Man of the Match: Bolton Wanderers (A)

General
1
  • Norris
  • Grimmer
  • Harvie
  • Allen
  • Taylor
  • Casey
  • Onyedinma
  • Morley
  • Boyd-Munce
  • Harris
  • Lowe
  • Woodrow
  • Leahy
  • Scowen
0 voters
2

Could see that ending coming a mile off. Those were the kind of subs we’ve made every other time we’ve thrown a lead away.

2 Likes
3

Oh dear I am still in shock. I gave my vote to Harris who kept going in both halves.

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4

Too miserable to vote

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5

Casey. It seems losing him was the issue.

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6

Can’t vote, too sickened

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7

Went with Morley, but I want to highlight Norris who somehow has no votes. I feel like his #1 critic sometimes, but he was excellent yesterday. Superb kicking. Some great saves. His best Wycombe performance.

3 Likes
8

Without his save at the beginning of the match yesterday, we might have been talking about a completely different defeat. Super save with his legs.

3 Likes
9

Think about the absolutely awful side that Michael Duff took over. Weak and easy to play against, powder puff in attack. Hugely error probe at the back. Headed for a relegation battle.

Yesterday we were 10 minutes from being 5th in the league, 5 points behind 3rd place Bolton who have an incredible squad. Imagine those two wingers (Blackett-Taylor on the bench!) in our squad. We didn’t just play well for the majority yesterday, we were absolutely BRILLIANT.

Michael Duff isn’t perfect, no one is. But he has done an awesome job and is such a great character and leader for this club. Next season, if we can get a couple of additional players in, could be very special. I understand the disappointment of yesterday, I am sill gutted this morning too, but I think some posters are letting that overwhelm rational thought!

7 Likes
10

Agreed and when MD says the bench needs to be as good as the starting 11 he is right and yesterday we did not have that.

Taylor is nowhere near top of league one standard. Leahy has been a great servant but is not a strong option any longer and Josh was making his first appearance since late last season. Vidigal is a short term patch only and I can’t see him being with us next season. Mullins and Junior are both decent players but maybe the match situation wasn’t right to introduce them yesterday.

1 Like
11

Agreed with all of this. But parking the bus with a 2-0 lead made no sense. We couldn’t even counter as all hands were on deck in our third. We created a massive hole in our amoury with Leahy and Josh. The Josh sub could have been a stroke of genius, and Duff gambled, but he wasn’t ready. It wasn’t the personnel that makes this hard to swallow, it was the negativity of the formation.

If only Woodrow had put that header away… We would have been on cloud 9 right now and pencilling in playoff dates into our diaries.

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12

We need to step up to the next level next season and in doing so we need to be focused on signing players who are better than what we have and will improve the squad. To make way for that strengthening we need to release where we can;-

We will have Woodrow, Huggins, Harris and Lowe going back to their clubs. Out of those four I would try and sign Lowe on a permanent deal.

In addition we have Lowry, Fink, vanSas, Norris, Leahy, Taylor and Vidigal who we need to let go in some way or other.

We also have other players out on loan already and their futures need to be resolved but I don’t see any of them coming back to WWFC.

A lot of work to be done but on the positive side we already have Grimmer, Anders, Casey, Harvie, Boyd-Munce, Morley , Henderson, Mullins, Scowen, Junior and Fred, a very good basis to start from.

13

Leahy has just extended with us.

Lowe’s contract up in the summer. Whilst unlikely, we could be in the same league as Stoke next year.

Huggins not getting much football with us, so I agree him and Woodrow go. Although Jack isn’t getting any younger…

I suspect Fulham will let us keep Harris if we go up, doubt it if we stay in L1.

14

I hope @thedancingyak will be reassured by your encouraging words. I was beginning to feel I must be missing something.

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15

According to Transfermarkt, Harris is out of contract in summer unless Fulham tick the 1yr extension box. I would expect them to probably tick that box. Not sure a Championship side would want Harris. I’m not convinced he’s at that level yet. I like him a lot but he’s not even one of our best players and we’re going to finish about 8th.

16

I think everyone is dealing with yesterday in their own way. Many, quite understandably, have stayed away from posting whatsoever.

If the team i.e. the players, the coaching staff and Duff, learn to close out football matches, we’re a match for anyone in this league.

But what you told me yesterday @micra, it puts things in perspective.

1 Like
17

I get what you’re saying but Duff’s subs yesterday gave Bolton nothing to worry about, nothing to defend, nothing to threaten on break. Junior and Vidigal may not be of the same quality as Boltons wingers but they would have given them a different problem. I like Duff but he keeps doing the same defensive tactic thing and it’s failed every time. Why concede midfield after controlling it all afternoon? We have players who can play….20000 watched them play in near silence.

He did exactly what Bolton wanted him to do and when you don’t have ball you run and chase and chase some more. And we ran out of legs he says. Ya think?

1 Like
18

We definitely missed Anders and Ewan most yesterday. Having them both on rotation would comfortably have kept our levels up.
For next season we need at the very mimimum equivalent level quality players to those 2.

2 Likes