Bolton Wanderers (H) League One, 17th Sept 3pm

[JonnyOwen]

Entire back 4 was fantastic with Chambers doing the work for both him and Edwards with ease. Going forwards we were always going to struggle but Oztumer was once again a joy to watch with both Makris and Morris putting in real shifts, the former also cleared one of the line with a fantastic header. Jackson worked hard and Neil Etheridge is doing exactly what O'Donnell did, shaky but competent first season, world beater second season.

:mrgreen: Happy days

[IHTC.]

Fantastic performance which hopefully will kick start our season, boys became men today.

Special mention to Laird who was fantastic, all the fans crying because we signed him and not spent the £1.5mil were shown today exactly why the last 2 seasons he's been involved in 2 promotion bids.

[Walsallone]

What a great display...full of heart,courage and determination. Well done everyone...it is clear that the team is coming together and some of our play before the sending off was excellent. Perhaps this will put to bed all the nonsense about the players not wanting to play for JW. Finally well done my fellow supporters for getting behind the team and making a hell of a noise.

[boringteacher]

Magnificent gutsy team performance, not without a lot of skill. Felt like we had got our Walsall back today.

Didnt see the sending off clearly, but we had started off playing good football which continued even with 10. Well deserved to be in front at half time, 2nd half was what you'd have expected against a Parkinson team (with much better players than he ever had at Bradford), rode our luck at times, 2 world class saves from Etheridge but always played with a threat on the break. The best thing was the defence - after all the chaos this season, it was an effective organised team effort.

That unenthused this season, I nearly didn't bother using my season ticket today to see what I thought would be a tonking but thought about watching the Warwickshire game on TV instead. Two fudge brilliant results (YOU BEARS), even that useless excuse for a Scunthorpe of a referee couldnt spoil today :D :D :D :D

[Gripper]

Fantastic performance which hopefully will kick start our season, boys became men today.

Special mention to Laird who was fantastic, all the fans crying because we signed him and not spent the £1.5mil were shown today exactly why the last 2 seasons he's been involved in 2 promotion bids.

You dunno what you're on about mate - He's Scunthorpe's 13th choice left back don't you know. SEND HIM BACK NOW. :roll:

[IHTC.]

Fantastic performance which hopefully will kick start our season, boys became men today.

Special mention to Laird who was fantastic, all the fans crying because we signed him and not spent the £1.5mil were shown today exactly why the last 2 seasons he's been involved in 2 promotion bids.

You dunno what you're on about mate - He's Scunthorpe's 13th choice left back don't you know. SEND HIM BACK NOW. :roll:

:lol:

[Ancient Moaner]

Wish I had gone down the M6 for that one, have a good friend who has been a Bolton fan since he was a nipper. Poor bloke has a metal plate in his head after an appalling football head on head clash 10 years back, gets the most incredible migraines as a result. He wanted us to go down together but fell ill again last night so we had to call off the journey.

Hope this is the turning point for the season, see I told you all this was going to be our season :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:

Two games without defeat, we are DEFFO on a run now! See us go...mid table mediocrity? eat your hearts out, were after the play off's!! :D :D

[Cowshed]

The team showed great character today
Nobody came off the pitch with anything left except for Edwards
At least Edwards gave Witney an easy decision about defence for the next game as I thought the back four looked more solid.
Lairds experience helped today and the back four had a good blend of youth and experience.
He is obviously a danger going forward but as Ozzie played deeper in midfield he actually gave the defence help in that he seemed to collect all the balls coming out of defence and he certainly knows how to keep the ball. This gave the defence time to regain shape.
The ball seems to be sticking to make is more and I thought he had some decent touches
Morris also brought the ball out well and deserved a goal for his efforts
I would maybe have started with ama against the huge Bolton back four as this was never a game for Jackson
I can't remember the last time we saw a goalkeeping performance like that from etheridge just brilliant
Great result against a tough team and a clown ref the masala and cobra will taste good tonight

[wednesburysaddler]

one of those matches that ironically suited us after we had Edwards sent off.
the red card seemed to spur the crowd on and that transferred to the team on the pitch who put in a brilliant team performance.
no one lacking in effort today and wasn't any suggestion we were a man light for 74 mins.

I feared the worst when half time came as I thought Bolton would run us ragged 2nd half but in fairness whitney got every sub correct and his team played for him.

onwards and upwards now maybe this result and performance was needed as today the players became a team

[coop63]

Great showing from all today

Etheridge was simply superb and the back line was in general excellent

A win against an unbeaten Bolton side was a bit of a shock for some but I have to say I was quietly confident (at least of a good performance..) just hope it's a turning point for the team gelling and JW having a better idea of his best formation/players..

To me Bolton looked and were set up as a fairly predictable Phil Parkinson side - big (their keeper looked their shortest player!!!!) uncompromising and hard to get off the ball. However, when we had possession we were in good shape and when we didn't have it we fought hard to get it..

Basic stuff I know but the things we've been lacking in many recent games were there in spades today - considering we played much of the game with 10 men and against an inept referee, the players and JW deserve huge credit

So good to see today

UTS

[Fish]

Full marks to the referee today. His complete and utter incompetence throughout the match (and that of his assistants) galvanised the Saddlers and may just have turned the season around.

Whitney now needs to find a way to make the ball stick up front.

[coop63]

One other thing - thought Laird was superb today.. Why Scunny let him go I just don't know - has the look of a real pro to me..

UTS

[ChopperWFC]

As good a team spirit performance you will ever see. Showed true grit today with some nice football too. Loved the players giving the " come on " with the fans too. Proud !!

[ChopperWFC]

Agree about Laird too could be a real gem.

[ChopperWFC]

Just realised this will be my 500 th post but said want I want to so .. er.. Come On You Reds !!! :D

[JonnyOwen]

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/10582796/walsall-1-0-bolton

That's a very, very harsh red for me. All eyes on the ball.

[Mazza01]

Unbelievable performance ... Still not come down from the jubilation. Etheridge and Oz obvious choices for MOM but I think Laird deserves a special mention he was superb.

Oh and for me that's a red card you don't lead into a players face with your elbow.

[saddla]

Really surprised at the Bookies pricing this one up....Bolton 13/10 to win. :shock:

Fill yet boots I'd suggest....

Yeah but at odds like that you would have to put a months salary down in order to win enough for a Chinese for two! :lol: :lol:
What are the odds for us to win? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :oops: more chance of winning the lottery I would suggest! :wink:

Surely you've got enough now from putting your pension on Sheffield United winning the league every year....

Oh. :wink:

I've done another double again this year, Bolton top of course, and Blades second. Was looking like another re-run of last seasons debacle, when the Blades failed to materialise, but they seemed to have rallied somewhat of late, you never know I might get back to Florida on my winnings after all! :D Crazy situation though that Bolton & Sheff United are in the 3rd Division, whilst the likes of Burton Albion are in the 2nd! :oops:

On the match itself they will just be too strong for our disorganised and fruitless rabble, 0-3 would be acceptable under the circumstances, just hope they don't do a 'Doncaster at Morecambe' on us!

mate I hope you print your post off, preferably on A3 paper, frame it and put it on your living room wall. :lol: :lol: :lol:
The lads were magnificent today every one of 'em.
A Smith team would have folded after the sending off but you could see the Whitney effect. We were up for it. I was proud to be a saddler today (mind you I'm always proud to be a saddler :lol: )
Bring on the Posh!

ps I hope Trevor Kettle watches the video of the whole game and realizes that is not cut out to be a ref and retires :twisted:

[reedswood sadler]

If normal rules of game predicting apply Bolton top of league unbeaten playing well Walsall bottom end of league leaky defence playing badly easy win for saddlers 1-0

And we only needed 10 men :D :D

[DonningtonSaddler]

Fantastic performance today. Whitney goes on about wanting his players to show character, well, they did today across the board.

Really like Laird. Composed, gets forward and can pass. He also doesn't get bullied like Rico did.

I wonder if Whitney has stumbled upon his best starting formation? We were playing 442 with Makris up front with Jackson up until Edwards sending off. Makris then went wide and adapted very well. Maybe Whitney should consider playing them in the same positions with Bakayoko going up front with Jackson. Again, in a 442 formation.

[SoccerHQ]

I actually assumed from looking at the team sheet it was a 3-5-2.

So what it was Edwards at left back and Lairdy at left midfield?

Main reason I wasn't keen on switching to 4-4-2 is I wasn't sure how effective Ozzy would be but if he had a stormer in that system then go for it and get Baka in there from the start.

[kshammer]

Most of what I thought has been said already but special mention for Etheridge and Ozzy (plus Laird looks decent).

Especially nice after hearing a halfwit Bolton fan going on about losing to a league 3 team like Walsall. You're league 3 you bellend and its attitudes like that which will keep you there. As for Bolton as a team, well they'll never go up if that's all they've got. I'm not saying it was easy with ten men but they didn't show much (and Ameobi is shocking).

Also had to laugh on the way in at the idiot trying to drive his car through an increasingly narrow gap on the car park next to the ground. Hope they left their details to the cars they undoubtedly pranged.

[Super Gabor]

Great all round team display. Never overwhelmed by Bolton and you couldn't tell we had a man less tbh. On BWFC - was Ameobi actually bothered today?

Ref. Anyone ever seen a ref want to make himself as known to players and fans ? Jeez. Seeing the highlights that red card looks very harsh.

Although the whole team was immense, some comments:

Etheridge was on fire. A number of total top drawer saves.

Morris does his defensive duties as well as his attacking ones.

Oztumer. Utter clarse. He's like Vinny Samways but with vision to pick a pass no one else can see.

Makris looks like he's improving.

Laird. I like him a lot. Not bad for Scunny's 3rd choice left back.

Now that feels much better. Let the season begin.

[Harry]

I actually assumed from looking at the team sheet it was a 3-5-2.

So what it was Edwards at left back and Lairdy at left midfield?

Main reason I wasn't keen on switching to 4-4-2 is I wasn't sure how effective Ozzy would be but if he had a stormer in that system then go for it and get Baka in there from the start.

It began as 4-5-1: or 4-4-1-1 if your prefer.
McCarthy right back; Toner and O'Connor centre backs; Laird left back,

Edwards defensive rightish/centre midfield; Chambers defensive leftish/centre midfield

Morris right attacking midfield; Makris left attacking midfield

Oztumer the number 10.

Jackson up front all on his own

At least that's how I saw it. Any improvements on this analysis welcome.

[boringteacher]

Most of what I thought has been said already but special mention for Etheridge and Ozzy (plus Laird looks decent).

Especially nice after hearing a halfwit Bolton fan going on about losing to a league 3 team like Walsall. You're league 3 you bellend and its attitudes like that which will keep you there. As for Bolton as a team, well they'll never go up if that's all they've got. I'm not saying it was easy with ten men but they didn't show much (and Ameobi is shocking).

Also had to laugh on the way in at the idiot trying to drive his car through an increasingly narrow gap on the car park next to the ground. Hope they left their details to the cars they undoubtedly pranged.

saw that and nearly collapsed with laughter too. Probably still whining about 3rd division car parks. fudge loved today :lol:

[SoccerHQ]

I actually assumed from looking at the team sheet it was a 3-5-2.

So what it was Edwards at left back and Lairdy at left midfield?

Main reason I wasn't keen on switching to 4-4-2 is I wasn't sure how effective Ozzy would be but if he had a stormer in that system then go for it and get Baka in there from the start.

It began as 4-5-1: or 4-4-1-1 if your prefer.
McCarthy right back; Toner and O'Connor centre backs; Laird left back,

Edwards defensive rightish/centre midfield; Chambers defensive leftish/centre midfield

Morris right attacking midfield; Makris left attacking midfield

Oztumer the number 10.

Jackson up front all on his own

At least that's how I saw it. Any improvements on this analysis welcome.

Interesting....I think with Osbourne back in Accident and Emergency...Edwards in Central midfield was logical. More experience and he did play there for Yeovil when they were promoted from league one so he can't be that bad. Plus there's enough options at the back.

Shame if the red card stands he's out for the next three and you have to go back to playing one of the YTS lads there...

[SoccerHQ]

Neither were red cards...Edwards has eyes on the ball so should be a yellow there, worth an appeal.

Bolton lad is a soft red aswell.....94th minute, what is the point of sending him off. Just give Walsall the free kick and let them play out time.

[chunkster]

I actually assumed from looking at the team sheet it was a 3-5-2.

So what it was Edwards at left back and Lairdy at left midfield?

Main reason I wasn't keen on switching to 4-4-2 is I wasn't sure how effective Ozzy would be but if he had a stormer in that system then go for it and get Baka in there from the start.

It began as 4-5-1: or 4-4-1-1 if your prefer.
McCarthy right back; Toner and O'Connor centre backs; Laird left back,

Edwards defensive rightish/centre midfield; Chambers defensive leftish/centre midfield

Morris right attacking midfield; Makris left attacking midfield

Oztumer the number 10.

Jackson up front all on his own

At least that's how I saw it. Any improvements on this analysis welcome.

Interesting....I think with Osbourne back in Accident and Emergency...Edwards in Central midfield was logical. More experience and he did play there for Yeovil when they were promoted from league one so he can't be that bad. Plus there's enough options at the back.

Shame if the red card stands he's out for the next three and you have to go back to playing one of the YTS lads there...

if it was an iffy decision then we may appeal it :wink:

[Pedagogue]

Nothing should surprise you about Trevor Kettle - one of the worst referees in the Football League and one who always loves to be the centre of attention.

[Exile]

Very happy with a result like this one. :D