Eddie

That’s a real twist of fate

When did it become such a problem for players to play 2 games in a week? Mansfield played 3 games in 7 days (Barnsley away, Bolton away, Bradford at home), made very few subs and hardly changed the starting 11 with at least 7 players playing all 3 games… and won them all. I bet every one of the 11 that started on Saturday wants to start tomorrow. If there’s injuries then fine, but if not then just send them out again and make subs if you can see some running out of steam. They’re professional athletes in their 20s (mostly) - 7-10km twice in 4 days shouldn’t be such a problematic situation.

His little cameo on Saturday, combined with Burstow continuing to miss chances (he played ok for balance) means I’d give him a start alongside Dalby tomorrow. No other changes. Tutu can come off later on if he’s knackered.

He did a great job! Really liked the way he read them in true announcer style with some emphasis on the surname, rather than just reading as normal. Some achievement to do that to so many people at such a young age (not an easy thing for an adult!)

Out of interest, why couldn’t you see it? Seems like the obvious thing for me, especially away from home. I don’t see why it would just be a one off thing against Wigan - it wouldn’t make sense. Same set up with 1, possibly 2 changes for me. McAtee or Forss in for Burstow Potentially Erhahon in for Simons - although I’d rather leave as much of the team the same as possible.

I’ll put my neck on the line and say that Forss might just prove what he can do if he’s up top with Dalby as a front 2. He’s not a 10, he’s not a winger and he’s not a lone striker, so the previous system really didn’t suit him and he’s looked a bit shit post Wigan. However, he can finish and he’s got some pace so playing off Dalby and finishing chances (id back him to have scored Burstow’s chance yesterday) might just get the best out of him. The more I think about it, the more I think this system suits more of our players than it doesn’t. As others have said, the ability to go back to 4231 is great, and I need to be careful of getting too carried away given how shit Wigan were, but I do think it makes more sense when you look at whether each of the players is more or less comfortable in that system.

25 seconds to go - you see Johnston try and head a bottle that was launched at him, made me chuckle yesterday.

Simons wasn’t defensive yesterday. Sheehan sat as the ‘pivot’ and dictated things. ACD and Simons played ahead of him as 2x 8s. ACD is far more attacking minded and so plays that role in that way. Simons is more of a centre mid and so played the role reflecting it - he wasn’t defensive though, he was playing on the left side ahead of Sheehan with the job of joining Conway and Johnston. That role is absolutely far and away where Dempsey is most effective. It’s made for him and he showed it when he came on. I’m not saying he should start on Tuesday but if that is our new way of playing then it will get the best out of Dempsey. Gale is the one that loses out in this formation. I’m not sure where he fits as I wouldn’t back him to play in that 8 role like ACD can. Maybe he could play off Dalby up top but it’s a stretch.

One of those where with someone of Frank’s calibre and proven ability in the Prem you just know that if he were to still be there in 3 years time they’d be in a far stronger position, but trying to get irrational fans to see that is very hard. If he can’t make it work then I’ve no idea who would and I hope they fail with whoever comes in next.

I agree, although I do think he was generally pretty good (also a couple of Wigan chances that were caused from his poor decisions). For me, if there’s 1 signing that will make the difference between us going up and not then it’s finding a striker that can play off Dalby now that we look like we’ll have 2 up top. It doesn’t need to be a big physical presence, he’ll do that job, just someone who knows where the net is and can create their own chance. I said it before but this generation’s Le Fondre will be the difference between us going up this year or not. Good luck finding them.

I’m just happy and pissed, so could make a case for all of them, but let me be as balanced as I can. Forino - not MOTM, because Wigan were awful going forward, but he did everything he needed to. He’s a complete difference to GJ and Toal in his physicality and gave them absolutely fuck all. Conway - right up there. He’s a wing back, not a full back. GJ and Toal - dunno, they looked good but they generally do against shit teams. Lets see how they do against an actual forward line as a back 3. Tutu - never ever stopped. Did he lose it a couple of times, yes, but did he absolutely tear them to shreds with ACD down that side from the first minute to the last - yep. Their left back looked horrendous - Tutu played his part in that. Sheehan dominated. Bollocks that he was poor in the first half, the forwards just didn’t take advantage. The guy is head and shoulders above a L1 level. Simons got better and grew into it. Really clever runs supporting the left side. Not MoTM but solid. ACD - 6/10 but my god he shits teams up. He’ll be class in this free role. The farmers field he played on didn’t help him but still well worth his place on the pitch. Burstow - worked hard but doesn’t have the quality. A top striker replaces him next to Dalby. Dalby. Big MOTM shout for me. Won countless headers, caused them all sorts of Problems. Effective outball, unlucky not to score. Get a proper striker off him in a front 2 and he might just show us what he can do (I’ve had him in proper carthorse territory before today but he just needs players round him). Anyway - far more than 3 decent players. We hammered them. Should have been 3+. Loads of MOTM shouts. Wigan are going down

That’s one negative fucking view of a dominant away win mate

We really do mate. I’m a fan of Burstow but I said to @caffers after the game - if we’re going 2 up top now then Dalby showed what he can do as the target man, he just needs this generation’s version of Le Fondre playing off him. A proper goalscorer making runs off Dalby and feeding off his knockdowns would have a field day. If he’s going all in on this formation for the rest of the season then finding our version of May / Wells etc. that just knows how to put the ball in the net when given a chance is a must.

532 sounds far less like he’s completely lost the plot 🤣 We’ll shit um

I’m with you, Tom. No way I’m celebrating a draw tomorrow. We’re temporarily a bit shit but they’re full time very shit. This new formation is going to turn us into prime Brazil. They won’t have a fucking clue where ACD is - all just turning round wondering where the fuck he’s gone whizzing past them.

We’ll be walking out of the DW singing “it’s 3 in a row, it’s 3 in a rowwww, you shit Wigan bastards, it’s 3 in a row”

Dalby, all 3. Kicks off a 10 game winning run with this new formation. (If you’ve not got blind optimism as a Bolton fan then there’s no point)

I think we’ll be looking at a replacement, it’s very obvious that we need one. Going to a direct rival on one hand seems daft, but on the other hand I don’t think he’s very good, so he can be not very good for a direct rival. Part of Cogley’s issue in our team was that he was just another part of a very small and weak looking back 4. When you’ve got physically slight / weak centre backs like Toal and GJ (when considered as a 2), putting Cogley next to them just makes it seem so much worse. We all know that a big part of this league is about size, strength, height etc. and when 3 of your back line is JDC, Toal, GJ - you’re not getting promoted. I’m still of the opinion that Forino has to be one of the two centre backs because he’s the only one with any physicality (he has other weaknesses don’t get me wrong) - if we could find a replacement right back that has the physicality of Christie and the legs of Cogley then it would go a long way to improving us defensively. Not wanting to sound like we should bring all of our ex-players back, but just as an example someone like Kioso next to Forino, Toal and Conway would seem like a far more imposing defence in a league full of cloggers.

I’m not sad to see any of them go. Cogley was really solid and reliable for a while but from half way through last season he really dropped off and has looked a shadow of that player since. Teams definitely target him and as @ianofcleveleys says, he’s no full back - he’s not good enough defensively. He was signed as back up and proved to be more than that for a while but he has been a weak link for a while. Forrester we’ve already covered. He might go on to do well but could never put a run of games together. Vic - less said the better. Had a purple patch of about 5 games but was truly awful at football. He was that bad that he didn’t actually get any better whilst injured for a year, which even McAtee is now benefitting from. The keepers were both poor. Rumours that Randall is off to Evatt if our royal correspondent is to be believed (you’ve not been wrong with much to be fair!). That would be another win. Getting rid of these players isn’t the problem, they’re not good enough. The issue is replacing (some of) them with good enough quality and more importantly getting those that are left behind actually playing properly again.

I can’t get worked up about the keeper situation for the reasons others have given. However, losing both of your first team keepers within the space of a week in the middle of a season that were both only signed in the summer is a bit of a shit show. Of course circumstances change, but it doesn’t suggest the best diligence when we signed them in the summer.

5 centre mids is some going, Masi! FWIW I’ve absolutely no clue what our best starting line up or formation is - worryingly, nor do I think our manager does. I am of the opinion that mental strength / physical strength / experience is as important as anything in this fixture and so I think I’d be starting Christie (preferable to Tutu and experienced head) Forino (physicality and our defence looks woeful at the moment) Simons, Erhahon and Sheehan (solidity in midfield where I think the game will be won) Possibly McAtee (he’s one of those that has got better whilst out of the team but the forwards have been shit and he’s a bit of a shithouse) Which I think would mean something like Keeper (no idea which one) Christie Forino Toal Conway Simons Sheehan Erhahon ACD Burstow McAtee Height at the back, solid in midfield, free rein for ACD and energy up top. They’ll expect wingers, we surprise them and then bring Gale, Dempsey and Dalby on in the second half to switch to wingers (keep ACD on) to run at knackered legs. Easy being a manager

They do, but they also need to do their part on the pitch. It can’t be one way, they need to give us something to get behind - even if it’s just some big tackles, someone charging the full back down at 100mph and blocking the clearance (ie Kev Davies). Take it upon yourself to get the fans on side and you’ll get it in spades. Slowly passing our way from the wings back to the keeper via 60 different passes, followed by a boot up field and losing the header (rinse and repeat) will not get the fans going for an early kick off on the current run.

I’m a bit conflicted on this. On one hand, I agree that from that still image you can see this his back foot is planted about 10cm offside compared to the keeper’s foot - offside. On the other hand, it’s only due to the introduction of VAR that we have now come to think that calling that offside is normal. If you play it at normal speed there is not even a suggestion it’s offside. Even if you look at the still image - they’re all in a line, in fact the defender is actually between Haaland and the goal, it just so happens that at that very second Haaland’s foot is ever so slightly in the ‘wrong’ place because they’re doing the usual wrestling. Prior to VAR you could show that image to 100 football fans and you’d do well to find 1 that could tell you why it’s offside. You’ll never get away from what should be classed as offside and what shouldn’t, because there will always be that tipping point where it goes from obvious to not obvious, and I understand that some will just say “well it’s offside, so it should be given” - I just don’t think it in any way improves the game and for me any changes to the game should be only for that purpose.

For balance (and I’m not sure I even believe there’s balance given the run it is a part of but I’ll say it anyway) The wins in this cup have been meaningless. We’ve looked like the best team on the planet at times (eg. v Bradford) but it hasn’t translated to the league. The players don’t care about these games, you can’t artificially create that extra 5-10% that a genuinely competitive game has. Maybe they should be able to, it’s their job at the end of the day, but the games in this cup are garbage, whether you win or lose. In isolation, I wouldn’t look too much into it. However, as part of the longer run and with questions around whether the players are still with him, it’s probably another nail in the coffin regardless as to whether it means anything.

It’s just never been offside. Nobody watching that goal thinks it’s offside, nobody watching a replay thinks it’s offside - yet 4 minutes of forensically dissecting some blurry images finds a way to say that technically, by the absolute letter of the law we’ve found a way to disallow it. It’s just shite. Every football fan knows that VAR is the worst thing that’s ever happened to the game.