Fabrice Muamba
I have touched greatness… and his name is Owen Coyle
Thursday, May 12th, 2011 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Football Association, Gretar Steinsson, Owen Coyle, Premier League, Sam Allardyce, Sean Davis | No Comments
There are few certainties in life – one day, hopefully a long time in the future, it will end and, before then, you will pay taxes. Lots of taxes! They are the main certainties in life, depressing as they are, although there are other ones along the way – Vaz Te falling over, Muamba blazing over etc etc. I’m sure there are some positive certainties in life but I’m at a loss to say what they are at the moment so I’ll move on.
Wow...hope you're not expecting me to score that goal...?
One of the things I’m far from certain of, that I’m reluctant to believe entirely, is the image of those in the public eye; actors, footballers, politicians etc. Politicians especially. You never know whether the personality they put across in public is in fact them, or merely a carefully planned and orchestrated PR stunt. Are they the same person behind closed doors? Are they the same charming, likeable character when the cameras are off?
Our manager, Owen Coyle, has a very good public image. It’s so good in fact that Bolton Wanderers have almost become fashionable thanks to his 16 month reign. Bolton Wanderers message boards have even been visited by Arsenal fans praising our new found love our the beautiful game, unthinkable in the Allardyce days, and our role in Jack Wilshere’s development, although I doubt these messages will be as common if we beat them consistently at The Reebok again as we did under Allardyce.
I recently got the opportunity to meet Mr. Coyle thanks to the good people at 188Bet and BWFCforum.co.uk. Even excluding my fondness for all things Bolton, this was quite a thrill. To put this into perspective, I no longer have to say that the most famous person I have ‘met’, and I lose the term very loosely, was ‘Fiz from Corrie’. I think it says a lot about the quality of your celebrity sighting if you don’t know their real name!
Well, I did know Owen Coyle’s real name but did I know the real Owen Coyle?
come and get some lunch !
I was well aware of the public perception of Owen Coyle. He’s a very likeable man with an infectious enthusiasm for people, football and life itself. It’s a shame that I didn’t get to spend more time in his company as I might have been able to recall a positive certainty in life for the first paragraph.
We have all seen him at The Reebok Stadium, both during and after the match, inspiring and encouraging his players from the sidelines and applauding the home fans from the pitch post match for their role in what has, for the most part, been another impressive result and performance. › Continue reading
The Mu and Stu Show Rules Again
Sunday, December 12th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Richard McCormick, Sam Allardyce, Sam Ricketts, Stuart Holden | No Comments
It wasn’t a classic performance. Or even a good one. There was none of the swashbuckling style that swept away Spurs and Newcastle. But as the curtain comes down on a year of improved fortunes for Bolton Wanderers, this victory over Blackburn Rovers and the first defeat of a Sam Allardyce side since he left the Reebok, will be cherished as much as the ones mentioned above.
The first half could be described in three words. Nothing much happened. The home side started better and used the channels well, but the crosses into the penalty area were dealt with easily and as the interval beckoned, Blackburn were in the ascendancy, without creating much in the way of clear chances.
Party time for Sam
The second period started at a higher tempo and tempers started to fray. Ten minutes in, and the Whites were down to ten men when Mark Davies collected a second yellow card after leading with his elbow on Phil Jones.
Owen Coyle’s side wobbled, and as they often do, took time to adjust to a setback. The visitors took control and the toothless, many fingered hordes who’d travelled down the A666 were already celebrating an anticipated victory.
Just as the cause was looking lost, salvation came from an unlikely source. With the exit of Davies, Lee Chung-Yong had been replaced with Fabrice Muamba and Johan Elmander given the right flank to work. The Swede drew a foul and from a Sam Ricketts free kick Ryan Nelson headed clear. The ball fell to Muamba who rounded the advancing New Zealander.
At this point, guided by experience, the pigeons on top of the North stand were preparing to find a different resting spot, but the midfielder’s low drive was expertly placed, just inside the near post. Muamba reverted by type by falling over during in the goal celebration and the guests from East Lancashire went quiet.
Moments later it seemed the lead had been doubled, but referee Mark Clattenburg disallowed Martin Petrov’s effort because he felt like it.
From then on, Blackburn threw everything at Bolton, including the kitchen sink, fixtures and fittings, and a tatty sofa that they’d brought from Ewood Park for Sam Allardyce to sit on.
The home defence stood firm, especially Paul Robinson, who threw himself in front of everything that moved. It was a pity then, just as the storm seemed to have been weathered, that the visitors were level, three minutes from the end, when Mame Biram Diouf picked up Jason Roberts’s first-time pass, advanced down the left side of the penalty area and chipped the ball over Jussi Jaaskelainen, aided by a slight deflection off Gary Cahill. Sam was up off his sofa and dancing around like a two year old.
Oops
The celebration didn’t last long. About forty-five seconds. From the restart, Muamba laid the ball back to Sam Rickett’s who launched a perfectly angled long ball into enemy territory. For once, Kevin Davies won the aerial battle and his head-on found Stuart Holden. The man from Dallas, so often Bolton’s midfield destroyer, finished like a seasoned striker, taking the ball on his chest and then volleying home. Holden’s mock celebratory faint is an in joke amongst the players, but it summed up the feelings of the Reebok faithful. Sam looked as if someone had nicked his rusk.
Allardyce was miffed in defeat. ‘To do what we did after we scored is absolutely diabolical from my point of view,’ he complained.
Big Sam hasn’t yet received due credit for what he achieved at the Reebok and in the eyes of some fans, the manner of his leaving and behaviour afterward have tainted the memory. But that discussion is for another time. Today, there are just three more words.
Up yours fatty.
- Richard McCormick
The Spuds are Mashed at the Reebok
Sunday, November 7th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Kevin Davies, Lee Chung-Yong, Martin Petrov, Matt Taylor, Stuart Holden | 2 Comments
Sometimes it’s easy being a Bolton fan. Not often mind, and such moments are usually interspersed with ones of exasperation and even despair. But that just makes the good times sweeter when they arrive.
Last week Owen Coyle’s men lost to the poorest Liverpool team in decades. That seemed a long time ago as they demolished a Spurs side who had ripped Inter Milan a new nether orifice in mid-week.
Yet in the first half, that outcome seemed unlikely. There was no lack of effort or belief against Gerrard & Co, but there was an absence of guile that proved costly. The same seemed to apply in the opening period against Tottenham.
All that changed, in a pivotal moment, just after the half-hour mark and it was down to defensive ineptitude, inadequate goal-keeping and a linesman who should have gone to Specsavers.
Fabrice Muamba, robbed a dawdling Sandro and found Matt Taylor, who fed the ball to Kevin Davies. The Wanderers captain was in an offside position, and he didn’t strike the ball that cleanly, but Heurelho Gomes, in the Tottenham net, got down to it with all the speed of someone with an arthritic hip. The home side were one up, and the complexion of the game changed for good.
'Arry's Not 'Appy
Had the visitors gone in level, Harry Redknapp would probably have stayed with his starting eleven. Instead he brought on Roman Pavlyuchenko for Wilson Palacios in an attempt to open the game up. It worked, but not in the way that ‘Arry had envisioned.
‘After we went one down, we went 4-4-2 and were as open as a barn door,’ said the man with the saggiest jowls in football, post-match. It was an accurate assessment, although he missed the words ‘and it was all my fault’ off the end of the sentence.
Ten minutes into the second half and Bolton extended their lead with the best passing movement of the game so far. Lee to Taylor to Elmander to Gretar Steinsson, who finished with the touch of a striker.
Steinsson had been expected to be busy at the other end of the pitch with Planet of the Apes extra, Gareth Bale. The Spurs winger had a quiet game, as befits a man who had been hyped into outer space by a fawning media, but he did show moments of quality in the first half. › Continue reading
Do you trust Gary Megson with your money?
Friday, May 29th, 2009 | Ariza Makukula, BWFC News, BWFC People, Danny Shittu, Ebi Smolarek, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Gretar Steinsson, Johan Elmander, Mark Davies, Mustapha Riga, Phil Gartside, Sebastien Puygrenier, Tamir Cohen | 10 Comments
Image via Wikipedia
The Bolton Wanderers manager wants more cash to splash… does he deserve it?
Gary Megson spent most of last season complaining about the size of his squad and he’s continued to send not-so-subtle messages to Phil Gartside and the Bolton Wanderers bank manager since the campaign ended.
Megson told The Bolton News that he’s confident of attracting big names to the Reebok, but do you trust him to spend your hard-spent season ticket cash wisely?
Let’s look at the evidence…
Bolton Wanderers 0-0 Sunderland: The fans’ view
Monday, May 11th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Gavin McCann, Johan Elmander | No Comments
The Bolton Wanderers match report you won’t read in the papers (or see on Match of the Day)
Here’s how the various Bolton Wanderers message boards reacted to the goalless draw with Sunderland…
Positives
- “We have now secured our place in the Premier League for the ninth successive season, which you have to say is a fantastic achievement however it has been done.”
- “Overall Gary Megson has done a good job and he deserves the chance to prove himself further next season” … “The board should back him with more money.”
Wigan Athletic 0-0 Bolton Wanderers: The fans’ view
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Megson, Johan Elmander, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Matt Taylor | No Comments
- Image via Wikipedia
The Bolton Wanderers match report you won’t read in the papers (or see on Match of the Day)
What the various Bolton Wanderers message boards made of the goalless draw at Wigan…
Positives
- “We would have won the game but for the terrible decision that ruled Matthew Taylor’s goal out as offside when Mido was playing him on.”
- “The coverage on Match of the Day was a disgrace. It was an exciting game despite the way they portrayed it as a boring 0-0″… “either side could have won it but it was a fair result in the end.”
Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Aston Villa: The fans’ view
Monday, April 27th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Chris Basham, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Megson, Gavin McCann, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Nicky Hunt, Tamir Cohen | No Comments
Image via Wikipedia
The Bolton Wanderers match report you won’t read in the papers (or see on Match of the Day)
Here’s what the various Bolton Wanderers message boards made of the 1-1 home draw with Aston Villa…
Reebok Round-Up (10.04.09)
Friday, April 10th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Blerim Dzemaili, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Megson, Kevin Davies, Mark Davies, Ricardo Gardner | No Comments
What Manny Road has been reading (and thinking) about Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers 4-1 Middlesbrough: The fans’ view
Monday, April 6th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Chris Basham, Danny Shittu, Ebi Smolarek, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Megson, Gavin McCann, Johan Elmander, Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Gardner | 1 Comment
The Bolton Wanderers match report you won’t read in the papers (or see on Match of the Day)
Here’s what the various Bolton Wanderers message boards made of the 4-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough on Saturday…
Reebok Round-Up (29.03.09): Starring Amir Khan, Andy O’Brien and Michael Ricketts
Sunday, March 29th, 2009 | Andy O'Brien, BWFC News, BWFC People, Eddie Davies, Fabrice Muamba, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Gretar Steinsson, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Michael Ricketts, Phil Gartside, Tamir Cohen | No Comments
What Manny Road has been reading (and thinking) about Bolton Wanderers during the international break
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