BlackburnRovers
Relegation fodder …
Monday, June 20th, 2011 | BWFC Goals, BWFC News, BWFC People, Premier League | 3 Comments
Would you buy a second hand car off these boys?
Aspirations have changed at Bolton since the dark days of Gary Megson. The arrival of Owen Coyle followed by our impressive start to the season had the more optimistic of us counting air miles and dusting off our Bulgarian phrase-books. Even when European qualification had passed us by – embarrassingly so in the cup – a top half finish was still on the cards right up to the end of the season.
Never mind. Coyle’s inherited Megson’s bunch of cloggers. Once he’s had the summer to make serious changes, we’ll be back to chasing Europe again. Surely relegation battles are a thing of the past? Aren’t they?
Maybe not. Our form after Christmas was relegation-standard, and the end of the season – five defeats on the bounce – was abysmal. It wouldn’t be the first time poor form at the end of one season has carried over to the next. Add to that our tough start to the season and it wouldn’t be a great surprise to see us rock-bottom after the first seven games. We’ll have easier runs to follow, but everything looks that bit tougher if you’re sat at the bottom and confidence may have taken a bit of a battering. › 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
It’s Time to Beat the Blackburn Jinx
Sunday, December 12th, 2010 | BWFC News, Premier League, Richard McCormick | No Comments
‘Gary Megson, You’re a wanker,You’re a wanker’
It’s a pleasing way to start an article on Bolton Wanderers isn’t it? At some point in the future the words may be etched on the Ginger One’s tombstone.
It wasn’t the first time that chant had been aimed at Megson, but the significance, in the context of today’s game, is that it signalled yet another failure to beat Blackburn Rovers, this time after leading 2-0 in, January 2009 at Ewood Park.
It’s been a familiar story over the past few years. Whilst overall the head to head is close (Wanderers 56 wins, Rovers 53) recent encounters have very much favoured the team from the other end of the Devil’s Highway. At the Reebok, Bolton haven’t beaten Blackburn since before both clubs returned to the Premier League a decade ago.
In the main, those games have been dire to watch, with a 0-0 score line featuring more than it should. That Sky continues to televise the fixture shows they aren’t taking much notice.
There’s also another jinx that needs laying to rest. Since Sam Allardyce took his ‘break’ from football in 2007, only to pitch up at Newcastle a fortnight later, he hasn’t been defeated when his sides have faced Bolton. Last season Allardyce didn’t even need to be at the game. The big man watched his side score an easy 2-0 win from a hospital bed, after having a heart fitted.
Sam and Jussi have a chat. Note the position of the ball
Things descended into grim comedy that day, with Sam Ricketts executing a routine headed back pass to his own goalkeeper, only to find a large space where he’d expected Jussi Jaakelainen to be. Game over.
By that stage Megson was hanging from a cliff with thousands of people queuing up to stamp on his fingers. Metaphorically speaking that is, much to the regret of the home support.
The mood is much lighter now and today’s match will be a test of how far Owen Coyle has progressed with his quest to play a more enterprising brand of football. The visitors will no doubt defend deep, be well organised and attempt to stifle the game in the final third.
There is nothing wrong with that approach. Whilst a pass and move game might be pleasing to the eye, it’s results that count, as Alan Pardew will tell you when he’s sacked next Easter.
Coyle’s side have some making up to do. Last time out there was a no-show at Manchester City, preceded by a barely deserved draw against a Blackpool side still inspired by the wurzel on smack that is Ian Holloway.
Both games were marked by the absence of Stuart Holden, the Whites best player this season, who is expected to resume his partnership with Fabrice Muamba. How they perform will be pivotal.
The away team will be happy with a point, but the Wanderers need three, to restore the momentum, lift them back into the top six, and to nail a double bogey that’s lasted for too long.
- Richard McCormick
Wake me up when Gary Megson has gone from Bolton Wanderers
Monday, November 23rd, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Phil Gartside | 13 Comments
Will the last person to leave the Reebok Stadium please turn out the lights
Will the last person to leave the Reebok Stadium please turn out the lights
Manny Road is officially going dark…
After a month of very little activity here on Manny Road, I’ve finally decided to put the blog on hold for a while.
I’ve been mulling this over for some time. Partly it’s motivated by factors in my own life: lack of time, an array of other projects to be getting on with, and the realisation that I’ve learnt pretty much everything I can from the Manny Road project – not least that you can’t make money from blogging; not about Bolton Wanderers anyway.
Newspaper fails basic Bolton Wanderers test: Exhibit number 3,179
Thursday, July 30th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Lee Chung-Yong, Sam Allardyce | No Comments
Big Sam rears his ugly head again
The Daily Star proves Manny Road’s worst fears about Gary Megson and Sam Allardyce
I wrote yesterday that the football Bolton have played under Gary Megson has been so dull that it appears to have put many journalists in to some kind of trance, in which they believe Sam Allardyce is still the Wanderers manager.
And just to prove that only some of what appears on Manny Road is over-reacting to simple mistakes, on the very same day the Daily Star published an article about new signing Lee Chung-Yong in which Big Sam again reared his ugly (quite literally) head (hat tip to Alex for pointing this out in the comments of yesterday’s post).
Memo to the national press: Sam Allardyce does not manage Bolton Wanderers
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson, Sam Allardyce | 1 Comment
Another season, and yet more lazy journalists getting the basics wrong
Image from 101 Great Goals
I lost count of the number of times the press made reference to Sam Allardyce being manager of Bolton Wandererers last season.
After Big Sam returned to management in the north-west with Blackburn midway through last season, a succession of newspaper articles and – if memory serves – over-excitable Sky Sports pundits, lazily got Bolton mixed up with their Lancashire rivals.
Wigan Athletic 0-0 Bolton Wanderers: What the papers say
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Cahill, Gary Megson, Jussi Jaaskelainen | 1 Comment
- Image via Wikipedia
How the national press reported the Wanderers goalless draw at the JJB Stadium
The News of the World gives top billing to Jussi Jaaskelainen, suggesting Wigan would have won at a canter but for the Bolton keeper’s heroics. The Guardian described Jaaskelainen as “immense”. The Mail is similarly complimentary, although it does point out that he almost got punished for a howler early in the game.
10 things you (probably don’t) need to know about Bolton and Fulham
Saturday, March 14th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
Your guide to all the pre-match gossip and Mystic Meggery ahead of Bolton v Fulham
Reasons to be cheerful
1. Fulham have not won away from home this season and have only scored three goals on their travels. Basically they’re completely useless away from Craven Cottage.
Gary Megson doesn’t want to be your friend anymore
Friday, March 6th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, Gary Megson | No Comments
- Image via CrunchBase
The Bolton manager’s Facebook charm offensive
I wrote a few months back about Gary Megson trying to win over some fans by accepting them as friends on Facebook.
Since then, of course, his roller-coaster relationship with the supporters has had several more ups and downs, most notably when he called travelling fans at Blackburn “pathetic”.
BWFC Hall of Shame #9: Foul-mouthed El-Hadji Diouf
Saturday, February 28th, 2009 | BWFC News, BWFC People, El-Hadji Diouf | No Comments
Image via Wikipedia
Former Wanderers star allegedly falls foul of prank call
I was always slightly uneasy with the amount of respect El-Hadji Diouf seemed to get from Bolton Wanderers fans.
After all, despite his efforts on the field for the Whites, various incidents – including spitting and drink driving (both glorified in a popular terrace chant) – indicated he was a deeply unpleasant human being.
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