(That long since we've had any, couldn't find the thread)

Alan Nixon: "Top Liverpool starlet Cameron Branagan will Ben allowed out on loan in Jan.

Bolton lead the race for the 20 year old midfielder"

Edited December 11, 20169 yr by Ratwhite

2 hours ago, Cheese said:

That is my over-riding memory of that entire day. In fact, I don't remember a single other thing from waking up at 5am to getting home gone midnight, and I didn't even have a beer.

Iredale slowly walking over to take that corner when 2-0 down somewhere around 70 mins is probably the most angry I've ever been as a Bolton fan.

1 minute ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Seen his Oxford goals on you tube also Notts County clips. He does look good but why did Oxford let him go?

 

1 minute ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Seen his Oxford goals on you tube also Notts County clips. He does look good but why did Oxford let him go?

Not got a clue but being from Portugal i guess he got his head turned and he fancied the lifestyle and the money in South America

He is certainly not straight forward, but getting him free it is a decent gamble

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Boro is up there for me. The game just seemed to pass us by. I always had it in my mind we'd get back in and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat but it just wasn't meant to be.

In the whole of our run in the sun dreamland period under Eddie and Sam that was the chance to win something. I knew it was gone probably ever as I sat watching them lift it.

Only time I've cried as an adult watching the Whites.

Only time I've ever cried as a Bolton fan as well for exactly the same reason.

How did this thread get so depressing all of a sudden, came on here to get excited about new transfers 🤣

1 hour ago, desperado said:

It’s a good debate pal - never right or wrong with these.

For a long-term lasting effect and  consequence you are spot on, I’m the same as you Oxford trumps them all.

I think the Villa one is an “in the moment” despair. That Holdsworth miss, losing on pens and not making the last Wembley final, after making the first, left me utterly dejected! 

But I was over it a lot quicker than Oxford. Still don’t think I’ve recovered! 😂

In hindsight I'm disappointed we didn't get past Villa and into the FA Cup Final.  But I remember turning up for the day in the frame of mind of enjoying the bonus of being at Wembley and I just wanted us to put on a decent show, similar to when we played Liverpool in the league cup final.  I feared Villa might thrash us (Carbone, Dublin, Merson I think, etc), turns out I'd massively overrated them, they were poor on the day.  Gutting to lose with the Holdsworth miss and on pens but low expectations meant I soon got over it.

The manner of the Stoke defeat and every single thing about that day left a scar I don't think we got over for many years, the start of a massive spiral.

Oxford absolutely terrible but we're over it, I honestly think we'd have got relegated badly under IE and we'd have kept some players thinking they would have made the step up, it would have been a car crash IMO.  IE would have been a championship manager immune from the sack for ages for god's sake 😀

29 minutes ago, Matt Lofthouse said:

Same for me, absolutely gut wrenching.

I am not sure what was worse for the club but me as a lad sat right behind that goal seeing it miss was awful.

 

18 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Seen his Oxford goals on you tube also Notts County clips. He does look good but why did Oxford let him go?

look what i said to Eddie......head turned

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Only time I've cried as an adult watching the Whites.

I've seen some disappointment over the years but I've only teared up and/or got a massive lump in my throat 3 times.  First was when they were singing the national anthem prior to the league cup final in 95.  Looking back its unbelievable that we were in Div 4 getting crowds of 4k in 1988 and 7 years later it was Liverpool in a cup final, a day I never expected to see never mind so quickly, and that was in the days every team took that cup seriously.  2nd was the Nat Lofthouse tribute v Chelsea, the end of a particular era, it was so moving.

3rd was clapping the kids off v Coventry after that 0-0 draw, I'm still grateful to them lot, they made us proud.

1 hour ago, Cheese said:

The saving grace is we probably would have got pumped by Chelsea in the Final anyway.

And god knows what City would have done to us if we'd beat Stoke!

1 hour ago, BWFC_LOVE said:

A free transfer for Rodrigues could be excellent business. 

Would imagine we might be looking to replace Morley with someone who could play deeper, but with this signing and Apter, not to mention Hardie, I do wonder where the likes of Burstow are going to fit in. 

Burstow will be the stand in/sub for Dalby.  He's not good enough to start with or without the signings.

I didn’t go to that Coventry game and lm absolutely gutted about it still

Just now, Johnnyrotten said:

Burstow will be the stand in/sub for Dalby.  He's not good enough to start with or without the signings.

If we go back to to 4-2-4 / 4–2-3-1 thing we were doing then I agree. It’s Dalby’s spot now. But his lesser mobility could stifle us a little bit away but he deserves to start. 

1 hour ago, Cheese said:

We are clearly going all guns blazing for the run in, which is exactly what we need. Just hope none of our back 4 get crocked, as we are very light in that department. 🤞

Purely in numbers terms without getting into ability, we've got 8 defenders/wing backs:  Christie, Tutu, Johnston, Toal, Forino, Irish lad, Conway, Taylor. 

At a push for half hour stints, EE at left back (as at Barnsley) and Simons RB.

Very happy with these signings to date. 

Apologies for contributing to this thread with our worst final/semi-final let-downs! 🤣

Anyway, back to my usual positive self, I’m extremely happy with our signings this week 👏

I can’t profess to know a great deal about the in-depth quality of the players we’ve signed, but I’m happy to jump on board with those who know a bit more and are singing the praises of them.

When I’ve criticised our recent performances for being one-paced, lacking invention and quality, it’s fantastic to see the players we’ve brought in all look to address those issues.

I do love it when the fan-base as a whole are positively on-board. BWFC seem to thrive off stuff like this. We can go from 10,000 folk not turning up and being down-beat, to a few knew signings propelling us to to promotion! 👏👏

… until 2.30pm tomorrow 🤣

53 minutes ago, Alf Hartigan said:

Seen his Oxford goals on you tube also Notts County clips. He does look good but why did Oxford let him go?

If they had better for the championship fair enough, I don't care if he never kicks a ball in the championship as long as he helps us to get there like he did Oxford.

Maybe I can temper the mood by saying Christie has a great cross but is knackered by half time and Taylor has been very poor so far (but can improve as Dalby has shown) just for a bit of Boby balance.

Booooo, sack the board, they are unambitious and taking us down with their lack of ambition.

 

For Villa - it'd been my 20th birthday on the friday at Uni, got driven down to London on the sat wirh my mate who came up for the bash, and then went out again. I was green when I turned up. Sat next to @kent_white dying the whole match, we were pretty much level when Holdsworth missed - made me feel a whole lot sicker.

Got the coach back feeling rough - didn't really sink in how close we had come to until a couple of days later.

 

Tranmere, Villa and Oxford - I could have easily cried at any of them but Oxford was definitely the worst.  As someone else said, when Iredale sauntered over to take that corner, while we were dying on our arse, I dont think I've ever been as angry.  We wandered back to our hotel afterwards in a daze.

Stoke was both annoying and humiliating in equal measure.

Reading was the best but Plymouth ran it close.  Had much of my family there, the youngest who'd seen nowt but us being largely crap, brother had just become a granddad, sun was shining, just a brilliant day.

Edited January 30Jan 30 by Duck Egg

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

And god knows what City would have done to us if we'd beat Stoke!

Why, they didn’t against Wigan?

1 hour ago, desperado said:

Apologies for contributing to this thread with our worst final/semi-final let-downs! 🤣

Anyway, back to my usual positive self, I’m extremely happy with our signings this week 👏

I can’t profess to know a great deal about the in-depth quality of the players we’ve signed, but I’m happy to jump on board with those who know a bit more and are singing the praises of them.

When I’ve criticised our recent performances for being one-paced, lacking invention and quality, it’s fantastic to see the players we’ve brought in all look to address those issues.

I do love it when the fan-base as a whole are positively on-board. BWFC seem to thrive off stuff like this. We can go from 10,000 folk not turning up and being down-beat, to a few knew signings propelling us to to promotion! 👏👏

… until 2.30pm tomorrow 🤣

You were doing so well! 😁

I've watched Rodriguez goals for Notts County, he's clearly got talent.  As an explanation for not making it with Oxford in the championship, I'm guessing he doesn't have pace.  Skillful and composed, not going to race away from a defence like for eg Dempsey.  Strange that he was at Notts County in non league for so long, how was he not signed by an EFL team?

As an aside, when Notts County played Grimsby in the play off semi, May 2022, they had RR and Kyle Wooten up front, and Grimsby had McAtee.  Wrexham lost to Grimsby in the final and had Mullin and Ollie Palmer, not bad for non league.

Genuine question. Did Rodrigues 'not make it' in the Champ? Record says he played 39 games in 24-25. Maybe he got a chance to live in Brazil where they speak his first language and took it. 

Well, goodness knows whether these will all work but 💯% for effort & support by the Board & well done scouts & recruitment team.

Now boys, go get 'em !!

in terms of the occasion and what a win would've meant, it's got to be Boro all day long

seen us win and lose play offs, get promoted, get relegated etc

but never seen us win a trophy

that was our big chance

Just reading that SS hopes 2 more to come in before Monday. One as expected will be a forward but no comment on the other. Cover at LB for me and it’s been one hell of a final week in the window 

on a completely separate note, fallen across an interview Kendrick the Wigan mon has done with Gregor Rioch over the last couple of days. Question raised about whether they were close on Erhahon… turns out, closer than anyone else thought 

price was agreed with Lincoln and a 72hr exclusivity period added in so they couldn’t accept a bid from anyone else, player was booked in for his medical the following morning. Rioch took the player to the ground after the medical to meet his agent and complete. On arrival the agent asked to speak with Erhahon in a side room. Couple of minutes past and he said he wanted to speak to another club and came straight to us. Seems Lincoln stiffed them as well 🤣

which makes this even more beautiful… 

 

Edited January 31Jan 31 by barrycowdrill