(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

We were trying to take a step forward to win the league. On paper letting Bod go (a squad player who's now at the 23rd best team in the league) and adding £2m worth of attackers makes complete sense.

The fact he (and even Jerome) would probably improve the squad now shows how much we fucked up our recruitment. But we were right to move on.

6 minutes ago, onefinfrandsen said:

It wasn’t so much his goals, to me he had a football brain. Not sure vic has.

Still can't get my head around how a professional footballer can't control a football without it bouncing 5 yards away. Must folk figure that out by they're 12. 

10 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

He wasn't perfect by any stretch but I'd love Vic to be in the right place to miss a chance occasionally.  

Hopefully you're not referring to that great save by the Derby keeper to stop his header, probably the last time any BW player got a header on target from open play (prior to Desmond's last week).

The one before it was the header at Pompey pre-Charles open goal miss, another header that no other BW player would have had the ability to execute.   

We should have been looking for an upgrade but all we did was spend a load of money to downgrade.

There was one v Pompey at home, not a header

How did Vic score so many at Burton? Was it because he didn’t have to do so much chasing around? The positions he had to take? Service?  
He’s proven he can do it so what’s changed?

16 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

How did Vic score so many at Burton? Was it because he didn’t have to do so much chasing around? The positions he had to take? Service?  
He’s proven he can do it so what’s changed?

Vic must have had better support and service at Burton. Based simply on the fact it couldn't have been much worse than ours, and he probably was playing in a 90 odd minute partnership rather than getting 70 odd minutes.

36 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

How did Vic score so many at Burton? Was it because he didn’t have to do so much chasing around? The positions he had to take? Service?  
He’s proven he can do it so what’s changed?

He's played on the shoulder of defences elsewhere. He's never been a target man in the memory of man. Seems to spend most of his time with his back to goal these days whether that's through orders or necessity..fuck knows.

Can be as muscular as you want.. won't suddenly make you a hold up player if you don't have the technique/know how

Edited February 15, 20251 yr by deeane Koontz

31 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

How did Vic score so many at Burton? Was it because he didn’t have to do so much chasing around? The positions he had to take? Service?  
He’s proven he can do it so what’s changed?

He's also about twice the size now, reckon he's been told to bulk up but that will have slowed him down massively. 

He's got it in him and reckon once he breaks his goal drought he'll start scoring regular, 

His past 3 managers have had faith in him and reckon there must be something there. 

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Barnsley away was a terrible miss.

There were about 3 in the same game later on in season too.

If he was as good as you think he is he wouldn't be playing at Burton Albion.

Yes I agree - Barnsley was a bad miss and I'm not playing it down or making him out to be better than he was - I remember a couple of 1st halves at home matches when the ball was bouncing off him and I was the first to say get him subbed off.    But as I say I'd be encouraged if Vic could get near to scoring, nobody misses more than Charles, and Collins has that habit too.

Not sure playing for a team that's in the same division and in better form than us, and scoring/being an automatic starter shouts out "he's rubbish".  The comparison isn't whether he's good enough to play for Birmingham, its about what we've got instead and that doesn't need any further comment.

1 hour ago, only1swanny said:

 

He only came on a 12 month contract (I'm assuming due to risk of injury) with a 12 month extension, but having picked up 2 injuries in 2 seasons, it was time to say thank you but sorry. 

He's doing well now, but there's always risk of being injured again. 

As proven by our entire squad bar JDC, Collins, McAtee and Schon!  There seemed to be one rule for JDB and 1 for everyone else.

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Barnsley away was a terrible miss.

There were about 3 in the same game later on in season too.

If he was as good as you think he is he wouldn't be playing at Burton Albion.

Bods far more than just a goalscorer and he’s never made any claim to be prolific but add in his other contributions and we have nobody anywhere near as good. He's also played at a higher level and he’s playing at Burton as a player nearing the end of his career unlike the majority of other players we have here who haven’t even reached that level. You have your opinion and I respect it but I just disagree with you and think we miss Bods abilities badly.

3 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

As proven by our entire squad bar JDC, Collins, McAtee and Schon!  There seemed to be one rule for JDB and 1 for everyone else.

We've not actually had any of this injury prone lot run out of contract. 

We'll never know amd the ones out of contract this season haven't really been injury plagued. 

Baxter, Coleman, Hutchinson, Santos, Cogley, Jones, Matherson, 

56 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

How did Vic score so many at Burton? Was it because he didn’t have to do so much chasing around? The positions he had to take? Service?  
He’s proven he can do it so what’s changed?

Not playing down that he obviously had a good half season at Burton before he came here, but it was 11 goals that included 3 in one game v Forest Green, and he got 1 or 2 pens.  Not 30 goals in 2 years or whatever.

He'd scored 8 goals in the preceding 4 or 5 years in 90 odd games, how were we fooled into thinking he was the best we could get for half a mil.  

6 hours ago, gonzo said:

He never recovered from me shouting at him to get stuck in at Blackpool.

With what we had available it was right to let him go. I'd have him back now like.

Vic only ever worked with Dion. 

 

Vic never worked but you wanted his widgey so much you couldn’t see it. 
 

Vic needs balls in the box 

3 hours ago, Big E said:

Vic never worked but you wanted his widgey so much you couldn’t see it. 
 

Vic needs balls in the box 

Agree with that. 

Put crosses in and let him attack them. Don't expect anything else.

He's certainly no Collins!

9 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

Agree with that. 

Put crosses in and let him attack them. Don't expect anything else.

He's certainly no Collins!

Exactly just like when he scored the hat trick for us all very similar goals.

38 minutes ago, Walkden White said:

Exactly just like when he scored the hat trick for us all very similar goals.

I do wonder what would have happened had he played more of that role, having been signed from a team being more direct. 

All water under the bridge now though.

Markhams allegedly gone..

https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24938694.bolton-wanderers-sporting-director-chris-markham-leaves-club/

Like Evatt wish him all the best in the future but both should of gone in the summer.

At last the club will now move on

I was hoping he might be the last of the scapegoats, but it seems like there’s a few more in the firing line! 🤣

Fuck me, Mcatee was being called fit to burn in that first half behind me.

Made sure I made my feelings know at 1-3 😁.

He then had the gall to say it wasnt me  while going on to sing his song 

"But the departure of Ian Evatt has shifted the focus of Wanderers' failure to break through to the Cahmpionship to a higher level, and the quality of recent signings has come under scrutiny"

"But criticism continued to come his way - and the final addition of the January window, Cardiff City striker Kion Etete has brought matters to a head"

It'd be interesting to know if those quotes refer to supporters or the board

It sounds to me like he's left of his own accord after helping to bring in everyone's first-choice replacement.

People also seem to be conflating his sporting director role with that of some sort of data analyst? Do you think he's the one identifying these players?

 

Edited February 15, 20251 yr by jmjhb

Wonder if that will be the end of ludonautics involvement moving forward

Carried his form over to Huddersfield by the look of it.