3 hours ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

Baxter justifying hie return

Two bonuses today - 1.  getting our best keeper back, and he looked well up for it and made 3 great saves, hopefully he stays in the team now.

2. Tomo at left back, outstanding.  Best performance I've seen from him over 90 minutes, at it from 1st minute to last, passing was back to his best, won his challenges, no daft yellow cards, played like a captain, MOM for us by a country mile. 

He can stay left back if he plays like that (leaves us weak in midfield though if we're giving Randall starts).

 

He wasn't left back but I agree he was good today.

Left us shy of bite and body in midfield though. 

Randall and Sheehan can't play in the same 11 together. Ever again.

Sheehan was well off it today.

Watch out Wanderlust I'm coming for you

6 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Two bonuses today - 1.  getting our best keeper back, and he looked well up for it and made 3 great saves, hopefully he stays in the team now.

2. Tomo at left back, outstanding.  Best performance I've seen from him over 90 minutes, at it from 1st minute to last, passing was back to his best, won his challenges, no daft yellow cards, played like a captain, MOM for us by a country mile. 

He can stay left back if he plays like that (leaves us weak in midfield though if we're giving Randall starts).

 

I've often wondered if Tomo could play wing back, when a more defensive edge is required- maybe away.

He can sling in some wicked balls at times.

 

Collings ?    New lad

Edited March 15, 20251 yr by W.cramp

Ran out of ideas,   again leggy and this has been the case since 2nd half at burton.   A good 2 weeks break now and I would hope a refreshed squad for the donkey rashers, we,ll see.   

I still say play offs are a massive bonus and schuey to have an overall in summer. 

2 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

 

The most noticeable difference was the workrate and tempo.

Aye, million miles from what we saw v Brum 

I was convinced we could finish 4th after that

Now we're in a 3 way battle for 6th with the worst GD

Don't play next weekend 

Then have two games we never win

Still 

It can all turn around in a couple of games as we've just seen but the last thing I wanted to see today after that performance was Huddersfield scoring 5

1 minute ago, Zico said:

Aye, million miles from what we saw v Brum 

I was convinced we could finish 4th after that

Now we're in a 3 way battle for 6th with the worst GD

Don't play next weekend 

Then have two games we never win

Still 

It can all turn around in a couple of games as we've just seen but the last thing I wanted to see today after that performance was Huddersfield scoring 5

Our new manager bounce may have come too early with Hudds having theirs at the right time...

 

18 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Our new manager bounce may have come too early with Hudds having theirs at the right time...

 

We needed ours just to still be in contention 

Anyway

I think we'll beat Blackpool and Wigan

And still be 7th

2 hours ago, TroySwoosh said:

Need Santos back

He returned from  injury at Blackpool last season. He conceded a penalty, was sent off and Bolton lost 4-1.

3 hours ago, L/H White said:

Huddersfield and Charlton are winning 

We'll be 6 off 6th tonight 

Playoffs gone 

Terrible week 

We’re only 1 point off play offs (albeit 2 given GD).

50 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Two bonuses today - 1.  getting our best keeper back, and he looked well up for it and made 3 great saves, hopefully he stays in the team now.

2. Tomo at left back, outstanding.  Best performance I've seen from him over 90 minutes, at it from 1st minute to last, passing was back to his best, won his challenges, no daft yellow cards, played like a captain, MOM for us by a country mile. 

He can stay left back if he plays like that (leaves us weak in midfield though if we're giving Randall starts).

 

I think it suits him. My issue with GT (Gonzo don’t go compiling my posts on him!) is mainly his agility and his ability on the ball in tight spaces - both of which I think limit him in a central midfield role where it’s short, sharp passing, playing back and forward and tracking players all around you. You’ve got to have eyes in the back of your head and GT often receives the ball with his head down because he’s concentrating on his touch.

However, he’s got a great engine on him (just not set up for little 2/3 yard bursts), he’s physical, he’s got a wand of a left foot - especially for longer range stuff - and I think he’s got a really good footballing brain.

Put that all together and I think he’d make a decent left back, and he showed some of it today - he definitely didn’t look out of place. The game’s in front of him, he can read it and react to it far more easily and is clearly more than capable of getting forward and putting a decent ball in (he put the cross of the game in today).

Anyway, it’ll be interesting to see if SS perseveres with it. It’s certainly one solution to the Murphy issue and the only other one for me is playing Jones there - but that hurts you because he’d always be looking to come inside.

53 minutes ago, gonzo said:

He wasn't left back but I agree he was good today.

I thought it was left of a back three but either way he was our best player today and made a great fist of the role. Wasn't found out defensively, reliable behind Desmond and the bonus of calmness in possession and good balls forward or into the box.

 

Just felt like Evatt ball all over again. Slow build up, players passing sideways until they got all 11 back, created next to nowt.

Just another loss to some feckin tin pot outfit from down the road. Sick of it tbh.

1 hour ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Bit tough to listen to them giving it that 'who put the ball in the Bolton net, half the fucking team did' chant, then seeing them waltz off with the points again.

In all my 50+ years of watching us I've never seriously thought of Stockport as any sort of rival to us. Where we're at though, I suppose, take it on the chin and strive to make sure we don't hear it again. There might still be a chance to do it at Wembley

Stranger things have happened, Oxford last year after we had battered them

1 hour ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Bit tough to listen to them giving it that 'who put the ball in the Bolton net, half the fucking team did' chant, then seeing them waltz off with the points again.

In all my 50+ years of watching us I've never seriously thought of Stockport as any sort of rival to us. Where we're at though, I suppose, take it on the chin and strive to make sure we don't hear it again. There might still be a chance to do it at Wembley

Even more annoying that they're just a bunch of Man U/Man City fans out for a jolly

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Two bonuses today - 1.  getting our best keeper back, and he looked well up for it and made 3 great saves, hopefully he stays in the team now.

2. Tomo at left back, outstanding.  Best performance I've seen from him over 90 minutes, at it from 1st minute to last, passing was back to his best, won his challenges, no daft yellow cards, played like a captain, MOM for us by a country mile. 

He can stay left back if he plays like that (leaves us weak in midfield though if we're giving Randall starts).

 

I agree he played well, but I just didn't like the whole position. He was LCB and then on the ball moved into midfield. Add to that Tutu is more of a winger then it basically meant Toal and Forino were having to scramble all the time imo.

Just looked like they couldn't get set as a defensive unit and the outcome was Stockport having loads of chances.

Still on course for top 6 despite today feeling like a let down. Will probably help manage expectations with folk talking top 2 in the long run.

Schumacher has done an amazing job so far turning this ship round. Not one of his own signings. 

We miss out on anything it’s due to previous management. 

I’ve felt since SS came in that next season is the one and anything this season is a bonus. The gaff was stinking  out and I don’t think a quick fix exists

Into those turd laden satsumas.

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, gonzo said:

When is Etete back?

(At least we will have an alternative)

Just a shame he's a stump

I got really confused seeing GT play on the left at the back

58 minutes ago, W.cramp said:

I still say play offs are a massive bonus and schuey to have an overall in summer. 

What colour?

 

We are on course to lose a third of our games this season. I’m sure someone will prove me wrong but surely no one goes up with that.

Thought a big problem for us today was not being able to get our wing backs in the game.  Limited our attacking threat.  Probably need to give credit to Stockport and the way they set up, both to prevent Tutu running with the ball, and by nullifying the space in behind for him and JDC to run into.  Anyway, we’re still in touch for the run-in.

11 minutes ago, Bertie said:

Thought a big problem for us today was not being able to get our wing backs in the game.  Limited our attacking threat.  Probably need to give credit to Stockport and the way they set up, both to prevent Tutu running with the ball, and by nullifying the space in behind for him and JDC to run into.  Anyway, we’re still in touch for the run-in.

First half I think they had a bit of joy, but we just didn’t make the most of it.

Their 3 changes at half time were to completely nullify that threat, and they did it perfectly. It’s interesting because as much as I thought they just shaded the first half, the 3 subs and change of shape suggests that they thought we should have been better than we were but just didn’t execute, and they didn’t want to take the chance that we did in the second half - wing backs were the obvious area for that to be the case.

2 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Two bonuses today - 1.  getting our best keeper back, and he looked well up for it and made 3 great saves, hopefully he stays in the team now.

2. Tomo at left back, outstanding.  Best performance I've seen from him over 90 minutes, at it from 1st minute to last, passing was back to his best, won his challenges, no daft yellow cards, played like a captain, MOM for us by a country mile. 

He can stay left back if he plays like that (leaves us weak in midfield though if we're giving Randall starts).

 

I don’t like him fucking about up by the half way line but he did well. 
 

 

17 minutes ago, Eddie said:

First half I think they had a bit of joy, but we just didn’t make the most of it.

Their 3 changes at half time were to completely nullify that threat, and they did it perfectly. It’s interesting because as much as I thought they just shaded the first half, the 3 subs and change of shape suggests that they thought we should have been better than we were but just didn’t execute, and they didn’t want to take the chance that we did in the second half - wing backs were the obvious area for that to be the case.

Spot on, was an eye opener to see those three subs at HT but clearly Challinor had been surprised by our shape, hadn't liked what he'd seen and was right on it. Outcome was Tutu and Cogley figured much less and we lost our way other than that one chance for Collins. 

Having said that, Tutu still managed to be our biggest threat on a day where we struggled to get them into any sort of sweat at the back