4games confirmed for July, Macclesfield, Rochdale, Tranmere, and Port Vale, none of them very inspiring, but suppose it's about getting them fit.

It was pretty gash. Season starts next week, not this week.

Went to Rochdale & today:

I despair at the thought of playing Beckford up front on his own. It is a role which very few can pull off effectively. I doubt very much that he wants that job.

Lonargan looked really dodgy today.

Back four seem steady.

Lack of quality,creativity and cutting edge.

Pratley is awful at all aspects of the game apart from running. Then again he is trying to do a job that DF asks.

Goal threat required or I would suggest we will be bottom half.

Have to agree on Pratley he's gone from bad to fucking shocking I'd ship him out now if we can get rid.

Have to agree on Pratley he's gone from bad to fucking shocking I'd ship him out now if we can get rid.

I have a horrible feeling he'll be on a huge wage, we might be stuck with him until his contract runs down, unless we pay him to go away

I'd mustered up a bit of close season optimism over the past few weeks. It managed to ebb away over the course of the 80 minutes I stayed today. It might be effective but fuck me watching Beckford trying to close down 3 defenders strolling it around being the only player in their half is painful. How many of our 6 wins last season did we play like this? Fuck it I'll put it down to pre season not arsedness but that formation bugs the hell out of me.

I'm amazed anybody could be optimistic.

 

Same manager, pretty much same players. What do folk expect?

I'm amazed anybody could be optimistic.

 

Same manager, pretty much same players. What do folk expect?

I'm with you Mick, I'm expecting a similar finishing league position, I'd be amazed if we even get close to the play offs, unless we get a few more signings in

A midfield of Spearing, Medo, Danns, Feeney and Lee (and davies and hall to come on to give us a bit of a physical presence) - Jesus we only need sneezy and dopey to complete the set. Is there one of them over 5 foot 10??.

 

If those players played like inesta and xavi then they could get away with being small but I dont think any of them can either pass the ball or run with the ball (davies apart).

 

Spearing and Medo do not have a clue what to do with the ball when they get it. Both of them just look for the short pass all the time. Neither of them will carry the ball to commit the opposition and therefore we just dont move players out of position. That, as well as the poor passing, is why we are creating nothing going forward. I dont particularly think becford is a great striker but we could have had Drogba playing up front for us today and he wouldnt have got a kick.

 

I am not usually so bothered about the size of a footballer but you need a balance. That midfield will get bullied this season by championship players. 

 

I predict a lot of nil nils and one nil defeats this year. Hope I'm wrong but Im also glad that I havent committed to a season ticket.

Have to agree on Pratley he's gone from bad to fucking shocking I'd ship him out now if we can get rid.

Pratley finished 2012-2013 as our most on form player and then started last season well; he then had injuries and was a victim of DF's bingo machine...not sure why all of a sudden he's such a bad player after a friendly or two??

A midfield of Spearing, Medo, Danns, Feeney and Lee (and davies and hall to come on to give us a bit of a physical presence) - Jesus we only need sneezy and dopey to complete the set. Is there one of them over 5 foot 10??.

 

If those players played like inesta and xavi then they could get away with being small but I dont think any of them can either pass the ball or run with the ball (davies apart).

 

Spearing and Medo do not have a clue what to do with the ball when they get it. Both of them just look for the short pass all the time. Neither of them will carry the ball to commit the opposition and therefore we just dont move players out of position. That, as well as the poor passing, is why we are creating nothing going forward. I dont particularly think becford is a great striker but we could have had Drogba playing up front for us today and he wouldnt have got a kick.

 

I am not usually so bothered about the size of a footballer but you need a balance. That midfield will get bullied this season by championship players. 

 

I predict a lot of nil nils and one nil defeats this year. Hope I'm wrong but Im also glad that I havent committed to a season ticket.

 

 

 

Hi ho

I honestly don't know the answer to this, but did Big Sam's teams steamroller all and sundry during pre-season games?

 

Only thing I recall about Big Sam and pre-season was him hanging around Manchester airport on the off chance some out of work player would stumble off a plane.

Pratley finished 2012-2013 as our most on form player and then started last season well; he then had injuries and was a victim of DF's bingo machine...not sure why all of a sudden he's such a bad player after a friendly or two??

He was shocking today and not seen any consistency from him in his whole Bolton career which has suprised me thought he'd be excellent for us and at the moment his Bolton career has been a 4/10 for me. Don't think it helps him playing alongside Medo/Spearing as they don't compliment his game.

Nothing to add to what everyone else has said. I didn't hear a single positive comment during or after the game, except maybe that Wilkinson shows promise.

 

Big Sam's team didn't do too bad pre-season, but nothing special - except winning that cup in Asia one summer. But they sure as fook knew what to do once the season started.

 

Anyway I went off to Tonge CC from the Macron to see Heaton appear in their first Hamer Cup Final since ................. would you believe, 1958. Their last win was 1951.Today they won. An omen for the Wanderers ?

Edited August 3, 201411 yr by Rembrandt

We arent going anywhere with spearing and medo in the same team..well maybe into the relegation scrap

Is it the players or Dougie?

Pratley finished 2012-2013 as our most on form player and then started last season well; he then had injuries and was a victim of DF's bingo machine...not sure why all of a sudden he's such a bad player after a friendly or two??

 

Mounts judges everything on a game by game basis (except for Mark Davies)

 

we win - dougie gets the season

we draw - dougie gets 10 games

we lose - dougie needs replacing

A midfield of Spearing, Medo, Danns, Feeney and Lee (and davies and hall to come on to give us a bit of a physical presence) - Jesus we only need sneezy and dopey to complete the set. Is there one of them over 5 foot 10??.

 

If those players played like inesta and xavi then they could get away with being small but I dont think any of them can either pass the ball or run with the ball (davies apart).

 

Spearing and Medo do not have a clue what to do with the ball when they get it. Both of them just look for the short pass all the time. Neither of them will carry the ball to commit the opposition and therefore we just dont move players out of position. That, as well as the poor passing, is why we are creating nothing going forward. I dont particularly think becford is a great striker but we could have had Drogba playing up front for us today and he wouldnt have got a kick.

 

I am not usually so bothered about the size of a footballer but you need a balance. That midfield will get bullied this season by championship players. 

 

I predict a lot of nil nils and one nil defeats this year. Hope I'm wrong but Im also glad that I havent committed to a season ticket.

Trotter will play a "big" role in our set-up this season.

Whether the mongtards who wrote him off after one game like it or not.

We have been utter wank in every friendly i have ever watched us play so im not reading too much into anything that has happened pre season.

 

The season proper starts next week so i will start to judge from then. If its the same old shit with the same results then Dougie is on borrowed time. I see myself as quite patient when it comes to our managers but excuses for being fucking wank and boring are wearing thin.

 

I need to at least see signs of encouragement/improvement after the time Dougie has had.

We have been utter wank in every friendly i have ever watched us play so im not reading too much into anything that has happened pre season.

 

The season proper starts next week so i will start to judge from then. If its the same old shit with the same results then Dougie is on borrowed time. I see myself as quite patient when it comes to our managers but excuses for being fucking wank and boring are wearing thin.

 

I need to at least see signs of encouragement/improvement after the time Dougie has had.

Word for word exactly what I was about to post.

 

I'm so down the middle it's untrue.

 

It was only a friendly,but that team and that set up today will get us nowhere.

 

On a plus side...My little lad loved every minute of his first game today. Welcome aboard son haha

My lad loved the 42 minutes we lasted before we left. He'd seen enough and needed a drink (of milk)

 

Like father like son!

Trotter will play a "big" role in our set-up this seasUon.

Whether the mongtards who wrote him off after one game like it or not.

You see, for me trotter is like pratley without the ability to run?

Mounts judges everything on a game by game basis (except for Mark Davies)

 

we win - dougie gets the season

we draw - dougie gets 10 games

we lose - dougie needs replacing

I've said all along 10 games still stand by that stop making things up.

Word for word exactly what I was about to post.

I'm so down the middle it's untrue.

It was only a friendly,but that team and that set up today will get us nowhere.

On a plus side...My little lad loved every minute of his first game today. Welcome aboard son haha

 

Good to hear your lad enjoyed it lets hope that we can at least give him a bit of entertainment on the pitch.

My only concern was their keeper spilled a header and it was a tap in, our single striker was on the edge of the box. WTF? Wilkinson isn't a poacher anyway.

Mounts judges everything on a game by game basis (except for Mark Davies)

 

we win - dougie gets the season

we draw - dougie gets 10 games

we lose - dougie needs replacing

So many of our fans do this, sure it might be same at other clubs I don't know. But for our lot it has to be a full on emotional rollercoaster.

 

I'm sure loads would prefer a relegation battle than a season of absolute mid table mediocrity.

You see, for me trotter is like pratley without the ability to run?

Not from what I saw last season.

Much stronger and a more imposing presence, can shoot and a surprisingly neat touch around the box.

Just hope he gets a chance to express himself without being hounded. Then we'll see.