MATCHWATCH : Bolton Wanderers (a)

[Royal Monkey]

Huddersfield 3-0 down at home to Northampton after going to Bolton last week and winning 4-0 !
This league is bonkers

[WestYorksRoyal]

How the hell do we turn this around? I don't mean today's game, that's gone. I mean the spiral we've once again fallen into.

Play actual fullbacks, preferably two, at full back.

Have a strategy for Smith that isn’t just getting beaten to everything by two big centrebacks.

Tell Bindon and Mbengue to have a little think before they bundle people over in the box.

Realise that playing Wing as DM and Elliott and Knibbs as two AMs is proper powderpuff.

Teach Ehibhatiomhan to not try to take on 3/4 players at once and play a proper layoff pass.

I'm finding it hard to not throw Selles under a bus here. He seems beyond criticism in many people's eyes. Stoke and any other club looking at this with him as potential manager will be thinking "hmmmm nah not for us"

Be realistic. He's got the hardest job in English football and if he was the finished product he wouldn't be here.

[Millsy]

2 goals behind, still in with a chance.

Take OFF big striker to bring on Akande (who should've started anyway).

Thanks Selles.

[Orion1871]

2 goals behind, still in with a chance.

Take OFF big striker to bring on Akande (who should've started anyway).

Thanks Selles.

Who's a big reason why we're 2 goals behind because the dozt twat couldn't just put his foot through the ball and clear it.

[Snowflake Royal]

2 goals behind, still in with a chance.

Take OFF big striker to bring on Akande (who should've started anyway).

Thanks Selles.

Who's a big reason why we're 2 goals behind because the dozt twat couldn't just put his foot through the ball and clear it.

No, the reason we're two down is because Bindon and Mbengue pulled down strikers in the box unneccessarily.

[Brogue]

Goal

[Snowflake Royal]

No marking. Sigh. Everyone runs forward under the ball.

[WestYorksRoyal]

This is very reminiscent of some losses in the autumn last season. Not as dire a performance as last week, but soft, soft, soft.

[leon]

Fcuking sick of this shit team. Absolute shambles. Selles needs to start learning how to do his job.

[Orion1871]

2 goals behind, still in with a chance.

Take OFF big striker to bring on Akande (who should've started anyway).

Thanks Selles.

Who's a big reason why we're 2 goals behind because the dozt twat couldn't just put his foot through the ball and clear it.

No, the reason we're two down is because Bindon and Mbengue pulled down strikers in the box unneccessarily.

And because Kelvin is a dozy twat who couldn't put his foot through the ball and clear it. "You defend from the front" as Coppell used to say about Kitson Kelvin is a constant liability when he's back in defensive areas.

[Snowflake Royal]

Some good stuff played. But just don't create or take enough chances, and absolutely terrible at the back.

Even given we basically went to a back 2 at times later on.

[Sutekh]

All helped by the usual cr@p substitutions. How can Savage not get on the pitch?

[Uke]

I want Selles to say Toughsheet at some point in his post match interview

[WestYorksRoyal]

Hope Bolton turn it around and get promoted, as then we don't have to visit them again next season and their fans have been pretty supportive of us too.

Still think we have enough to get a comfortable 14th - 18th finish, but it but it feels like we need a result quickly to lift the gloom from the past week.

Some interesting other results. Huddersfield losing 3-1 at home to Northampton, so who knows what that means for next week. And Orient won 4-1 away at Stockport who have looked decent so far. Very unpredictable league.

[Orion1871]

Hope Bolton turn it around and get promoted, as then we don't have to visit them again next season and their fans have been pretty supportive of us too.

Still think we have enough to get a comfortable 14th - 18th finish, but it but it feels like we need a result quickly to lift the gloom from the past week.

Some interesting other results. Huddersfield losing 3-1 at home to Northampton, so who knows what that means for next week. And Orient won 4-1 away at Stockport who have looked decent so far. Very unpredictable league.

A Huddersfield win.

[Snowflake Royal]

Button - didn't do a lot wrong, got nutmegged, but it was a cool finish and he's got to spread himself.
Craig - bit hit and miss, so obviously not a full back frequently playing in midfield and not offering an outlet where you want him to be.
Dorsett - constantly leaves his man in space, slow to get out to the winger. Often plays several yards ahead of the defence not goal side of the winger.
Mbengue - currently going through more of his mindless catastrophe phase. What he thought he was doing getting wrong side and then wrestling the guy to the floor for the pen, I have no idea. And a couple of ropey moments nearly giving breakaway goals.
Bindon - at least he was trying to disguise his fouling, but you can't pull someone's shirt that far in the box and expect the ref to miss it. He's not got the pace to get out and cover Dorsett constantly being out of position and with Craig frequently awol even if he does it leaves a space either behind him, or behind Mbengue if he also shuffles across.
Wing - playing too deep, his long pings and passing are good, but he's not the best at screening defence or tackling.
Elliott - he's just not consistent enough. He's pretty good in possession, but he doesn't actually create enough goal opportunities and he's not really strong enough in the challenge. You can't play him and Knibbs imo. One or the other.
Knibbs - One of the few players I think came out with much credit. Works incredibly hard, wins the ball back well, is a threat. But with a neutered Smith, he's struggling to have the same attacking impact
Campbell - lots of promise and energy, but his finishing was poor today.
Ehibhatiomhan - mercurial. Just needs to make better decisions and keep his energy up for the defensive game. Fluffed his lines defensively a couple of times, it didn't work, but at least after the first one trying to walk the ball away through four defenders he was trying to hack clear. Just sliced and got blocked.
Smith - has to have the most thankless job in the team.

Akande - very raw, I don't think he's likely to turn a game around, I think he's better starting than coming off the bench and trying to instantly get up to speed especially when it's going wrong.
Abrefa - how he isn't starting is mindblowing. An actual fullback, who looks positionally aware and capable. HAS to start.

Selles - got the team selection wrong, just like he got it wrong last week. And probably against Wrexham too.

Ref: Very good game.

Bolton - dunno what they're fans were complaining about, they looked the exact same full steam slick attacking side that's also very vulnerable at the back as I remember.

[windermereROYAL]

When you start off the season badly you always know who you want to play next.

[Sutekh]

When you start off the season badly you always know who you want to play next.

i wondered why Reading had arranged a behind closed doors friendly against Reading next week.

[Hound]

Inevitable score line after a shit week

I’m sure Selles isn’t blameless but very much doubt anyone would do a great deal better. Dai has absolutely gutted us

It’s a long road back from here again. I’m not sure anyone has the energy

[Crowbar6753]

We really could do with Yids coming back soonish!! we got destroyed today as Bolton exploited our current FB crisis by getting in behind Dorsett and Craig at will. As soon as Dorsett got injured and replaced by Abrefa (A natural FB) we looked stronger as Abrefa naturally closed down his man.
For me Craig is a must for that deep lying midfield position! he's strong, can read the game and keeps everything simple which in turn gives the back four more confidence. Move Wing further up the pitch into the role he played last season where he was so effective as a creator and scorer of worldly goals.
Finally, we need to figure out Kelvin.E's role......the guy is a talent and can change a game in a second!! however, is he a wide left or a striker!!! we have Knibbs and now Campbell who can play that role. Personally i would like to see big Kelvin challenging Smith for the striking role and whomever doesn't start getting 30mins as an impact sub.
We are to many square pegs at the minute and that is affecting the balance of the team.