Cambridge United (A)

[Mounts Kipper]

7 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Dropping Maghoma immediately reduces our goal threat.  Not saying that's the only consideration but its one of them, we aren't getting many from any other midfielders (aside from CMG, if he counts).

Dropping him strengthens our defensive capabilities, and we’re going to need some steel next 2 games so I hope he’s no where near the starting 11. 

[masi 51]

3 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Dropping Maghoma immediately reduces our goal threat.  Not saying that's the only consideration but its one of them, we aren't getting many from any other midfielders (aside from CMG, if he counts).

Play Thomason at Blackpool and either Gomas or Collins in the 10......Looks like Santos may be back so i would push Sheehan a little more forward

 

[captainmed]

4 minutes ago, Casino said:

Spot on

Retirements good for you!

Correct.

It means I can have a few more beers on a Tuesday night.

😎

[Lostock Whites]

How lucky are we to have Josh Sheehan? As many opponent fans have pointed out as well, he's probably the best CM in the league.

That was his 9th assist of the season, joint with Collins now.

I thought we have played well in both our last 2 games, controlled and dominated the game.

But I agree, we really need to be switched on from the 1st minute and stop giving an advantage to the opposition. We've given away sloppy 1st half goals in 4 of our last 5.

Tonight is a massive result. Got 2 tough Derby away fixtures to come, 4 points from them would be great in my opinion.

Saturday brings also tough games for our promotion rivals. Pompey got to go to Charlton, who are now more motivated as we have seen under Nathan Jones. Derby away at Barnsley.

Blackpool got schooled at home tonight to an out of form Posh, will want to respond but we can surely believe that we can beat them. 

Rico will be back and we've got options all over to change and make a difference

Let's do this !

Edited February 20 by Lostock Whites

[Eddie]

6 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Play Thomason at Blackpool and either Gomas or Collins in the 10......Looks like Santos may be back so i would push Sheehan a little more forward

 

No offence but that’s exactly why you’re not a football manager.

Pushing Sheehan forward is an absolute no no, no other player can play that role, especially not GT (as proven earlier in the year).

We don’t have a 10, so playing Collins in midfield would essentially give us 1 less midfielder and Sheehan and GT would be pulled all over the place!

There will be changes but I can guarantee that Sheehan will play exactly where he has for the last 25 games and neither Collins nor CMG will be in midfield.

[captainmed]

10 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Play Thomason at Blackpool and either Gomas or Collins in the 10......Looks like Santos may be back so i would push Sheehan a little more forward

 

I’m Young George’s biggest fan but I can’t see IE starting him in a powder keg of a game, especially after an away win.

Sheehan won’t be able to start all these games neither I would guess. 

Edited February 20 by captainmed

[desperado]

17 minutes ago, Eddie said:

he’s one of our own…”

Brilliant that - credit to those away fans, love it.

Can’t wait for Saturday. Told you there were some special moments to come. That’s just part one.

Look out for more 👏👏

[Lostock Whites]

4 minutes ago, desperado said:

Brilliant that - credit to those away fans, love it.

Can’t wait for Saturday. Told you there were some special moments to come. That’s just part one.

Look out for more 👏👏

I loved that too.

It can only help be being positive and supporting our players instead of getting on their backs.

Coleman is a Bolton lad and has barely put a foot wrong, let's get behind him.

[Burndens Bogs]

Coleman played well, as did Dempsey.

Sheehan MoM, he’s our pint sized Pirlo.

[burnden]

 

[Wanderlust]

Sheehan’s pass was superb but seeing as he is given the ball 10 times more than any other player I was just glad he got one right in the end following so many over hit passes especially in the first half albeit not just by him. Not a popular view I know but it’s his job FFS. And maybe that’s why we just weren’t ticking early doors because the final ball was missing in the first half. That said we stepped it up and found another gear after HT and finally showed why we are contenders.

But can anyone honestly say that they didn’t feel at least a bit nervous the way the game was going? Personally I was shitting myself until we upped our game.

The thing is that we have a great squad but we sure as hell don’t make it easy on ourselves and I long for the days when we have a comfortable win.

[Spider]

I didn’t see the game tonight.

But I notice Bodvarsson started.

I hope he proved me wrong.

[masi 51]

18 hours ago, Eddie said:

No offence but that’s exactly why you’re not a football manager.

Pushing Sheehan forward is an absolute no no, no other player can play that role, especially not GT (as proven earlier in the year).

We don’t have a 10, so playing Collins in midfield would essentially give us 1 less midfielder and Sheehan and GT would be pulled all over the place!

There will be changes but I can guarantee that Sheehan will play exactly where he has for the last 25 games and neither Collins nor CMG will be in midfield.

I would agree with a lot of what you say, but the return of Santos would make Sheehan less influential. No Santos you leave Sheehan were he is. The only pace we have upfront at the moment is Vic who does not warrant a start. Bod, Collins and Gomes lack real pace but all have a football brain and can play in the number 10 or the false 9 which Evatt played Gomes tonight

Gomes played at the top of a spear head in midfield tonight as Evatt said in the post match interview

Guess that is why you are also not a Manager.

Without Charles Evatt has tweaked our forward play

Will wait for Saturdays team with interest

Edited February 21 by masi 51

[desperado]

8 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

I long for the days when we have a comfortable win.

Look at our best season ever. Even then it was nip and tuck round about the same time of the season. You right us off way too early in a game and expect perfection. It’s real life it doesn’t happen that way.

29 January 1997	Stoke City	A	2 – 1	Pollock 28', McGinlay54'	15,645
1 February 1997	Birmingham City	H	2 – 1	Pollock 29', McGinlay78'(pen)	16,737
8 February 1997	Reading	A	2 – 3	Thompson61', McGinlay64'	10,739
15 February 1997	Sheffield United	H	2 – 2	Paatelainen4', Fairclough20'	17,922
22 February 1997	Huddersfield Town	A	2 – 1	Fairclough22', Taggart 47'	16,061
2 March 1997	West Bromwich Albion	H	1 – 0	Blake 34'	13,258
4 March 1997	Crystal Palace	A	1 – 1	Fairclough90'	16,035
15 March 1997	Ipswich Town	A	1 – 0	McGinlay

[Traf]

58 minutes ago, CambridgeBWFC said:

Sheehan was absolutely class, and he was finding space as Dempsey was dragging their defence and midfield all over the place. 

This is absolutely key.

It has been said quite often that Sheehan isn't tough enough or can't operate when it's physical, but that's because the other midfielders haven't shielded him well enough or created the space for him to play in often enough in those games.

[Jol_BWFC]

16 minutes ago, Spider said:

I didn’t see the game tonight.

But I notice Bodvarsson started.

I hope he proved me wrong.

Just got back home from the game. Like the team’s performance, the support felt a bit flat first half. Great in the second half. Fantastic celebrations after the game.

JDB had very little service, but did little to justify his place in the starting line up. Presume he’ll be dropped on Saturday and he probably couldn’t argue.

[Spider]

1 minute ago, Jol_BWFC said:

Just got back home from the game. Like the team’s performance, the support felt a bit flat first half. Great in the second half. Fantastic celebrations after the game.

JDB had very little service, but did little to justify his place in the starting line up. Presume he’ll be dropped on Saturday and he probably couldn’t argue.

Nailed on to score the winner as sub this weekend.

Trust the process 😎

[wiggy]

Well that was your classic game of 2 halves. Wouldn’t question the effort, but felt like nothing at all went right in the first half. Just one mistake after another. Looked a completely different team in the second half and more than deserved the win. Evatt certainly earned his wages at half time.

[TM Trotter]

19 minutes ago, Jol_BWFC said:

Just got back home from the game. Like the team’s performance, the support felt a bit flat first half. Great in the second half. Fantastic celebrations after the game.

JDB had very little service, but did little to justify his place in the starting line up. Presume he’ll be dropped on Saturday and he probably couldn’t argue.

I love JDB, as many do. But my god he's got so much more to offer when he's coming on in the last 20.

Deserved win in the end. Doesn't matter how we get there; we did. Quietly excited for the derby games. 

[Casino]

Often said I love watching him

Really talented lad but almost always at his best at the end of games

Tonight, wasnt his best, but he had 2 chances and hit both well

Still prefer him coming on late

Hes a game changer

[jayjayoghani]

Sheehan + Mendes Gomes > McDermott + Dalglish. 

[Biggish Dave]

All be said, I'm sure but what a great win. Doing it doggy style away is bloody tough but we found a way.

I'm never sure why Dempsey spends plenty of the 1st half left and Maghoma right when both are more comfortable the other way around but I'm sure there's a reason.

Chuffed to see CMG score again. Get him confident and a run in the team, we have something different.

Whether it was an instruction or on field decision, we looked much better playing out quicker from the back 2nd half. Coleman didn't look anywhere near as jittery so if this continues, Baxter being out might not be too disastrous afterall.

And THAT pass - if De  Bruyne drops that in for Haaland, sky are tugging themselves red raw for weeks. Pure class.

We're going up, I tell thee

[paulhanley]

That's the type of win promotion winners achieve. A goal down at HT against a scrapping side with a frustrating home draw in the previous game. A side with less character would have lost 1-0 or snatched an equaliser and settled for the draw. 

I hope we can carry that same spirit (with folk like Santos and Forrester back on board) in to Saturday and next Tuesday, we will need to do so.

[CambridgeBWFC]

6 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

Sheehan’s pass was superb but seeing as he is given the ball 10 times more than any other player I was just glad he got one right in the end following so many over hit passes especially in the first half albeit not just by him. Not a popular view I know but it’s his job FFS. And maybe that’s why we just weren’t ticking early doors because the final ball was missing in the first half. That said we stepped it up and found another gear after HT and finally showed why we are contenders.

But can anyone honestly say that they didn’t feel at least a bit nervous the way the game was going? Personally I was shitting myself until we upped our game.

The thing is that we have a great squad but we sure as hell don’t make it easy on ourselves and I long for the days when we have a comfortable win.

Yes it his job and yes he had a less influential first half, but 2nd half he was magnificent,  he is the best midfielder in this division and the best midfielder we have had in a long while, yet still you are not happy! First half the lack of movement from others limited him, give him options and create the space for him and he will continue to destroy teams. 

And I can honestly say I was not nervous the way the game was going, we dominated throughout. As said first half we were too static, and it was frustrating,  but as soon as we kicked off 2nd half you could see that changed. Once we got a lead we turned it down and controlled it to conserve our energy, with 2 massive games coming up, we would have been knackered playing at the intensity of that ~20 minute period in the 2nd half. They had nothing of note until we nearly handed them something on a plate, something we do need to cut out. 

But even then I had no real concern we couldn't have upped it again and pushed for another if needed.

I know we all see it differently,  but your glass isn't even half empty, and it seems you can't wait to get on the opponents board to blow some smoke up their arse. Try watching it from a Bolton perspective without worrying what compliments you can give the opposition fans, it might look a little different.

[Wanderlust]

6 hours ago, desperado said:

Look at our best season ever. Even then it was nip and tuck round about the same time of the season. You right us off way too early in a game and expect perfection. It’s real life it doesn’t happen that way.

29 January 1997	Stoke City	A	2 – 1	Pollock 28', McGinlay54'	15,645
1 February 1997	Birmingham City	H	2 – 1	Pollock 29', McGinlay78'(pen)	16,737
8 February 1997	Reading	A	2 – 3	Thompson61', McGinlay64'	10,739
15 February 1997	Sheffield United	H	2 – 2	Paatelainen4', Fairclough20'	17,922
22 February 1997	Huddersfield Town	A	2 – 1	Fairclough22', Taggart 47'	16,061
2 March 1997	West Bromwich Albion	H	1 – 0	Blake 34'	13,258
4 March 1997	Crystal Palace	A	1 – 1	Fairclough90'	16,035
15 March 1997	Ipswich Town	A	1 – 0	McGinlay

Wrong amigo. I never write us off and I don’t expect perfection and I know it doesn’t happen that way.

I just know there are times we are way below par and we get ourselves into trouble - sometimes unnecessarily- but I know our players can do a lot better because I’ve been lucky enough to see them play better. 

If we were just shit all the time i wouldn’t bother  but we’re not so it bugs me when we perform badly.