughes would play between the lines and look to spray passes around.
They worked together as a unit. You see the same with all the best sides, whether they play a two or a three.
What do we have now? Bird who sometimes sits back and sometimes plays almost as a 10. Hourihane who plays deeper than he used to because he doesn't have the legs to play his old role. Thommo, Fornah and Smith who play different roles every time they come on the pitch, mainly from the bench. 
I'd go as far to say that none of them suit the CDM role naturally and all of them are asked to play there.
I'd like to see us bring in a player who can sit in front of the back four and turn over the ball. Then see Fornah or Thommo play as the midfield engine driving the ball on, and Bird or Hourihane playing between the lines. 
It's all square pegs and round holes at the moment.