BFTG Bolton (H)

[Cureton's Volley]

Drop in attendances becoming a concern.

...Get a grip you bunch of dimlos..........

I do have a jolly nice grip on the £50+ saved by not attending that load of shite

[Zana Badawi]

This club is in deep shit at the moment and desperately needs the support of the fans who have enjoyed the good times of the past 10-12 years when it's been easy to give support. It's depressing to see so many turn their back on the club in its hour of need.

That statement is a bit 'hyperbolic', isn't it?
Clubs aren't in their 'hour of need' when they've just had a new owner take over.

This season has been characterised by a team that doesn't care really what the result is, and winning appears to by an unplanned for bonus. That's not sport. And, given we are seeing an increasing number of opponents who are adopting the same attitude when they come to the Madejski, the resulting entertainment is akin to a Championship exhibition match. And they just aren't very good matches. And it appears the club has the temerity to charge 30 quid to watch such an exhibition match. It appears to me that those staying away are the wise ones.

The club just can't expect a fanbase to stay through 'thick and thin', they have to continuously earn its' loyalty.

We all know what the first step is.......

[Cureton's Volley]

Non League is shite m8.

Absolute bullshit.

The matches are fought with passion, there's lots more goals, the beer is better, and you can drink/smoke at pitch side. Having lots more fun at non-league this season than watching RFC last season

[harry]

Negatives
- lack of goal threat
- lack of urgency for most of the game
- quiet games for players who should be making an impact (HRK, McCleary, Norwood, Obita)
- so so so boring

Positives
- clean sheet for two young centre backs
- Cooper looked iffy at times, but on the whole played well
- Murray did not stop running all game, unfortunately to no avail
- no injuries
- more game time for McCleary and Williams
- one game closer until the end of this season

We move on

Sums up my views pretty well.
On another day it could have been a boring win - a few misses, the block on the line by their player, the block by ours (McCleary?) first half & their keeper tipping it over the bar. Equally Feds made a great save without which it could have been a boring defeat.

[sandman]

Non League is shite m8.

Absolute bullshit.

The matches are fought with passion, there's lots more goals, the beer is better, and you can drink/smoke at pitch side. Having lots more fun at non-league this season than watching RFC last season

Good for you. Lots more goals means the defending is shite, passion is no substitute for skill and your destroying your liver and your lungs whilst watching it sending yourself to an early grave.

Plus you have to stand around with a bunch of old farts in macs, who listen to prog rock and go on and on about how "things were so much better in the old days". Although tbf that's on a depressing par with having to sit around with the oh so witty denizens of Y25/26.

[strap]

Non League is shite m8.

Absolute bullshit.

The matches are fought with passion, there's lots more goals, the beer is better, and you can drink/smoke at pitch side. Having lots more fun at non-league this season than watching RFC last season

Agreed. Braintree and Dartford worth the short trip. Sadly 6 hr round trip to MadStad bit much for me now.

Welling OK too, good to reminisce (sp?) Park View Road when witnessing our 2 FAC reps a good few years back, and a ressie game a bit later.

Hope to get to MadStad before Easter, when by then the standard of entertainment will be a bit better?

Don't forget, if you ever witnessed 1971/72 season or either of the Porterfield years, (or the Bullivant and Burns years for that matter), 2014/15 really isn't THAT bad!

Haha - just about proves Sandman's point!! Oh well, been called plenty worse than an old fart!!

[LUX]

Plus you have to stand around with a bunch of old farts in macs, who listen to prog rock and go on and on about how "things were so much better in the old days".

Ooh, muffled shots fired.

[AthleticoSpizz]

without non-league, there would've been no Robin Friday, Dave Kitson, Charlie Austin etc etc


obviously

[sandman]

Plus you have to stand around with a bunch of old farts in macs, who listen to prog rock and go on and on about how "things were so much better in the old days".

Ooh, muffled shots fired.

Dunno what you mean m8.

Ok, if you wear a Mac you might be upset but you chose to wear one.

[sandman]

without non-league, there would've been no Robin Friday, Dave Kitson, Charlie Austin etc etc


obviously

No drug addicts or shelf stackers then?

Even David Cameron gets it right once in a while.

[Ian Royal]

Posted my thoughts on the Match thread as there wasn't a BFTG at the time and there wasn't one at all last week.

Summary is that the players looked leaden of mind and body and appeared to want to be playing anywhere but at home. HRK stand out bad, which was particularly frustrating as he showed a couple of really nice tricks and runs. Shame he spent 95% of his time putting in about three quarters effort. Including bottling two 40:60s with defenders where he could have won freekicks and another chase where he started late and then gave up when he still might, just might, have kept it in.

Obita's crossing from in play is terrible. Everything miles over-hit. Gunter is still shit. Our set pieces look massively better than recently. Without Cox we look toothless and hoofy in attack, but much less likely to concede in defence.

[bcubed]

Poor performance going forward but it's another good (ish) defensive display which gets us a rare clean sheet. Albeit against a poor Bolton side.

Can't be a coincidence that Cox hasn't started our last 2 games and in both our attacking play was piss poor. Him in for Kanu and Obita moved back to the wing, please Nige.

Thought Garath looked like he was starting to get his edge back, but he's still shy of fitness and we're not seeing the best of him. Same goes for Williams, getting there but still a bit shy.

Oli Norwood was my MOTM, in an otherwise poor team he supported the defense well and his set pieces were decent and his passing range was good.

This idea that Obita is any good on the wing baffles me. He played there to start and his performances were not that good. He then switched to LB where he was exceptional until he lost form. He has never been any good on the wing ,but even worse in central midfield. Its so frustrating to see Adkins make the same mistakes again and again and again.

+1

Spot on

Cannot beat his man ever
Only crosses he gets over are from dead balls or running on to a through pass

[Huckleberry Hound]

Someone explain why in the second half we had a left footed player on the right wing and a right footed player on the left wing and consequently no real ability to take on and beat full backs.

Playing wingers on their wrong side can work if you have overlapping full backs (on their correct side). The you have the option of either cutting in or crossing from the bye-line.

Unfortunately Gunter is playing on the wrong side & Kelly doesn't overlap.

Our most effective overlapping full back has somehow persuaded Nigel to start him in centre midfield, where he fails to impress.

Yes we are conceding fewer goals, but at the cost of creating fewer chances & boring everyone to death in the process.

[sandman]

Non League is shite m8.

Absolute bullshit.

The matches are fought with passion, there's lots more goals, the beer is better, and you can drink/smoke at pitch side. Having lots more fun at non-league this season than watching RFC last season

Good for you. Lots more goals means the defending is shite, passion is no substitute for skill and your destroying your liver and your lungs whilst watching it sending yourself to an early grave.

Plus you have to stand around with a bunch of old farts in macs, who listen to prog rock and go on and on about how "things were so much better in the old days". Although tbf that's on a depressing par with having to sit around with the oh so witty denizens of Y25/26.

You're

[loyalroyal4life]

Why continue with Gunter at left back??

Personally would not have him in at all needs to be dropped for a few games as seems since he has been made captain he seems to play as if he can't be moved out!!

Obita in midfield as well just does not work for me, go back to left back and get cox back in the mix just behind murray

[Vision]

Someone explain why in the second half we had a left footed player on the right wing and a right footed player on the left wing and consequently no real ability to take on and beat full backs.

Playing wingers on their wrong side can work if you have overlapping full backs (on their correct side). The you have the option of either cutting in or crossing from the bye-line.

Unfortunately Gunter is playing on the wrong side & Kelly doesn't overlap.

Our most effective overlapping full back has somehow persuaded Nigel to start him in centre midfield, where he fails to impress.

Yes we are conceding fewer goals, but at the cost of creating fewer chances & boring everyone to death in the process.

This.

We just don't have the will or capability to stretch teams. We just don't appear to pose much of a threat to the opposition. Ok to keep it tight and wait for counter attacking possiobilities to open up away from home but it's simply not going to happen with teams like Bolton at home. We do need to take a few more risks.

[Portsmouth Royal]

Can't help but feel that some of the negativity is just a bit over the top.

Certainly wasn't a particularly scintillating performance, low confidence and lack of form never make for pretty football.

That being said it never felt remotely like a game we were going to lose, indeed barring one ten minute spell after half time following Boltons first sub we always felt like we had a degree of control. Just didn't have the confidence or ability to open the game up.

Just not having the 'players don't give a monkeys/won't play for the manager' thing either. No lack of workrate on display, just seemed quite clear that we had a plan to not really close beyond the halfway line. Favouring defensive shape over winning the ball back early. Its certainly a less aggressive way of playing, but understandable given our recent travails.

Seen far worse performances than that from Reading over the years, and doubtless will again over the years to come....but booing the players off for a nil nil home draw to a team in the same division is just.......words fail me.....

[melonhead]

glad I missed this game.

[leon]

Can't help but feel that some of the negativity is just a bit over the top.

Certainly wasn't a particularly scintillating performance, low confidence and lack of form never make for pretty football.

That being said it never felt remotely like a game we were going to lose, indeed barring one ten minute spell after half time following Boltons first sub we always felt like we had a degree of control. Just didn't have the confidence or ability to open the game up.

Just not having the 'players don't give a monkeys/won't play for the manager' thing either. No lack of workrate on display, just seemed quite clear that we had a plan to not really close beyond the halfway line. Favouring defensive shape over winning the ball back early. Its certainly a less aggressive way of playing, but understandable given our recent travails.

Seen far worse performances than that from Reading over the years, and doubtless will again over the years to come....but booing the players off for a nil nil home draw to a team in the same division is just.......words fail me.....

how many games have you seen this season?

[melonhead]

ive seen a few. and agree with the sentiments