I'm Back

Three results to catch up on while I’ve been away. Bolton beat a very off-colour Manchester City 2-0 at the Reebok with a Ricardo Gardner goal and an own goal by Richard Dunne. Then a week later Bolton won 1-0 away at Hull City, mainly due to a heroic performance from Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Then today Bolton lost 2-0 at home to Liverpool. Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring in the first half and Gary Cahill had the ball in the net just before half time to equalise, only to see the goal disallowed by Rob Styles. Styles later explained that he had disallowed the goal because Bolton had had three players in the Liverpool six yard box when the corner which Cahill scored from was taken. Which is interesting, because that’s a rule nobody seems to have ever heard of before. Gerrard scored the second goal late on after Andy O’Brien made an absolute hash of trying to defend against Fernando Torres.

So, if anyone wants to pay for me to go away again, I’m sure Bolton will win another couple of games...

Goals from the Manchester and Hull games are here.

While I Remember

I’m out of the country from this Sunday morning until the Sunday after. So there’ll be no updates for the next week. When I’m back I’ll post any goals from the Man City and Hull games, assuming we manage to score any.

Utterly Awful : Take 2

Gary Megson, to his credit, made a positive change last night; Gavin McCann was suspended due to his weekend red card and was replaced by the far more forward thinking Mustapha Riga for the midweek game against Everton. In fact, Megson switched to a classic 4-4-2, with Davies and Elmander playing as a pair up front.

However, it didn’t do any good. Despite some good, positive play - especially in the first half hour - Wanderers proved inept in front of goal and lost to an injury time header from current flavour of the month
Marouane Fellaini. It has to be said also that Megson was partly culpable in not being proactive - we lost a game 1-0 to an injury time goal without having made any substitutions and still playing the same formation and tactics as the game kicked off with. If a manager can’t or won’t try to affect what’s happening on the pitch, is there any point him being in the dugout rather than sat in the stands?

Oh Good Grief

Sometimes, you know when a day just isn’t going to go well. I knew Sunday wasn’t going to go well when my clock radio woke me up at some stupid time for a Sunday morning because it hadn’t adjusted from Summer time. Not only that, I had the flu and I felt rather bad. So when the clock radio news told me Spurs had sacked their manager about 12 hours before playing Bolton, I thought it was some kind of feverish delusion.
Turns out it wasn’t. Spurs sacked Juande Ramos and got in Harry Redknapp. Which was good for them, because frankly Ramos didn’t seem to have a clue. Bad for Bolton, because the people they got to pick the team on Sunday (Clive Allen, apparently) did.
The result is Spurs 2-0 Bolton, with Gavin McCann getting himself sent off into the bargain. And although Spurs were better than the shambles they had been, apparently Bolton were
utterly awful.

An update at last

While I was away Bolton played two games and gained four points. The managed a very good 3-1 away win at West Ham - although Robert Green handed Kevin Davies the opening goal, the third goal by Matthew Taylor was a genuine cracker. Then yesterday Bolton played out a home derby against Blackburn at a rainy Reebok, the game ending in a 0-0 draw.

The movies of the goals from the West Ham game are available
here.

Away again

Just to give you some warning this time, I’m away next weekend. There will be an update in the week after.

Ludicrous Penalty Decision Sets Bolton On Path To Old Trafford Loss

Bolton lost 2-0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford yesterday. They again played well and had kept United at arms length for an hour until Rob Styles made one of the worst refreeing decisions in some time (in favour of United. At Old Trafford. Who’d have believed it eh?) when he gave United a penalty despite JLloyd Samuel executing a textbook perfect tackle on Christiano Ronaldo. After the hue & cry about Davis’s tackle against Arsenal, you wonder why Bolton players even bother to try to challenge for the ball. Maybe we should take up basketball instead? The second goal by Wayne Rooney was, you have to admit, a very good strike.

Bolton’s best chance fell to Fabrice Muamba, who managed to sidefoot wide from about 5 yards out just before half time.

Back On The Air

Apologies for the lack of updates. I’ve been away, in Brussels of all places. While I was away Bolton played two games. They played very badly away at Fulham and lost 2-1, with Kevin Davies scoring a late consolation goal. They then played very well at home to Arsenal and lost 3-1, which is maybe an illustration of how far the Big Four are ahead of everyone else. Ebi Smolarek made his debut against Arsenal and looked pretty good, in my opinion.

The goals can be downloaded
here.

Polish Striker Due Before Deadline

The transfer windows closea at midnight Monday and so far the only ‘late business’ Bolton seem to be involved in is a ‘loan swap’ with Racing Santander - Ricardo Vaz Te will got to Racing on a year’s loan while Polish international striker Ebi Smolarek will come to the Reebok. Bolton have the option to buy at the end of the deal. I haven’t been able to confirm if the same is true of Racing although you’d imagine if they made an offer for Vaz Te Bolton may well accept - while the Portuguese striker is certainly talented, he doesn’t seem to have been able to make a strong impression at the Reebok and both parties may be suited by a transfer.

Scoreless Against the Baggies

Bolton drew 0-0 with West Brom at the Reebok yesterday although lord only knows how. Bolton had at least two strong claims for a penalty turned down along with two goals disallowed. Baggies midfielder Kim hit a 25 yard rocket against the Bolton bar that appeared to me to bounce down over the line and Ishmael Miller fluffed an easy finish from the rebound.