Matt Taylor
Will Owen Coyle Regret Selling Matty Taylor?
Sunday, July 24th, 2011 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Matt Taylor, Owen Coyle | 5 Comments
Matthew Taylor has completed his move to West Ham United, for an undisclosed fee, after an amount of £2.2 million was suggested earlier in the week. The news has been greeted with joy by a section of Bolton’s support. It’s a harsh judgment.
Taylor was an easy target for the boo boys. He lacked pace, couldn’t go past a player and his defensive capabilities were of a standard that made the idea that he could stand in at left back seem laughable. Yet he most certainly had an end product.
Matt Taylor pictured left. The man with an enormous right testicle.
The midfielder was signed in January 2008 as Gary Megson* went on a spending spree with money acquired from the sale of Nicolas Anelka. Things did not begin well. Played further forward than he was used to, Taylor was famed for not scoring when he should have done. Most notably he missed a hat trick of sitters against former club Portsmouth as the Whites went down to a 1-0 defeat at home after dominating the game.
The following season he netted ten times, no mean feat for a midfielder, including the highlight of his time at Bolton, a scorching free kick against, ironically, West Ham at the Boleyn. A good goalkeeper would have struggled to save that effort. The Hammers only had Rob Green, whose fumblings have gifted the Wanderers so many points that he’s been assigned an honorary squad number at the Reebok.
The 2009-10 campaign was blighted by glandular fever which was undiagnosed until late February. Still, he got on the score sheet eight times, including a brace at Stoke that virtually guaranteed Premier League survival for Bolton. From then on he was a bit part player, struggling to hold down a place after the arrival of Martin Petrov and failing to string two good games together when given a chance.
At his best, Taylor was a deadly striker of the ball, an expert set piece taker and an accurate long range passer in open play. His main problem was that he didn’t produce his best frequently enough, which left the lesser parts of his game more open to criticism. But there was never any doubt about his commitment, with the stats frequently showing that he’d covered the most ground during a game.
There were claims that he was Megson’s man, but touchline arguments with the Ginger One test that assumption. His response, when asked if the former Bolton manager’s constant yelling bothered him, was also interesting.
“I don’t have a problem with it,” he said. The body language and tone of voice suggested that the words were not an accurate reflection of his thoughts.
Not that Taylor was averse to making his feelings known. There are some who claim that paying the entrance fee to a stadium entitles them to barrack an individual they see as underperforming. That’s another argument, but those people shouldn’t complain when the abuse is returned, as it was with Matt Taylor. Yet no player enjoyed the crowd’s adulation more when he scored.
Will Bolton miss him? Possibly. A set piece specialist is always useful in a side that lacks creativity. The counter argument is that this move brings in much needed revenue for the club and gives the player a chance of regular first team football and therefore an opportunity to regain his form.
Fans at Portsmouth still regard Matthew Taylor with affection. On the whole, that isn’t the case at Bolton, which is regrettable given his overall contribution. This supporter for one, wishes him well.
- Richard McCormick
* Note for lazy journalists. Matt Taylor will not be re-united with ‘former boss’ Sam Allardyce
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
Oh Goody. Yet Another Bolton Pre-Season Preview
Friday, August 13th, 2010 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Kevin Davies, Lee Chung-Yong, Mark Davies, Matt Taylor, Owen Coyle, Phil Gartside, Premier League, Ricardo Gardner, Sam Allardyce | 1 Comment
Things couldn’t be more different. This time last year there was a collective gloom amongst Bolton fans. The previous season had ended with one win in eleven games, the summer signings were uninspiring and Gary Megson was still in charge.
There was an inevitability about the opening day defeat to Sunderland, which was far worse than the 1-0 score line suggested. That Steve Bruce’s men won only once more on their travels said it all.
St Owen of Lostock Acknowledges the Throng
This time round there’s a quiet optimism and it’s all due to one man. Owen Coyle arrived in January on a tidal wave of approval that’s yet to subside. Where Megson was dull and uninspiring, Coyle has the energetic enthusiasm of a new puppy. So much so, that you want to slap him sometimes. Putting so much faith in a manager with precisely one year’s top flight experience might not be the wisest thing, but what the hell, football supporters need hope.
Not many clubs have splashed money about in the transfer window. Bolton certainly haven’t. That’s because they haven’t got any. The much desired prolific goal scorer hasn’t arrived, but then only Nicolas Anelka and a pre-blubber Michael Ricketts, qualified for that description in the last decade, so it was always a forlorn hope.
Instead, there’s Robbie Blake, late of the unwashed hordes in Burnley. Blake’s a capable operator. It’s just a pity he’s older than God. But he may be a useful player to have on the bench, providing he doesn’t succumb to arthritis or senile dementia. Or have his zimmer frame nicked when the scallies from Liverpool come to visit.
Concessions have already been made to combat the advancing years. Drinks bottles for the other players contain Lucozade, laced with electrolytes. Robbie has Sanatogen in his. › Continue reading
Manchester United 2-1 Bolton Wanderers: Video highlights
Saturday, October 17th, 2009 | BWFC Goals, Matt Taylor | No Comments
For those who’d rather not watch Match of the Day
Goals from the Wanderers 2-1 defeat to United at Old Trafford today, although sadly minus Matt Taylor’s consolation for the time being (I’m working on it)…
Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Stoke City: Video highlights
Sunday, September 20th, 2009 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Matt Taylor | 2 Comments
For those who’d rather not watch Match of the Day
All the goals and, ahem, highlights from the Wanderers 1-1 draw with Stoke at the Reebok yesterday…
Portsmouth 2-3 Bolton Wanderers: Video highlights
Sunday, September 13th, 2009 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Matt Taylor, Tamir Cohen | 2 Comments
For those who’d rather not wait until the final five minutes of Match of the Day
All the goals from Bolton’s 3-2 win at Pompey yesterday…
Setanta misses the point with Bolton Wanderers season review
Monday, June 8th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Danny Shittu, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Gretar Steinsson, Johan Elmander, Jussi Jaaskelainen, Matt Taylor, Mustapha Riga | 6 Comments
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The Sky wannabes let Gary Megson off the hook
It’s the time of year when newspapers and websites fill empty space with reviews and analysis of the season just passed. Most of them are hardly worth reading, especially when you’ve had a season as dull and uneventful as the Wanderers have.
One section from Setanta’s end-of-season Bolton Wanderers review jumped off the page, though.
Bolton Wanderers v Sunderland: Here’s one we made earlier
Saturday, May 9th, 2009 | BWFC Goals, BWFC People, Gary Cahill, Johan Elmander, Matt Taylor | No Comments
What happened the last time the Wanderers played Sunderland
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.”
11 things you (probably don’t) need to know about Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers
Saturday, April 18th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Chris Basham, Danny Shittu, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Johan Elmander, Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor | No Comments
- Image via Wikipedia
Your guide to all the predictions and Mystic Meggery ahead of Portsmouth v Bolton Wanderers
Reasons to be cheerful
1. Danny Shittu is a major doubt after being floored by Didier Drogba last week.
2. Matt Taylor, who has scored 10 goals so far this season, would love to show Pompey fans what they’ve been missing since they sold him – even if Gary Megson won’t let him be captain for the day.
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