@gonzo made a comment on other thread about us now and then. So compare Papa Johns team v yesterday, I know we might have injuries now but the comparison is scary. Fair to say we were better at loans then 

Keeper then Trafford now Baxter massive drop in quality and attitude. 

Centre halves then - prime santos ( think he did his calf climbing them steps ) Toal pre injury (just !) and Jones only survivor 

Now - Johnston, Firino and Jones - all 3 are imo lesser players than we had then. Jones is half the player he was

wing backs then Bradley and Declan John. Now JDC and Murphy. Bradley impossible act to follow, Murphy is just struggling so DJ was a better player imo

Midfield then - Sheehan Morley and Dempsey. Now Matete, Sharples Ahmed and Legohead. Clearly hit by injuries now as 3 were missing yesterday 

upfront Collins and Big Dave - Then Kachunga and Dion. Collins might be the only one I would take from yesterday although Kachunga had a great game at Wembley. No disrespect to big Dave but he is still a kid . 
 

IMO we are weaker in 10 out of 11 positions in 18 months. Hampered by injury and the team then was boosted by 2 exceptional loan signings but the overall drop off is shocking. 

We all know that the team lacks speed, physicality and some players with a winning attitude. But I find it hard to believe that an under 18 player is chosen, as he can get his body in front of the defender, control it and lay it off. Basic stuff. First teamers must be aware of this and have the professionalism to take note. Players like Macatee would have been doing these basics for years. Is it a too simple to ask him to practise this in training and bring it on the pitch? The same for Lolos, Vic or even Dan. The same with heading, is it also too much to ask for midfielders or defenders to pass the ball chest high if they can't win or unable/unwilling to jump for a header?

We saw some really bad players in the 80's but I think most of them could do the basics most of the time. I cannot accept that the players mentioned above and some more are in the category of the complete tripe we saw under Managers such as Wright and Neal, the same for onion man and others.

 

 

26 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I think @thebells has intimated before that SS will be given money to spend

Yep. For clarity, the 'budget' may cover a combination of wages / fees. But i was told when we took the job it was on the understanding he'd have a competitive (top end) League One budget. I do think he may look to trade as well as this, and possibly even cut some costs on one or two players. 

It was mentioned last week that Fergal was 'negotiating' the exact budget with the board, and i'd imagine the ideal scenario would be a 'promised' fund for fees and an overall wage budget which gives him enough room to potentially freeze players out who refuse to leave!

The second part is me speculating. But the first part i was told, and we should be one of the top paying League One clubs next season!

 

2 hours ago, thebells said:

Yep. For clarity, the 'budget' may cover a combination of wages / fees. But i was told when we took the job it was on the understanding he'd have a competitive (top end) League One budget. I do think he may look to trade as well as this, and possibly even cut some costs on one or two players. 

It was mentioned last week that Fergal was 'negotiating' the exact budget with the board, and i'd imagine the ideal scenario would be a 'promised' fund for fees and an overall wage budget which gives him enough room to potentially freeze players out who refuse to leave!

The second part is me speculating. But the first part i was told, and we should be one of the top paying League One clubs next season!

 

Further to that though, he probably thought he was inheriting a decent squad and collection of players 

I suspect he know has a lower opinion of them and the size of the task has got a whole lot tougher 

So whatever he was promised, he'll probably need more 

 

3 hours ago, thebells said:

Yep. For clarity, the 'budget' may cover a combination of wages / fees. But i was told when we took the job it was on the understanding he'd have a competitive (top end) League One budget. I do think he may look to trade as well as this, and possibly even cut some costs on one or two players. 

It was mentioned last week that Fergal was 'negotiating' the exact budget with the board, and i'd imagine the ideal scenario would be a 'promised' fund for fees and an overall wage budget which gives him enough room to potentially freeze players out who refuse to leave!

The second part is me speculating. But the first part i was told, and we should be one of the top paying League One clubs next season!

 

That's all good stuff to hear but we just need rid a few more than those out of contract to create the culture change we so plainly require and get the required number of different players in to the mix to tip the balance. We also need to sell a few to balance budgets a bit.

1 hour ago, Zico said:

Further to that though, he probably thought he was inheriting a decent squad and collection of players 

I suspect he know has a lower opinion of them and the size of the task has got a whole lot tougher 

So whatever he was promised, he'll probably need more 

 

100%. I think he’s pretty much said that hasn’t he?

Not sure how the internal mechanisms work but I’m sure he’ll be asking for more. As @paulhanley said, culture change is the big thing. 

I’m not one of those who thinks there needs to be wholesale personnel changes, but I long for the days of Taggart, Pollock, McGinlay et al. 

If SS ever wants to know what type of team Bolton fans want, he just needs to watch that Wolves 3-0 game 

Id settle for the 2025 versions of wheater and beevers next season. We'd certainly concede less and they throw in 10-15 goals at the other end over a season. 

Some steel with a side order of panache in centre mid....connell....lincoln dude 

And 3 fast busy strong fuckers flying around in a front 3.

And £1 bottles of fosters in the tunnels for us cunts that rock up week to week

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by auckland_bwfc

5 hours ago, thebells said:

was mentioned last week that Fergal was 'negotiating' the exact budget with the board, and i'd imagine the ideal scenario would be a 'promised' fund for fees and an overall wage budget which gives him enough room to potentially freeze players out who refuse to leave!

I just can’t see there being enough scope to freeze players out you would be talking about nearly doubling the debt again . May be one or two could go out on loan and we help foot the bill at best

.if they stay  The problem with freezing players out is they will be disruptive in training they still have to turn up to get paid but knowing there not in the 22 man squad. Unfortunately unless you find a buyer it won’t work 

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by Farnywhite

1 hour ago, thebells said:

100%. I think he’s pretty much said that hasn’t he?

Not sure how the internal mechanisms work but I’m sure he’ll be asking for more. As @paulhanley said, culture change is the big thing. 

I’m not one of those who thinks there needs to be wholesale personnel changes, but I long for the days of Taggart, Pollock, McGinlay et al. 

If SS ever wants to know what type of team Bolton fans want, he just needs to watch that Wolves 3-0 game 

I think you're spot on when you say we need a culture change

Bear in mind plenty in this squad couldn't be arsed with training

How it ever came to that I don't know 

 

1 minute ago, Zico said:

I think you're spot on when you say we need a culture change

Bear in mind plenty in this squad couldn't be arsed with training

How it ever came to that I don't know 

 

Totally agree. And culture comes from the top down usually doesn’t it. When the man in charge of that group of employees can’t behave in a consistent and correct way, it’s hard to hold the rest of them accountable. And when he’s created an old boys club, it’s even harder.   

I don’t know, but I reckon SS will have had plenty of battles just resetting standards. 

Also think a few ‘professional’ players can really turn this squad around. 

Switched off from it all a bit this week. Just felt depressed by the state of this squad and the mentality. I think a lot of our fans knew this back in January. But I honestly felt they were good enough to make the playoffs under a new manager. SS speaking about his shock about the players, and the level of improvement needed was a wake up call for me. 

Massive shout out to everyone who has put the constant miles in this season, especially those going tomorrow.

Going to be an interesting summer to say the least. Wouldn't be surprised if it takes us a couple more seasons, but with the right bodies and coaching we could be right up there come this time next year. 

Edited April 25, 20251 yr by London Wanderer

I'm all for being rid of the lame & lazy but there's more to it than binning people off.

Man management, plus having a fckg clue what to do with the players will help. 

Randall for example. He can't have become a poor player overnight. But he's one of three #10's.

Tutu & Shone are decent players, just use them properly.

Sheehan, Dempsey, Thomo can all play.

Finally, fitness. I've no idea what training methods Evatt used but players broke down far too easily this season. Getting players fit, keeping them fit & stopping doing whatever it is Evatt did to have so many break down

 

I’m in no doubt Schumacher has fallen out with a few of em. I 100% support him as he’s driving the standards we all want. He has form for it.

Let’s cut the nonsense on rebuilding over a few years though. This needs doing next season. The efforts the club have made to re engage a fan base (to the best it’s ever been at this level) will fall off a cliff if we don’t go up next season.

I have full confidence in him to land this and as someone who doesn’t believe we need a whole new squad, I think it’s more than achievable. Genuinely quite excited at what Fergal will bring. His CV looks well above a 3rd division club.

10 hours ago, Zico said:

I think you're spot on when you say we need a culture change

Bear in mind plenty in this squad couldn't be arsed with training

How it ever came to that I don't know 

 

I'd like to think given the obvious anger SS has shown after the last couple of games, he'll get stuck into them over the summer and any shirkers won't have a hiding place.

Been an absolute collapse but the good thing is he knows exactly what is needed now.

We've lived through this before at BWFC.

Everybody states the classic example as Bruce Rioch taking over from Phil Neal and there was certainly a culture change and style of play change there.

The classic example here though is surely Big Sam taking over from Colin Todd. The 96/7 side molded by Todd had absolutely everything. But then he lost touch with those principles and we ended up with a physically weak side, particularly in midfield. Along came Sam and created a mentally and physically strong squad that got us out of the Championship and then kept us in the Prem. 

As others have said there's a formula for getting out of League 1. Do the basics very well with good players not deployed as square pegs in round holes. Don't be physically weak, have a plan B if things start going wrong on any given day. Pragmatic stuff. Don't get too clever and over-complicate.

I do think we are in the right hands for delivering the above. 

Every single one of us was right about Evatt weren't we! And from quite some way out. Lost time. 

Edited April 26, 20251 yr by paulhanley

13 hours ago, auckland_bwfc said:

Id settle for the 2025 versions of wheater and beevers next season. We'd certainly concede less and they throw in 10-15 goals at the other end over a season. 

Some steel with a side order of panache in centre mid....connell....lincoln dude 

And 3 fast busy strong fuckers flying around in a front 3.

And £1 bottles of fosters in the tunnels for us cunts that rock up week to week

That was going so well until.. Fosters 🥴

2 hours ago, Ros Coe said:

That was going so well until.. Fosters 🥴

Ha... didn't want to ask for too much in one thread. The premium stuff at 1.50 a bottle I'll settle for 🍺 

3 hours ago, paulhanley said:

Everybody states the classic example as Bruce Rioch taking over from Phil Neal and there was certainly a culture change and style of play change there.

The classic example here though is surely Big Sam taking over from Colin Todd. The 96/7 side molded by Todd had absolutely everything. But then he lost touch with those principles and we ended up with a physically weak side, particularly in midfield. Along came Sam and created a mentally and physically strong squad that got us out of the Championship and then kept us in the Prem. 

the Phil neal side had players who grafted but lacked the quality so when that was added walker , Mcginley , Lee it changed the Todd side had players that had played at a higher level but needed like you say more physicality and play more direct  when  Sam came in . 
 

this side doesn’t have one or the other just to add to . it doesn’t have the grafters of the neal side to just add quality and it doesn’t have players that have played at a higher level of the Todd side . There miles of it for me it’s a minimum of 2 transfer windows to shake this up and players contract ending you need big money to do a Pompey and Ipswich to switch it in one window 

Edited April 26, 20251 yr by Farnywhite