Northern White

Wasn't your contact wrong about Braaten?

We've always been hammered a few times each season. It just seems to be the way we are. There are just some matches when the fight doesn't seem to be there. I doubt if LSL had much to do with selection or tactics. If you read the interviews, Big Sam did everythign himself and was totally and soley responsible for where the club is today. Allardyce left us with problems. He didn't leave us in 'great shape' as he likes to say. My guess is that we'll be up and down this season. Under Allardyce, we'd go and win 5 games, then not win for another four. I expect us to be a bit more inconsistent than that.

We have had a quiet defence since the time of Gudni. Bruno, TBH, Meite - don't seem to be great at organising the backline which you would normally expect someone at centre back to be doing. If O'Brien can add a bit of volume and organisation, he can let the others get on with their games. 28 with experience at this level shouldn't be discounted. I'm a big fan of Cid. I think some people are being overly harsh on him. He just needs time to settle and adjust. I saw him in the Peace Cup (granted on TV) and then again against Espanyol and he looked OK. The biggest problem on Saturday was the midfield not getting hold of the ball. All we saw was the ball coming straight back at us - no one is going to shine on a day like that.

There were stories last year that many of the 'senior players' at Bolton didn't think Allardyce could help them to improve their games and that he was rather limited when it came to top player development. You get these stories - mostly rubbish!

FAN WON'T TURN OUT!!!!!! They really wouldn't. We're not that sort of club. IMHO it's the fans who are to blame and not the club. I've never come across such half-hearted fans. Newcastle don't tell their fans to turn-out, they just do it because they care, while the vast majority of Bolton fans are apathetic. It's always been the same. Won the cup in 58 playing in front of 20-something k for league matches. Ridiculous. Not to say that the club shouldn't do more but I bet most other clubs in the top flight have sold lots of tickets for their home friendlies without giving away free beer and the offer of a night with a WAG!

He was fine but his lack of height and an ability to give away silly fouls will prevent him from ever being a great. A good, solid professional who will help Chelsea because he can play right across the backline.

You could have opened up the Reebok for free on Weds night for the Espanyol game and given everyone a pint and a pie and still no one would have come. I think Jimmyjoojar has it right - people look for excuses not to come to support Bolton and not for reasons why they should. BTW There was a press conference last year when Anelka signed. We have held plenty of press conferences in the past. At Newcastle, fans are camped outside from dawn when they know a new player's about to sign. We'd end up with a dog and a can of baked beans (and even the dog would be a scum fan). Bolton fans are few in number. Mind you, nearly every Bolton fan you meet remembers being one of the few back in the old Fourth Division days. Yet our attendances were crap. Either some of the people who said they were there were lying or the club can't count and we must have had 19k+ at every game back then.

We simply cannot compete with other clubs at the top level when it comes to merchandise. We haven't got a huge fan base. The steps the club are taking re: other activities is exactly what we should be doing. We have to grow the brand from scratch (nearly). We haven't got a great record in the modern era that will make people sit up and take notice. We've got to start somewhere. The hotel is one way of getting the message across as well as generating some cash. The tie-in with Reebok is superb. ISM will help. The Chinese deal will help. Until we build our own legacy on and off the pitch, we won't be able to advance.

Given the way we've strengthened. I'm not sure Diouf would be that big a loss, especially if we got a bit of money for him.

Er...in a 4-4-2 Kev Davies will be even more formidable. No way is Diouf going to get onto the team sheet before Davies. That's just not going to happen.

KevDavies - first name on the teamsheet!

It's a completely made up article with no foundation in truth. The Mirror group have got it in for Bolton. They were very pally with Allardyce and I think they'd love nothing better for us to be relegated next season. Don't expect any favours from that rag.