Johan Elmander
It’s Time for Owen Coyle to Earn His Money
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Johan Elmander, John McGinlay, Mark Davies, Owen Coyle | 1 Comment
Bolton take on Wolves at the Reebok Stadium tonight with a section of the home support close to panic. It’s not surprising. Since thumping Newcastle over two months ago, the Whites haven’t played well and the last two games have seen a gutless loss to Chelsea, and a failure to beat Wigan reserves in the FA Cup.
John 'Popular in Wolverhampton' McGinlay
No one realistically expected Owen Coyle’s men to maintain the heights reached in November, but the difference in the level of performance is striking. The team has been toothless up front, disorganised in midfield and shambolic at the back. Most worrying is the complete evaporation of confidence, given that the man in charge is famed for his powers of motivation. There’s even been a new word coined to describe the situation. It’s ‘Megsonesque’, appearing in a dictionary near you soon.
Coyle has the chance to freshen things up after acquiring two new players in the transfer window. Both Gary Cahill and Zat Knight have their qualities, but as a unit they don’t work, so the arrival of David Wheater is welcome.
Up front, Kevin Davies looks old and Johan Elmander is still in a sulk that started when his contract negotiations broke down. It hasn’t occurred to the Swede that he’s still being rewarded handsomely for his lack of effort. Given that, Daniel Sturridge, on loan from Chelsea ought to start.
Johan 'I Can't be Arsed Anymore' Elmander
But it’s in midfield where the main problems lie. Matt Taylor doesn’t work on the right, Martin Petrov doesn’t work at all, Stuart Holden has suffered injuries and Fabrice Muamba relapsed to his gormless worst. The only player to emerge from that area with credit of late is Mark Davies.
Wolves are on odd side, inconsistent and physical to the point of being psychotic. But there’s a better reason to dislike them: They’re Wolves.
There’s never been much love lost between supporters of the two clubs, but things intensified in the 1990s, as Bolton won promotion to the Premier League at the expense of the Dingles, as they’re known to fans of near neighbours West Brom. Hopefully John McGinlay will be wheeled out at some point in tonight’s proceedings and club mascot Lofty the Lion will have a target pinned to his chest so that the visiting scrubbers can throw pies at him again. Ain’t nostalgia great?
The Wanderers (the real ones) have slipped into the bottom half of the table and need three points from this game. An early goal will help as will forward play that involves more than sending the ball down the channels and then hoofing it into the penalty area to no one in particular.
Bolton aren’t as good as they appeared to be late last year, but they aren’t as bad as they seem now. They should certainly have enough to see off Mick McCarthy’s side. With difficult games to come, a failure to do that could have heavy consequences. It’s time for Owen Coyle to earn his money.
- Richard McCormick
So Gary Megson was Wonderful After All
Saturday, January 15th, 2011 | BWFC People, Johan Elmander, Owen Coyle | 2 Comments
Ahead of today’s clash with Bolton at the Britannia Stadium, Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has been speaking up for his old mate Gary Megson. Pulis employed Megson back in 2007, but notably didn’t pay him.
‘Gary kept them in the league quite comfortably for two years, but when he took over they were in trouble,’ Pulis told the organ of truth and enlightenment that is the Daily Star.
Give Gaz a chance. Tony Pulis tells it like it isn't
Gary kept Bolton up so comfortably in the first season that they were four points adrift of safety with five games to go after taking one league point in the previous two months. Only a late season sequence of good results prevented relegation. Not quite so comfy then, Tony.
‘The problem was Gary did not have the relationship with the fans that Owen has got,’ continued the man doffing the unwise baseball cap.
The problem was Gary did not have the relationship with the players that Owen has got. Ask Ivan Campo.
‘The players were not with him. They didn’t trust him and the style of football he played was far too simple,’ said the Spaniard after Megson had been given the boot.
Or Johan Elmander.
‘It doesn’t help to stare and scream at me. I got tired the more of it I heard.’ commented Elmander of his former boss. ‘Owen Coyle is a great coach, who I really enjoy working with.’
The Daily Star is best known for having tits on page three. The trait appears to have spread to the sports section.
- Richard McCormick
What a difference a year makes….?
Monday, December 27th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Bruce Rioch, Football Association, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Lee Chung-Yong, Premier League, Premiership referees | 1 Comment
I didn’t get round to replying to Josh’s thread about what a difference a year makes, so I’ll stick my thoughts here.
(incidentally, when fans discuss the golden era of Bolton Wanderers, for me our second greatest period – after the 1920′s – is 30 Dec 2009 to 8 Jan 2010)
I’ll start by saying I’m a huge fan of Owen Coyle. In my opinion, this is the best managerial appointment we have ever made. Whether we go on to have the success to justify that statement remains to be seen and depends on a whole range of factors, but for me there has never previously been an available candidate more perfect for the job. I’ve stated my reasons for this in great depth many times in the past on the old official board and others, so I won’t go over old ground.
we're all a happy bunch here...
All that said, my take on the first year under OC is that if anything the “Coyle revolution” has gone slightly slower than I expected / would have liked.
To evaluate the changes, it seems reasonable to summarise based on some key areas: our league position, the style of football, spirit / morale within the club, and mood / enthusiasm of the supporters.
League position:
A massive “pass” for OC thus far. Taking over in the bottom three and guiding us comfortably to safety last season was a solid start, but it’s our lofty heights this season that really catches the eye. It’s pretty safe to say that we would be nowhere near 6th at this stage of the season under the previous manager. I’d also say it would be unlikely that we would be anywhere near this position now if BSA had never left (or worse – returned).
However, we shouldn’t get too carried away yet. We have put ourselves in an excellent position to give us a chance of a top 8 finish, but there’s a long way to go yet. Other teams have games in hand, and our position could look a bit different after the next couple of games.
We’ve also benefited from a season where some of the fancied sides have started poorly. Nobody would have predicted at the start of the season that Liverpool, Everton AND Villa would all be outside the top 8 at this stage of the season. › Continue reading
It’s Perfectly Alright to Stamp on Bolton Players
Tuesday, November 9th, 2010 | BWFC People, Johan Elmander | 1 Comment
Bolton fans have reacted with some anger, but mainly resignation at the news that Tottenham’s Tom Huddlestone will not face retrospective punishment after his stamp on Johan Elmander, during Saturday’s game at the Reebok.
The FA were unable to act after referee Chris Foy claimed that the incident had been seen by match officials. Yeah, right.
In truth, it’s difficult to get agitated about Huddlestone did. For one thing, Bolton won – and in some style. Secondly, it wasn’t a full blown assault, more a petulant toe poke, for which the appropriate sanction is a clip around the ear and an admonishment to stop being such a girl, rather than a three match ban for violent conduct. However, the fact that this is not an isolated happening does grate a little.
After being reduced to a gibbering wreck by Eduardo’s horrible leg break at Birmingham, you’d think that William Gallas would be mindful of the health of his fellow professionals. How wrong that assumption would be.
In last season’s game against between Arsenal and Bolton at the Emirates, Gallas went in over the top on Mark Davies which led to the young midfielder being stretchered off with damaged ankle ligaments. A red card? Nope. A yellow then? Negative. Retropective punishment? Not on your nelly. Alan Wiley, the man with the inappropriate surname, said he’d seen the challenge so no action was taken.
Sissoko explains how he can get away with anything
Going back a while, to a New Year fixture at the Reebok against Liverpool, there was not one, but two stamping incidents. Firstly, Steven Gerrard did a little tap dance on the already prostrate Kevin Nolan. It was difficult from the video footage alone, to establish if there was malicious intent, and as Nolan himself made light of the event, it’s best to move on.
The same couldn’t be said for Mohamed Sissoko’s ten metre dash to stick the boot into a horizontal El Hadji Diouf. Given the seamier side of Diouf’s nature, some might say he’s due a good shoeing. Perhaps, Mark Clattenburg, the man in the middle that day, was working to a set of rules in which that sentiment had been enshrined. There can be no other explanation for the entry in his match report which said that no action was deemed necessary.
A few months earlier at Stamford Bridge, it wasn’t a stamp, but a reckless kick to the area below Tal Ben Haim’s knee that earned Michael Essien a booking, rather than the sending off it deserved. But that’s what you get when Rob ‘Big Club’ Styles is carrying the cards.
The intention here is not to claim that Bolton are being singled out for neglectful treatment. It’s the inconsistency and the bias toward the big clubs that is the problem.
Clattenburg was the referee at Manchester City when Emmanuel Adebayor attempted to stamp on Arsenal’s Robin Van Persie. A ban resulted this time, as the act had not been seen. Which was odd, as it happened three feet in front of the man with the whistle.
At Arsenal in September, Gary Cahill got his marching orders for the mildest of infringements. Even Arsene Wenger thought the decision unfair. When old wrinkle bonce sides with the opposition you know there’s a problem.
'Get up you cissy. Stevie hardly touched you'
Stuart Atwell officiated that day, which may provide an explanation. He was also in charge at Liverpool in March when he allowed Steven Gerrard to escape without censure after his forearm smash on Michael Brown of Portsmouth. The list goes on.
Without inside knowledge it’s hard to know where the problem lies. Are the FA too harsh on officials who admit they’ve made mistakes? Are those tasked with controlling Premier League matches completely starstruck? Or are they just a bunch of lying bastards?
Until the answer is found, players of the less fashionable clubs will hope that their more illustrious counterparts don’t start carrying weapons onto pitch. In the current climate they’d get away with using them.
- Richard McCormick
Bolton’s Gary Cahill Joins Stoke City
Sunday, October 17th, 2010 | BWFC People, Gary Cahill, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies | 4 Comments
Opinions are still divided after Saturday’s game between Bolton and Stoke City at the Reebok.
Should Stoke have had a penalty? Was the sending off of Ivan Klasnic harsh?
Should the Neanderthal Stoke fans who terrorised women and children be inhumanly euthanized? Should they be joined by the Bolton chavs who mouthed off and then ran off leaving others to deal with the consequences of their actions?
Some things can be agreed on though. Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander and Gary Cahill play for Bolton, while Jermaine Pennant, Ryan Shawcross and Kenwyne Jones are in the employ of Stoke City.
Not according to the News of the World.
The quotes in italics are produced word for word from Adrian Milledge’s deliciously confused match report.
Rupert Murdoch. Worth billions. Employs numpties.
‘The 33-year old, set up by Pennant’s outswinging corner, should have doubled Bolton’s lead in first-half stoppage time but headed wide.’
That 33-year old was Kevin Davies, who was presumably trying to score from inside his own penalty area. Neat if you can manage it.
‘Cahill completely snuffed out any threat from Davies and his strike partner, the in-form Johan Elmander.’
No wonder Davo had a lean day. Johan too.
‘And with Shawcross keeping a firm hand on striker Kenwyne Jones, the goal came from a winger.’
This marking players from your own side lark seems to be catching on.
Ready for the best bit? Here you go.
‘…aside from Delap’s long throws and some teasing corners sent in by Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant, Stoke played the ball on the floor.’
Maybe Mr Milledge watched the game whilst upside down. That would account for his mental disintegration.
Kevin Davies – A true Legend
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Eidur Gudjohnsen, El-Hadji Diouf, Football Association, Gary Megson, Ivan Campo, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Nat Lofthouse, Nicolas Anelka, Owen Coyle, Premier League, Youri Djorkaeff | 2 Comments
Legend: it’s a word thrown round all too readily it appears these days. Scrolling down my news feed on Facebook last week, I found one friend bestowing legendary status on Javier Hernandez following his late winner for Manchester United away at Valencia. I’m sure he was caught up in the moment, or at least I hope so, and I imagine in the cold light of day, he wouldn’t be quite so keen to put Hernandez up with the ‘Kings of the Stretford End’ such as Cantona, Law and Charlton just yet although, considering the fact that the guy probably couldn’t find Old Trafford with a sat nav and more than likely believes that football was invented in 1993, nothing would surprise me.super
A proud moment for Super-kev
It’s not just fans of other clubs who seem keen to claim certain questionable players as ‘legends’. El Hadji Diouf has achieved legendary status to some Bolton fans, despite the fact that his consistency could often be called in to question and, regardless of his ‘love’ for the club, he felt the overwhelming urge just prior to our biggest match of the season at home to Sunderland to announce to the national press that, irrespective of the result of said match, he would be leaving Bolton for a big club on the continent. Now, I’ve visited Sunderland in the past and, while it does seem like another country, and sometimes another world, it sure as hell isn’t in Spain!
So what does constitute a legend? Well, in my humble opinion, in order for the word legend to have the impact it deserves, it has to be limited to certain players who have had a profound impact on the club. We have had some world class players grace the famous white shirt of Bolton Wanderers, particularly over the last ten years: Jay Jay Okocha – so good they named him twice; Youri Djorkaeff – World Cup winner in 1998 and European Championship winner in 2000; Ivan Campo – two time Champions League winner; Fernando Hierro – three time Champions League winner and five time winner of La Liga; Eidur Gudjohnsen – two Premier League titles with Chelsea and a La Liga title and Champions League winner with Barcelona; Stelios Giannakopoulos – European Championship winner with Greece in 2004; Nicolas Anelka – Premier League, FA and Champions League winner with Arsenal and Real Madrid respectively prior to his time with us, not to mention adding further Premier League and FA Cup success with Chelsea following his time at The Reebok. In total; ten domestic league titles, seven Champions Leagues, two European Championships, two FA Cups, one UEFA Cup, one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, one UEFA Super Cup, one World Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal. Not to mention, the small number of 457 International caps. In short, these guys have won it all. › Continue reading
Burnley Football Club Just Keeps on Giving as Bolton Snatch a Point
Sunday, August 29th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies | 1 Comment
It remains to be seen whether former Burnley manager Owen Coyle will make a success of his time at the Reebok, but another recruit from the poor relations in East Lancashire made a more immediate impact, as Bolton snatched an unlikely point against Birmingham City.
Player, shirt, grin, with zimmer frame cunningly concealed
Robbie Blake had done nothing, apart from look old, after he replaced Johan Elmander, but his free kick that gave the Whites a share of the points was a peach. Ben Foster in the Birmingham goal couldn’t have been further from the ball if he’d been outside the stadium.
Five minutes into the second half things had looked grim for the home side, after Craig Gardner put Birmingham two up. By this stage, they were down to ten men, Jussi Jaaskelainen having been sent off for bitch slapping Roger Johnson. The incident will be a prime candidate for inclusion in a future instalment of Football’s Most Embarrassing Moments. That left Adam Bodan, wearing a shirt almost the exact colour of his hair to make a league debut under the most difficult of circumstances.
Johnson appeared to be at the centre of everything. Early on he put the visitors ahead from a James McFadden cross, but was at fault when bundling Kevin Davies to the floor with twenty minutes remaining. Davies coolly slotted the resulting penalty home.
Bolton huffed and puffed to little effect, a Johan Elmander effort being the closest thing to a chance, but they were rescued as referee Kevin Friend lived up to his name. A clash between Gary Cahill and Barry Ferguson appeared to be six of one and half-a-dozen of the other, but a free kick was given to the home side just outside the penalty area, and Blake curled it brilliantly over the wall to give his new side a share of the spoils.
It’s Time to Have Stuart Hall Stuffed and Mounted
Monday, August 16th, 2010 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Johan Elmander | 4 Comments
A game between Bolton and Fulham was never likely to be a classic, this being the fifth 0-0 draw in ten fixtures between the sides at the Reebok. Maybe that’s why only 20,352 turned up for the first game of the season. Given the weather, there were more enjoyable things to do.
Expecting Owen Coyle to immediately transform Bolton’s dysfunctional game into something more dynamic would be foolish. He is after all, working mainly with the squad that his predecessor assembled in order to play dull football. But more evidence that he’s moving in the right direction is required.
The centre back pairing coped easily with Bobby Zamora, but the defence as a whole is still too easy to get behind, particularly on the side that should be occupied by Gretar Steinsson. Up front, the Whites were toothless, incapable of putting the opposition under sustained pressure.
The most damning criticism of Gary Megson, is that his players looked as if they were strangers to each other. After a pre-season with Coyle and a whole host of friendly games, little progress has been made in that department. Can we have some movement please?
A scoreless draw, against a side notoriously poor on their travels is not a satisfactory result (Fulham won one game and lost eleven away last season.) Especially with a difficult September to come in which the points tally is likely to be zero.
Worse was to come for those Wanderers fans who tuned into Five Live on the way home where the BBC demonstrated their continuing contempt for Bolton by giving the match summariser’s gig to Stuart Hall.
Hall is many things, an irritating wanker being one of them, but he’s no football reporter. The use of language is bad enough. It reminds you of On Again, On Again, the song that Jake Thackray wrote about his wife. › Continue reading
10 ways Gary Megson COULD win Wanderers fans over
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Gavin McCann, Johan Elmander | 3 Comments
Katie and Peter: More annoying than Gary Megson. Pic from shimelle, some rights reserved
Katie and Peter: More annoying than Gary Megson. Pic from shimelle, some rights reserved
How Gary Megson could become more popular than Adolf Hitler
Ridiculous analogies are the latest weapon of choice for the army of Pro-Megsonites (mainly non-Wanderers), who have taken it upon themselves to criticise Bolton fans for daring to have an opinion about the manager whose wages they pay.
SquareFootball (a good site that Manny Road enjoys a good relationship with, but isn’t afraid to criticise when they get it totally wrong), suggested recently that Bolton fans wouldn’t get behind Gary Megson even if he guided us to the Champions League.
Bolton Wanderers 3-1 West Ham: Video highlights
Thursday, September 24th, 2009 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Gary Cahill, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies | No Comments
Some much needed relief…
All the goals from the Wanderers 3-1 Carling Cup win over West Ham (minus the last goal for some reason)…
Useful links
Tags
Search Manny Road
