Match Thread: vs Bolton (A)

[Yoxoram]

2 hours ago, Wolfie20 said:

You'd have to pay me £25 (at least) to go and watch Stoke

I'm glad you said "at least". I would need a lot more than £25 to waste that many hours.

[jono]

On 28/08/2023 at 17:38, Rampant said:

Cheers @Rev. Never expected to get beyond Posh tbh so this feels like a bonus. Peterborough (A), Bolton (A) and Pompey (H) is, on paper anyway, probably our most difficult run of three matches all season but the win on Saturday should give us belief that we might remain unbeaten through it after all.

Really enjoying your previews 👍🏼. It’s almost like that wonderful radio cricket stat man from test match special all those years ago “The bearded wonder” 

What is the most common colour of boot laces worn by Wanders players in all away games between the wars. I bet you know ! 

[Van der MoodHoover]

51 minutes ago, jono said:

Really enjoying your previews 👍🏼. It’s almost like that wonderful radio cricket stat man from test match special all those years ago “The bearded wonder” 

What is the most common colour of boot laces worn by Wanders players in all away games between the wars. I bet you know ! 

Ah, you mean Bill frindall.....

[MarsdenRam]

Bolton have now lost their previous two home games in an emphatic matter having crashed out of the cup to Middlesborough tonight. I fancy us. 

[Jimbo Ram]

13 minutes ago, MarsdenRam said:

Bolton have now lost their previous two home games in an emphatic matter having crashed out of the cup to Middlesborough tonight. I fancy us. 

Wasn’t their full strength team, made 5 changes. But I hope you are right. 

[Ambitious]

I wonder if Bolton fans are wondering how good they are at this point? They beat Lincoln, Barrow, Cheltenham, Fleetwood. Lost to Middlesbrough, Wigan and drew with Burton. 

Wigan 4-0 loss will be concerning for their fans, no win in three and Derby on back of back-to-back away wins coming into town. A good test for both teams. 

For what it’s worth, I still think Bolton are the team to beat but interesting little wobble after that heavy defeat to Wigan where they were still statistically the better team. 

[ram59]

11 hours ago, Ambitious said:

 

For what it’s worth, I still think Bolton are the team to beat but interesting little wobble after that heavy defeat to Wigan where they were still statistically the better team. 

I sometimes think that these stats are a waste of time, added to the above game, Brighton played West Ham off the park and lost heavily and on the opening day of the season Barnsley thumped Port Vale 7 nil, but it was Port Vale who had the most shots.

[RadioactiveWaste]

NGL I fancy we'll lose this one.

Just feel it in my bones.

[EnigmaRam]

1 minute ago, RadioactiveWaste said:

NGL I fancy we'll lose this one.

Just feel it in my bones.

That’s the spirit! 👍🤣

[Ambitious]

39 minutes ago, ram59 said:

I sometimes think that these stats are a waste of time, added to the above game, Brighton played West Ham off the park and lost heavily and on the opening day of the season Barnsley thumped Port Vale 7 nil, but it was Port Vale who had the most shots.

Depends what you mean by waste of time, football is the only sport where the better team on the day can often not get the result their performance deserves. Possession doesn't always tell the story, some teams are naturally more cautious with the ball. Rosenior, for example, dedicated a lot of time to playing it backwards and sideways to move the opposition and create gaps. When those gaps didn't appear, he still wanted players to follow through with the philosophy - it's why Cashin had 138 passes against Shrewbury in a 0-0 draw. In his last game, he had 47 passes against Peterborough in a 4-2 win. 

Possession-heavy teams starve teams of the ball and therefore starve them of opportunities - two teams with the most possession in League One last season had the best goals against record too in Bolton and Ipswich. 

I do think you can generally get an understanding of a team's approach, pros and cons by looking at the numbers of a big sample size. Barnsley and Port Vale is a great example, wasn't much between them in the first game but one team came out 7-0 winners. Now, the team that lost the game sits above the team that won the game after 5 matches. It kind of proves the point that you're trying to dismiss. 

Bolton have the most possession and most shots in the league - 64.3% possession and 15.8 shots a game. We have 47.5% possession and 13.2 shots a game. Bolton, for me, have very good control of football games and can create opportunities. There is definitely a 'soft underbelly' which was a term thrown around for us under McClaren but I think over the season they will have the most possession, create the most chances and ultimately starve the opposition enough to have one of the best defensive records in the league. I'd be confident as a Bolton fan of a top two finish. 

[Warren Blufitt]

13 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I wonder if Bolton fans are wondering how good they are at this point? They beat Lincoln, Barrow, Cheltenham, Fleetwood. Lost to Middlesbrough, Wigan and drew with Burton. 

Wigan 4-0 loss will be concerning for their fans, no win in three and Derby on back of back-to-back away wins coming into town. A good test for both teams. 

For what it’s worth, I still think Bolton are the team to beat but interesting little wobble after that heavy defeat to Wigan where they were still statistically the better team. 

Let me tell you we were never the better team against Wigan Ambitious, we were just awful and the pie eaters deserved their win. I have to say though that we gifted them two goals and there wasn’t one player who didn’t have a mare. Against Burton we again gifted them a goal but then got that back through Charles and really should have won. Against Middlesbrough last night we were excellent in the first half but Boro really turned it after the break and showed their class. We actually did well to hold them until injury time the went to sleep and allowed them a late goal and an even sloppier one 3 minutes later so actually I think 3-1 flattered them. As for tomorrow I do expect us to be back to full strength other than Santos missing injured but Toal back as replacement is a bonus. I’m expecting an end to end game because we can both score goals but it could go either way. Whatever happens I still think we’re probably the best two squads in L1 and should be there or thereabouts at the end and clearly we both want automatic this year but I don’t expect the points needed to be as high as last season. We haven’t done that well against you in recent meetings but obviously we’re hoping to change that tomorrow. I don’t think whatever happens it will define either of our seasons but obviously the 3 points will be helpful if either of us get them. We don’t draw that many but it may turn out that way tomorrow and be a decent result for both? 🤔

[Yoxoram]

14 hours ago, Ambitious said:

I wonder if Bolton fans are wondering how good they are at this point? They beat Lincoln, Barrow, Cheltenham, Fleetwood. Lost to Middlesbrough, Wigan and drew with Burton.

This early in the season I would think that most teams fans are wondering how good their team is.

[SKRam]

47 minutes ago, Warren Blufitt said:

Let me tell you we were never the better team against Wigan Ambitious, we were just awful and the pie eaters deserved their win. I have to say though that we gifted them two goals and there wasn’t one player who didn’t have a mare. Against Burton we again gifted them a goal but then got that back through Charles and really should have won. Against Middlesbrough last night we were excellent in the first half but Boro really turned it after the break and showed their class. We actually did well to hold them until injury time the went to sleep and allowed them a late goal and an even sloppier one 3 minutes later so actually I think 3-1 flattered them. As for tomorrow I do expect us to be back to full strength other than Santos missing injured but Toal back as replacement is a bonus. I’m expecting an end to end game because we can both score goals but it could go either way. Whatever happens I still think we’re probably the best two squads in L1 and should be there or thereabouts at the end and clearly we both want automatic this year but I don’t expect the points needed to be as high as last season. We haven’t done that well against you in recent meetings but obviously we’re hoping to change that tomorrow. I don’t think whatever happens it will define either of our seasons but obviously the 3 points will be helpful if either of us get them. We don’t draw that many but it may turn out that way tomorrow and be a decent result for both? 🤔

I can forgive one day out but three come on, you been on the juice early doors 

[Steve Buckley’s Dog]

50 minutes ago, Warren Blufitt said:

Let me tell you we were never the better team against Wigan Ambitious, we were just awful and the pie eaters deserved their win. I have to say though that we gifted them two goals and there wasn’t one player who didn’t have a mare. Against Burton we again gifted them a goal but then got that back through Charles and really should have won. Against Middlesbrough last night we were excellent in the first half but Boro really turned it after the break and showed their class. We actually did well to hold them until injury time the went to sleep and allowed them a late goal and an even sloppier one 3 minutes later so actually I think 3-1 flattered them. As for tomorrow I do expect us to be back to full strength other than Santos missing injured but Toal back as replacement is a bonus. I’m expecting an end to end game because we can both score goals but it could go either way. Whatever happens I still think we’re probably the best two squads in L1 and should be there or thereabouts at the end and clearly we both want automatic this year but I don’t expect the points needed to be as high as last season. We haven’t done that well against you in recent meetings but obviously we’re hoping to change that tomorrow. I don’t think whatever happens it will define either of our seasons but obviously the 3 points will be helpful if either of us get them. We don’t draw that many but it may turn out that way tomorrow and be a decent result for both? 🤔

Tomorrow?

Think we could well be played off the park as we probably won’t turn up. 

[Grumpy Git]

Based on results so far this season, this league is wide open.

You can now all thank me for stating the bleeding obvious.

[Grumpy Git]

2 hours ago, Ambitious said:

Depends what you mean by waste of time, football is the only sport where the better team on the day can often not get the result their performance deserves.

Not if the definition of the 'better team' is the one who score most goals

[Caerphilly Ram]

 

[Anag Ram]

The match thread seems to have taken a backwards step due to the ridiculous excitement of transfer deadline day. 

I just hope that the team isn’t unduly affected by the rumours and uncertainty ahead of what is a hugely important game.

The Cashin situation worries me, because either he won’t be here, meaning our back four will be disrupted, or he will be here, wondering what might have been if the transfer to high-flying Brighton had gone through.

 

[JMC]

Bolton 2 Derby 2 

Frgs Hourihane

 

Ffs.. Wrong thread! 

Edited September 1, 2023 by JMC

[Old Spalding Ram]

Pinched from the Bolton forum.

I don't think Derby are anything special so get the first goal and set the game up nicely. 
 

…………………I’m sure I read the same cunning plan last week on the Posh forum.🐏😂