Bolton Wanderers (h): Interviews, Score Predictions, Starting XI & Match Thread | Vital Football

Bolton Wanderers (h): Interviews, Score Predictions, Starting XI & Match Thread

Bolton fans are pretty unhappy with Evatt and his players. A few items from a Bolton forum (The Wanderer):

"6 wins in 14 League One games. 3 of those wins came with stoppage time winners and 2 of the other 3 have come against ten men."

"Most teams in League 1 have worked Ian Evatt out, we are very easy to play against and set up against - we are a team of tippy tappy, sideways & backwards fairies with no fight in them who can't handle teams who press them and get in their faces."

"They are an unorganised mishmash of a team who think that they are better than they are, with a predictable, robotic 'rinse & repeat' manager who keeps doing the same thing week after week, month after month even though everyone else can see that its clearly not working."

"The team Evatt has built has a very soft underbelly, the team has no shape, no identity, no leaders, no fight, no bottle & absolutely no idea - all almost every opposition manager has to say in their team talk is 'get into them, press them, they don't like being kicked, get into their faces, they need time on the ball."


Skubala's press conference will say what a well-organised, talented side they are. They did beat us 3-0, after all.

Interestingly, Evatt said after yesterday's defeat at Rotherham that Bolton are 8th in League One in terms of wages. I thought they would be higher than that.
 
Even with Bolton in bad form, it’s difficult to see where a win is coming from us. Bolton always seem to beat us. Perhaps they will play a very weakened team.
 
Boltons priority has to be the league. So hopefully they'll field a 2nd string team.
We simply have to make changes now & for me Zane simply has to get some gane time. Would also love to see some of the other 18s pushing for first team selection too. It might give the pros the kick up the arse they need🤷‍♂️
 
Boltons priority has to be the league. So hopefully they'll field a 2nd string team.
We simply have to make changes now & for me Zane simply has to get some gane time. Would also love to see some of the other 18s pushing for first team selection too. It might give the pros the kick up the arse they need🤷‍♂️

We have bought our tickets.

I watched the match v Plymouth on Tuesday.

That was the under 18's big cup match...and they did themselves and the club proud.

A win on Tuesday would be a shot in the arm for the club and the players.

So the best team to win the match has got to be the priority.

Okoro may get time - but this is NOT about the U18s.

That was last Tuesday.
 
We have bought our tickets.

I watched the match v Plymouth on Tuesday.

That was the under 18's big cup match...and they did themselves and the club proud.

A win on Tuesday would be a shot in the arm for the club and the players.

So the best team to win the match has got to be the priority.

Okoro may get time - but this is NOT about the U18s.

That was last Tuesday.
I get what you're saying but something isn't clicking with this team, especially up top! This competition has always been about resting players and giving the younger lads their shot! If they're not gonna get chances then how are we ever going to know if they're good enough? They've been training with the first team for a while now, so Skubns will have an idea of how good they are.
The whole idea of the Academy is to develop our own players, so it absolutely should be about the 18s too ot else what's the point in having an Academy????
 
We must not forget the immense gap between U18 and senior football. Two of our best U18 players - Okewoye and Oliver - have been sent on loan to tier 8, we are in tier 3. That is a gulf. They are literally kids, so it would be highly unusual if any of them were L1 ready right now.

I understand the desire to try them in the first team, but I suspect that desire is driven more by how poorly the first team players are performing rather than any belief the youths are good enough.

The group stages of the Vertu have traditionally been used to blood youths, but only in the group stages. We are 90 minutes from the quarter-finals, this could be our only means of salvaging anything positive from this faltering season. We must field our best available eleven, misfiring as they may be.
 
We must not forget the immense gap between U18 and senior football. Two of our best U18 players - Okewoye and Oliver - have been sent on loan to tier 8, we are in tier 3. That is a gulf. They are literally kids, so it would be highly unusual if any of them were L1 ready right now.

I understand the desire to try them in the first team, but I suspect that desire is driven more by how poorly the first team players are performing rather than any belief the youths are good enough.

The group stages of the Vertu have traditionally been used to blood youths, but only in the group stages. We are 90 minutes from the quarter-finals, this could be our only means of salvaging anything positive from this faltering season. We must field our best available eleven, misfiring as they may be.

Sorry Scot but no, I do genuinely believe Okoro is good enough. How good remains to be seen but I’d rather him get a chance consistently than bring in a 19 year old from ‘insert premier league club name’.

Think he has made 2/3 appearances and every time he has made something happen.

If they’re good enough, they’re old enough…
 
Two mangers both desperate for a win but Bolton are a team we rarely seem to beat should be an interesting game.

I just hope that MS gives Okoro a start as Draper does not look like he could score at present.
 
Sorry Scot but no, I do genuinely believe Okoro is good enough. How good remains to be seen but I’d rather him get a chance consistently than bring in a 19 year old from ‘insert premier league club name’.

Think he has made 2/3 appearances and every time he has made something happen.

If they’re good enough, they’re old enough…
Okoro has made one fleeting substitute appearance against Chesham United and the other against what was actually Manchester City U18. I'm not sure anyone can judge how he would fare at League One level from that. I wonder what kind of mincemeat Santos would turn him into, for example? I would love to be wrong, though.
 
Okoro has already shown he can cope with men’s football. Something the other two lads have been sent out on loan to experience.

Start him on Tuesday alongside Bailey and lets see if he offers us something a bit different.
 
We must not forget the immense gap between U18 and senior football. Two of our best U18 players - Okewoye and Oliver - have been sent on loan to tier 8, we are in tier 3. That is a gulf. They are literally kids, so it would be highly unusual if any of them were L1 ready right now.

I understand the desire to try them in the first team, but I suspect that desire is driven more by how poorly the first team players are performing rather than any belief the youths are good enough.

The group stages of the Vertu have traditionally been used to blood youths, but only in the group stages. We are 90 minutes from the quarter-finals, this could be our only means of salvaging anything positive from this faltering season. We must field our best available eleven, misfiring as they may be.
Zane is 💯 good enough to start!!! I've watched him for a year now, he's got it!!!
As for the others I'd love to see them on the bench!
Denny is a season ticket holder, Lincoln lad but one hell of a player too!!!
 
Sorry Scot but no, I do genuinely believe Okoro is good enough. How good remains to be seen but I’d rather him get a chance consistently than bring in a 19 year old from ‘insert premier league club name’.

Think he has made 2/3 appearances and every time he has made something happen.

If they’re good enough, they’re old enough…
As someone who's watched Zane lots. 💯 he's good enough trust me!!!
 
It's still a big step up especially in a team which struggles to create chances let alone take them.

The likes of Barcelona can stick Yamal in because they have the quality around him. We haven't and need to make sure it's done right otherwise it could wreck the potential
 
Even with Bolton in bad form, it’s difficult to see where a win is coming from us. Bolton always seem to beat us. Perhaps they will play a very weakened team.
Remember Akinde got two the last time we beat them at SB, 5-1
 
Okoro has made one fleeting substitute appearance against Chesham United and the other against what was actually Manchester City U18. I'm not sure anyone can judge how he would fare at League One level from that. I wonder what kind of mincemeat Santos would turn him into, for example? I would love to be wrong, though.
Yes cos let’s face it Makama will run Santos ragged won’t he.
 
Okoro has made one fleeting substitute appearance against Chesham United and the other against what was actually Manchester City U18. I'm not sure anyone can judge how he would fare at League One level from that. I wonder what kind of mincemeat Santos would turn him into, for example? I would love to be wrong, though.

V Chesham he forced an own goal, would have been a penalty otherwise.

V Man City u21’s - O’Reilly, Simpson-Pusey and Mubama all started yesterday v Salford and they were in the team the night Okoro played. He absolutely dominated them from start to finish.
That U21’s team also had a Hungarian u21 international playing plus Wilson-Esbrand who has had two seasons on loan in the Championship plus one season in France in Ligue 1.
Wasn’t exactly a team full of rookie 16/17 year olds.

We weren’t worried about Joe Taylor being mincemeat v Santos, as he was too quick.

The only way we will know is of he is given a chance. We’re goal shy so what is the worst that can happen in giving the last 10/15 mins.
 
I'm really not that bothered about this competition this year, we really have to get the team back on track somehow and we may as well try something different, have a look at one or two things instead of using the same players and swopping positions around a bit but unfortunately we won't have time to work on our pitiful set pieces and throw ins.

Starting to get a bit agitated watching the same old same old expecting a different result. We've got to work out something different....and quickly.

Jeacock

Darwikra Jackson Roughan Hamilton

Ring Bayliss McGrandles Hackett

Moylan Cadermarteri

Okoro on the bench and to come on
 
It's still a big step up especially in a team which struggles to create chances let alone take them.

The likes of Barcelona can stick Yamal in because they have the quality around him. We haven't and need to make sure it's done right otherwise it could wreck the potential
That's the beauty of Zane, he creates so much himself!
We don't have many players that can run & beat defenders and then get shots off. Zane does that!