Someone tweeted Gartside earlier asking if there was any truth in the Thiago rumous, to which he replies 'why not'.

 

Make of that what you will.

Someone tweeted Gartside earlier asking if there was any truth in the Thiago rumous, to which he replies 'why not'.

 

Make of that what you will.

 

its nailed on if he has the fax in his pocket

its nailed on if he has the fax in his pocket

 

Come on Frandsen move with the times its a printed email these days

Someone tweeted Gartside earlier asking if there was any truth in the Thiago rumous, to which he replies 'why not'.

 

Make of that what you will.

 

 

just as the season ticket deadline ends

I get all sorts of abuse from my cockney colleague for tucking into Ye Olde Pastie Shoppe's finest.

 

I work in Manchester and pasty barms get brought up about 8 times a day and in Bolton all we do is put things on barms.

Having players comfortable on the ball and with decent movement will help us keep the ball a lot better. Its a big if but if we add the spanish lad to holden and chungy theres three players decent on the ball which will make a difference to the defence and attack imo.

 

Would be a miracle if we get him but its the right type of player we should be looking at imo.

 

 

where does mark davies?

 

 

hes as comfortable on the ball as ive ever seen, but is he actually any good?

where does mark davies?

 

 

hes as comfortable on the ball as ive ever seen, but is he actually any good?

 

I think he is the best "Footballer" at the club if that makes sense? Its just keeping the lad fit

where does mark davies?

 

 

hes as comfortable on the ball as ive ever seen, but is he actually any good?

 

He is good enough imo but never seems to be fit enough to stay in the starting 11 for a long period. He is a good player to have in the squad though imo. One of our main fuck ups last season was giving the ball away high up the pitch then getting caught out. Improving our ball retention could be a way of improving us in both attack and defence.

 

Sounds a lot easier than it actually is I know but we have to try

Mark Davies is a fantastic footballer IMO but falls in to that horrible category of "how do I get him in my system" similar to Joe Cole for me he's not combative enough to play as a centre midfield 2 so you'd have to sacrifice a striker to put him just behind a target man which Coyle clearly isn't keen on - if we've got Holden, Pratley, Muamba, Alacantra, S Davies, M Davies for 2 centre midfield spots some good players will be left out

I still think he'd make a decent wide midfielder

 

And we need midfielders, not just wingers

He is good enough imo but never seems to be fit enough to stay in the starting 11 for a long period. He is a good player to have in the squad though imo. One of our main fuck ups last season was giving the ball away high up the pitch then getting caught out. Improving our ball retention could be a way of improving us in both attack and defence.

 

Sounds a lot easier than it actually is I know but we have to try

 

It's true and a good point that is often forgotten.

 

Everone just seems to point out the mistakes our defence makes (not that they don't, mind) but too often the ball is needlessly given away further up the pitch.

 

Neither Muamba nor Taylor are comfortable with the ball at their feet and just want to get rid of it as soon as they possibly can.

 

If the opponents don't have the ball then they can't score, but too often we just gift them posession. We showed signs of improvement last season, but as the season went on we reverted back to bad old habits.

i can't be arsed arguing muambas merits

 

but

 

im not sure how have thiago and holden, good as they are, stacks up against a midfield 3 equally capable footballers

 

if he insists on playing 4-4-2, we're fcuked

i can't be arsed arguing muambas merits

 

but

 

im not sure how have thiago and holden, good as they are, stacks up against a midfield 3 equally capable footballers

 

if he insists on playing 4-4-2, we're fcuked

 

Only if it is played home and away regardless of who we are playing.

i can't be arsed arguing muambas merits

 

but

 

im not sure how have thiago and holden, good as they are, stacks up against a midfield 3 equally capable footballers

 

if he insists on playing 4-4-2, we're fcuked

 

I agree, entirely.

 

I think there IS a place for Muamba in our midfield... but not as part of a central pairing in a 4-4-2.

 

A central three of, say, Holden, Thiago and Muamba sat behind them could be fantastic.

 

... but we'll not be signing Thiago anyway.

 

But, and if he can ever get/stay fit, then M.Davies alongside Holden with Muamba sat behind still appeals massively.

 

The problem could well be Coyle here though. Will he be willing to try something different this season rather than just throwing another striker if needs be?

I agree, entirely.

 

I think there IS a place for Muamba in our midfield... but not as part of a central pairing in a 4-4-2.

 

A central three of, say, Holden, Thiago and Muamba sat behind them could be fantastic.

 

... but we'll not be signing Thiago anyway.

 

But, and if he can ever get/stay fit, then M.Davies alongside Holden with Muamba sat behind still appeals massively.

 

The problem could well be Coyle here though. Will he be willing to try something different this season rather than just throwing another striker if needs be?

Agree with nmost of that

 

But, I would also add that I reckon Muamba could play in the middle of a 4-4-2 as long as your wide players get up and down and are true midfielders

 

If you have Chungy and Petrov, anyone would struggle as a central pairing as they get dragged away so often to be seen as out of position to cover elsewhere

But, I would also add that I reckon Muamba could play in the middle of a 4-4-2 as long as your wide players get up and down and are true midfielders

 

I know this is a tired argument and that there are facts out there that prove me to be wrong here, but IMO, Muamba just isn't comfortable enough on the ball. Two often for my liking his second touch is a tackle.

 

Also, and this is what worries me the most - and he was doing it for England t'other night - when the CB's have the ball, for me he should be dropping deep and taking the ball off them. He doesn't do that. He just seems oblivious and goes forward expecting to only really touch the ball around the halfway line. I don't know if it's a confidence thing with him but, to me, he just never looks like he actually wants the ball. His athleticism and ability to man-mark though is a massive asset - as we've seen him mark some of the best players out of games. That's why I think there's a major role for him in a midfield three. As part of a pairing though, I just think there's too much missing.

Agree with nmost of that

 

But, I would also add that I reckon Muamba could play in the middle of a 4-4-2 as long as your wide players get up and down and are true midfielders

So a 4-1-3-2, then?

So a 4-1-3-2, then?

 

It works ok for me on FM so it is worth a shot.

So a 4-1-3-2, then?

Or a 4-4-2 with midfielders not wingers - it can still be a 4-4-2

 

I'd not play it myself but if OC insists on playing it, the central midfielders and fullbacks need help

 

But we've been saying that all of last season

 

Personally I feel Muamba can be made a scapegoat as he's stretched as mentioned previously

 

Also, I don't think his first touch is that bad.....his passing and shooting mind....

Obviously personnel may well change - but the formation below, based on what we CURRENTLY have, I think could be a winner (and, no, I don't play Champ Manager!):-

 

 

--------------Jussi

 

-Ricketts---Cahill--Wheater--Robbo

 

--------------Muamba

 

-------Holden------M.Davies-----

 

--Chungy---------------Taylor-----

 

-------------K.Davies

Edited June 22, 201115 yr by DazBobParr

For that system to work Holden has to be fit, same as the 4-4-2 Coyle favours.Without Holden, whatever the personnel or system the midfield is poor.

For that system to work Holden has to be fit, same as the 4-4-2 Coyle favours.Without Holden, whatever the personnel or system the midfield is poor.

 

Yep, I appreciate that.

 

Although, especially in the absence of Holden, I think with a midfield three rather than a two though we'd look a stronger and harder to play through.

Only if it is played home and away regardless of who we are playing.

 

if he plays it at home with thiago we're fucked

Obviously personnel may well change - but the formation below, based on what we CURRENTLY have, I think could be a winner (and, no, I don't play Champ Manager!):-

 

 

--------------Jussi

 

-Ricketts---Cahill--Wheater--Robbo

 

--------------Muamba

 

-------Holden------M.Davies-----

 

--Chungy---------------Taylor-----

 

-------------K.Davies

 

I sense......... Relegation

I sense......... Relegation

 

 

Humour me. Why?

 

Based on the personnel or the formation?