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Matchday Thread Bolton Wanderers v PNE | 15.08.26 | KO:12:30pm | Championship

Matchday Thread Bolton Wanderers v PNE | 15.08.26 | KO:12:30pm | Championship

Yoowell said:
The punts from Iversen to Hughes are like a tactic from old Sunday league football on Moor Park.
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Heckingbottom only wants Mills because he's good at winning headers. Pinging it at him would be Heckingbottom's primary tactic
 
Yes there were defensive mistakes but the more worrying thing for me is that, against a team expected to be bottom half, we had little control of the game and seemed to rely just on long balls forward. The better team won. You can blame the personnel and we certainly looked better when Leroy etc came on, but what about the tactics ? We were a team of strangers.
 
Motion Man said:
Yes there were defensive mistakes but the more worrying thing for me is that, against a team expected to be bottom half, we had little control of the game and seemed to rely just on long balls forward. The better team won. You can blame the personnel and we certainly looked better when Leroy etc came on, but what about the tactics ? We were a team of strangers.
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Never ever gonna have control of a game against anyone with McCann and Thompson in midfield, unfortunately.

Hopefully it's never seen again.
 
Iversen - hopefully puts to bed the idea that he’s the best in the league. Butterfingers from the first cross, garbage for the first goal, tragic distribution. Not been the same since injury.
Pol - get him gone. One of the worst showings from a fullback since Ledson at Hull. Should’ve been pulled by 20 mins
Storey - somehow looks like he’s gotten slower. Totally gormless, had no idea where Dalby or McAtee were all game
Lindsay - usual. Totally lost for the first goal, typically useless in the box at the end with the two chances. But at least he scored in that dead rubber last year.
Hughes - garbage too. Spent more time kicking it in to touch and didn’t win a header against Stephenson despite being half a foot taller
Thompson - mastered the art of looking like he’s doing something whilst offering nothing. Another booking because he couldn’t control his head
McCann - terrible first game as captain. Lost the ball at every occasion for the first hour or so and a totally unnecessary yellow
Devine - only one of the starting XI to actually offer anything but wasted on the right
Lang - offered nothing. Not seeing anything that suggests he’s worth what we paid. Looks slow and weak
Burgzorg - another that was totally ineffective. Bullied by the much smaller Stephenson, didn’t seem to know where he was supposed to be, didn’t look like he had much pace either
Osmajic - striker offside 6 times should be a fine, and that’s before the unforgivable pass

Subs were the only bright sparks

Leroy - should’ve started. Best player on the pitch, can’t wait for that to be coached out of him
Offiah - totally shut down Gale and with it most of Bolton’s threat. Braindead decision not to start him.
Erabi - should’ve started based on last week, showed why again. Mobile, aggressive, aerial threat
Vuk - another assist from a cross
Small - looked lively but understandably rusty
 
OB1 said:
Iversen - hopefully puts to bed the idea that he’s the best in the league. Butterfingers from the first cross, garbage for the first goal, tragic distribution. Not been the same since injury.
Pol - get him gone. One of the worst showings from a fullback since Ledson at Hull. Should’ve been pulled by 20 mins
Storey - somehow looks like he’s gotten slower. Totally gormless, had no idea where Dalby or McAtee were all game
Lindsay - usual. Totally lost for the first goal, typically useless in the box at the end with the two chances. But at least he scored in that dead rubber last year.
Hughes - garbage too. Spent more time kicking it in to touch and didn’t win a header against Stephenson despite being half a foot taller
Thompson - mastered the art of looking like he’s doing something whilst offering nothing. Another booking because he couldn’t control his head
McCann - terrible first game as captain. Lost the ball at every occasion for the first hour or so and a totally unnecessary yellow
Devine - only one of the starting XI to actually offer anything but wasted on the right
Lang - offered nothing. Not seeing anything that suggests he’s worth what we paid. Looks slow and weak
Burgzorg - another that was totally ineffective. Bullied by the much smaller Stephenson, didn’t seem to know where he was supposed to be, didn’t look like he had much pace either
Osmajic - striker offside 6 times should be a fine, and that’s before the unforgivable pass

Subs were the only bright sparks

Leroy - should’ve started. Best player on the pitch, can’t wait for that to be coached out of him
Offiah - totally shut down Gale and with it most of Bolton’s threat. Braindead decision not to start him.
Erabi - should’ve started based on last week, showed why again. Mobile, aggressive, aerial threat
Vuk - another assist from a cross
Small - looked lively but understandably rusty
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Thought once again, being on the right made Small more unpredictable for defenders. Some great work for the Lindsay miss.
 
Yoowell said:
The punts from Iversen to Hughes are like a tactic from old Sunday league football on Moor Park.
Click to expand...
Same as the clipped balls into the channels that didn’t work the first time we tried it, let alone the following one hundred.

Very similar to Rovers away last season, absolutely no foothold in the game, no passages of play and relying on basic, easy to defend clipped balls forward.
 
OB1 said:
Iversen - hopefully puts to bed the idea that he’s the best in the league. Butterfingers from the first cross, garbage for the first goal, tragic distribution. Not been the same since injury.
Pol - get him gone. One of the worst showings from a fullback since Ledson at Hull. Should’ve been pulled by 20 mins
Storey - somehow looks like he’s gotten slower. Totally gormless, had no idea where Dalby or McAtee were all game
Lindsay - usual. Totally lost for the first goal, typically useless in the box at the end with the two chances. But at least he scored in that dead rubber last year.
Hughes - garbage too. Spent more time kicking it in to touch and didn’t win a header against Stephenson despite being half a foot taller
Thompson - mastered the art of looking like he’s doing something whilst offering nothing. Another booking because he couldn’t control his head
McCann - terrible first game as captain. Lost the ball at every occasion for the first hour or so and a totally unnecessary yellow
Devine - only one of the starting XI to actually offer anything but wasted on the right
Lang - offered nothing. Not seeing anything that suggests he’s worth what we paid. Looks slow and weak
Burgzorg - another that was totally ineffective. Bullied by the much smaller Stephenson, didn’t seem to know where he was supposed to be, didn’t look like he had much pace either
Osmajic - striker offside 6 times should be a fine, and that’s before the unforgivable pass

Subs were the only bright sparks

Leroy - should’ve started. Best player on the pitch, can’t wait for that to be coached out of him
Offiah - totally shut down Gale and with it most of Bolton’s threat. Braindead decision not to start him.
Erabi - should’ve started based on last week, showed why again. Mobile, aggressive, aerial threat
Vuk - another assist from a cross
Small - looked lively but understandably rusty
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Struggle to argue with much/any of that. Pretty much how I saw it.
 
The only bright note - aside from trying a Vegan Pasty for the 1st time ever and it was superb to eat - is that that starting XI will not start another game this season.

A bit harsh on Vuc and Erabi thinking back who did at least provide the one quality moment with a delicious cross and a sumptuous goal.

Clarke, Leroy, Gibson, Offiah, Erabi, Vuc, Small all start v Wolves.
At the expense of, in order, Pol, Thompson, Lindsay, Storey, Lang, Hughes, Burgzorg.
 
OB1 said:
Iversen - hopefully puts to bed the idea that he’s the best in the league. Butterfingers from the first cross, garbage for the first goal, tragic distribution. Not been the same since injury.
Pol - get him gone. One of the worst showings from a fullback since Ledson at Hull. Should’ve been pulled by 20 mins
Storey - somehow looks like he’s gotten slower. Totally gormless, had no idea where Dalby or McAtee were all game
Lindsay - usual. Totally lost for the first goal, typically useless in the box at the end with the two chances. But at least he scored in that dead rubber last year.
Hughes - garbage too. Spent more time kicking it in to touch and didn’t win a header against Stephenson despite being half a foot taller
Thompson - mastered the art of looking like he’s doing something whilst offering nothing. Another booking because he couldn’t control his head
McCann - terrible first game as captain. Lost the ball at every occasion for the first hour or so and a totally unnecessary yellow
Devine - only one of the starting XI to actually offer anything but wasted on the right
Lang - offered nothing. Not seeing anything that suggests he’s worth what we paid. Looks slow and weak
Burgzorg - another that was totally ineffective. Bullied by the much smaller Stephenson, didn’t seem to know where he was supposed to be, didn’t look like he had much pace either
Osmajic - striker offside 6 times should be a fine, and that’s before the unforgivable pass

Subs were the only bright sparks

Leroy - should’ve started. Best player on the pitch, can’t wait for that to be coached out of him
Offiah - totally shut down Gale and with it most of Bolton’s threat. Braindead decision not to start him.
Erabi - should’ve started based on last week, showed why again. Mobile, aggressive, aerial threat
Vuk - another assist from a cross
Small - looked lively but understandably rusty
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Very good summary, appreciate the effort putting it together.
I think McCann improved when Leroy came on but I hope him and Thompson never start a game together again .
 
Longshanks said:
Who has ever claimed that Iversen is the best in the league? Seen it mentioned a couple of times today, wondering where it's come from.
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IIRC JK did a few months ago. Several others have as well, which has led to other posters pointing out the keepers that were better last season
 
Longshanks said:
Who has ever claimed that Iversen is the best in the league? Seen it mentioned a couple of times today, wondering where it's come from.
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He was fantastic last season & will still win us more points than he'll lose us even after today.

Best in the division is probably pushing it but he has to be up there.
 

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Dannypne7 said:
Because the manager is a tactical numpty!!
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Devine played wide midfield in February 2025 against Portsmouth, and scored in a 1-0 win which put us 7th in the table.

Surprisingly, the manager wasn’t called a tactical numpty on the conclusion of that game.
 
OB1 said:
Iversen - hopefully puts to bed the idea that he’s the best in the league. Butterfingers from the first cross, garbage for the first goal, tragic distribution. Not been the same since injury.
Pol - get him gone. One of the worst showings from a fullback since Ledson at Hull. Should’ve been pulled by 20 mins
Storey - somehow looks like he’s gotten slower. Totally gormless, had no idea where Dalby or McAtee were all game
Lindsay - usual. Totally lost for the first goal, typically useless in the box at the end with the two chances. But at least he scored in that dead rubber last year.
Hughes - garbage too. Spent more time kicking it in to touch and didn’t win a header against Stephenson despite being half a foot taller
Thompson - mastered the art of looking like he’s doing something whilst offering nothing. Another booking because he couldn’t control his head
McCann - terrible first game as captain. Lost the ball at every occasion for the first hour or so and a totally unnecessary yellow
Devine - only one of the starting XI to actually offer anything but wasted on the right
Lang - offered nothing. Not seeing anything that suggests he’s worth what we paid. Looks slow and weak
Burgzorg - another that was totally ineffective. Bullied by the much smaller Stephenson, didn’t seem to know where he was supposed to be, didn’t look like he had much pace either
Osmajic - striker offside 6 times should be a fine, and that’s before the unforgivable pass

Subs were the only bright sparks

Leroy - should’ve started. Best player on the pitch, can’t wait for that to be coached out of him
Offiah - totally shut down Gale and with it most of Bolton’s threat. Braindead decision not to start him.
Erabi - should’ve started based on last week, showed why again. Mobile, aggressive, aerial threat
Vuk - another assist from a cross
Small - looked lively but understandably rusty
Click to expand...
Absolutely perfect analysis. The fact the worst RB performance before today was Ryan Ledson speaks volumes
 
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