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.

However, despite being hugely talented players and for all their numerous winners’ medals, only Ivan Campo has a legitimate claim of being a Bolton legend in my eyes. Legendary status is not about ability alone; it is about passion for the shirt, the club and the fans; always giving 100% effort and commitment in every game, no matter what your ability; staying at the club for a prolonged period of time and having created some amazing memories for the fans to treasure forever.

While I’m sure United fans will remember Hernandez’s winner for a few weeks, especially if it sparks a decent run in the competition, I doubt it will remain a talking point for generations nor will it last long in the memory unlike, say, a late equaliser in the Alianz Arena to claim an unforgettable 2-2 draw against a true powerhouse of European football, Bayern Munich.

The player who scored that goal is not a Champions League winner; he’s not an FA Cup winner either, having his one chance of a final appearance cruelly taken away from him in the eleventh hour whilst playing for Southampton in 2003. At the time of writing, he doesn’t have any international caps to speak of, although that will hopefully change in a week. However, despite the lack of international recognition or domestic honours, there is one player, one man who epitomises what being a legend is all about. That man is Kevin Davies.

Just can't put my finger on it....!

Two weeks prior to Diouf’s shameful self promotion, we had an arguably more important home game against West Ham. Four points adrift from safety and with time running out, it was imperative that we win. Failure to do so would almost certainly see us relegated, and didn’t the cockneys know it. In a match when we needed the players to stand up and be counted, one player stood taller than most. Even after putting Bolton into a second half lead, crashing the ball into the roof of the net after Green (who else) had made of mess of dealing with a Bolton corner, Davies continued to provide an all action display which eventually resulted in a severely dislocated finger. That would have meant the end of the action for most players, but not Kevin Davies. After getting it popped back into place, he returned to field in a relative act of strength and determination that would have made the Lion of Vienna proud. Bolton went on to record a five match unbeaten run which included further wins against Middlesbrough and Sunderland and our Premiership survival was secured.

For those of us who have watched Kevin Davies since he first arrived at Bolton in 2003, his call up, whilst welcome, is long overdue. Even Davies himself had given up the dream of international football, assuming that his three U21 caps would be the pinnacle of his international career, and even believed that the call telling him the news was some sort of wind up. But a wind up it most certainly wasn’t. Capello, in what was an admittedly unexpected move, had indeed called up Kevin Davies to the England squad to face Montenegro on October 12th. Davies is part of an unwanted pub quiz trivia question regarding his lack of an international call up. Which eight players have cost more than £7m in a single transfer but have never represented their country at senior level? No doubt Davies will be hoping to amend that question to read ‘which seven players’ come Tuesday evening.

His call up has naturally attracted criticism in some quarters: he’s too old seems to be the primary concern and, had it not been Davies who had been called up, it’s one which I would tend to agree with. That said, when you look round for the youthful alternatives, Andy Carroll seems to be the only option, and he has all of 20 Premiership appearances to his name. However, they always say, if you’re old enough, you’re good enough, but Carroll also falls down on those criteria too. The other concern (apart from the obvious that, as he plays for Bolton, he is clearly not good enough for international football) is that due to his all action, competitive style of play, he’ll instantly be dismissed for serious foul play due to the continental style officials. They must have forgotten that Kevin Davies managed to amass thirteen UEFA Cup appearances for Bolton Wanderers and, despite being refereed by the same officials who will oversee the England matches, he was never dismissed and managed to play for the full 90 minutes in each match.

True, Davies may not have the skill of Messi and, to be fair to Kev, the same can be said for a lot of players, but, for fear of trotting out the clichés, he does have a good touch for a big man; the goal against West Brom being a prime example. He also has an element of craft and guile to his game which often goes overlooked. His outside of the right foot pass to Lee in the build up to Elmander’s goal against West Ham being yet another example of his skill with the ball at his feet and, had it been created by a player known for their passing ability e.g. Scholes or Fabregas, we would have no doubt seen it replayed for months.

He also has the attributes which were missing from the England team this summer; heart, passion, desire and pride in the shirt. If he gets even two minutes at the end of the match to wear the Three Lions of England, it’ll mean so much more to Kevin Davies than to the many players who come through the youth teams ranks nowadays who believe that they have made the grade simply because they have a Rolex watch and a Aston Martin at the age of 18. They can learn a lot from Kevin Davies. Had the England team shown the same passion, desire and will to win which Davies demonstrated two years ago against West Ham, there is a good chance that our World Cup dreams may not have ended with the same pathetic performances in the group stages before being torn apart by a far superior and efficient German team in the last 16. Rooney may be one of the best players in the world, but you couldn’t tell that this summer in South Africa yet regardless of form, opposition or circumstances, Kevin Davies always puts in a shift; Kevin Davies always puts in a performance. The same cannot be said for some of his new team mates.

Davies should feel immense pride in his call up, regardless of whether he gets any time on the pitch. We all do. It is the pinnacle of any player’s career to represent their country, or at least it should be. Davies is no exception. He has done incredibly well for Bolton and it is fantastic for himself and the club that he has (finally) got the recognition he deserves. It would be incredible for the fairytale call up to have a happy ending and Davies to get the cap he deserves but whatever happens Kev, you’ve done us all proud!

Super Kevin Davies – England International (hopefully); Bolton Legend (definitely)

Dave Hallsworth

Of course Cahill wasn’t anything close to being first choice.  Rio Ferdinand has a knee problem and John Terry a shagging injury, whilst West Ham’s Matthew Upson is still hiding under the stairs in East London after being terrorised by Kevin Davies again.  Not that Upson should be anywhere near the national squad, unless it’s to hand out the half-time oranges.

In the event Cahill acquitted himself well, bar one early mistake, as Fabio Capello’s side ran out comfortable 4-0 winners against Bulgaria.  So, the burning question.  Will Cahill make his first start on Tuesday in Switzerland?

Logic says he should do.  There’s a need for a convincing alternative centre-back pairing and the one with Phil Jagielka that finished Friday’s game is as good a starting point as any.  But this doesn’t take into account the strange mental meanderings of the England manager.  This is the man who pledged not to pick players who were out of form or injured and then did both.

Fabio Capello is an odd individual, and that’s before you allow for him being Italian and bearing a striking resemblance to Animal off the Muppet Show.   We can but wait and see.

due to journalistic integrity (and the fact it might not be him) we have blanked out the ugly mush in this pic

(we would like to express, these are not necessarily the views of bwfcforum or manny road)

Superstar Shrek look-a-like Wayne Rooney was last night said to be close to an Old Trafford exit, according to sources.

The former Everton hitman, 24, has been in sensational form for the champions this season, netting his 33rd goal of the campaign in Sunday’s win over rivals Liverpool.

But in news certain to stun the Old Trafford faithful, Rooney was recently seen close to an Old Trafford exit. Our sources, who were allegedly close to the club at the time, also claim to have photos of Rooney in the compromising position. Negotiations to purchase the photos broke down in order to preserve our journalistic integrity.

Englands inform striker’s alleged proximity to the exit door could not come at a worse time for debt-ridden crisis-club United as they prepare for Saturday’s vital clash against local rivals Bolton Wanderers, followed by a run of games that sees them play title rivals Chelsea at Old Trafford followed by local derbies at Blackburn and Manchester City.

The club were keen to refute the rumours, with a clearly flustered club spokesman claiming that the allegations were “completely irrelevant” and “utter nonsense”. The spokesman refused to comment further, whilst Rooney himself was presumed to be unavailable.

The news comes as a further disruption to Italian tactician Fabio Capello’s world cup hopes, following celebrity wideman David Beckham’s Achilles injury.

What Manny Road has been reading (and thinking) about Bolton Wanderers during the international break

• Wanderers in the driving seat
• Morrison Was Happy To Spurn Bolton
• The Most Important Game in History
• The Relegation Rumble: Bolton Wanderers
• Boxing Star Amir Khan Shows Support For Bolton Wanderers Boss Gary Megson
• BWFC Fanzine of the Year 2009 (Burnden Aces)
• Elmander doesn’t feel pressure over Bolton price-tag
• Wanderer Features In Fab Win
• Bolton Wanderers boss explains O’Brien axe
• Would You Want This Man Sat Next to You? (Gary Megson will need to sit in the stands after his sending off)
• Megson a United fan from now until the end of the season (Good to see Megson is’t relying on others to save us)
• Whites in no hurry (Gretar Steinsson expects Wanderers to take the slow-but-sure route to Premier League safety, whatever the hell that means?)
• Bolton’s Cohen Ready For Greece Test (Is this the same Tamir Cohen who’s been injured all season?)
• Gartside – Eddie Davies still committed
• Bolton owner splashed the cash in transfer window
• Bolton Wanderers: Barca defender linked (Sylvinho)
• Bolton boss hopeful of O’Brien revival
• Bolton Wanderers Striker Kevin Davies Stays Upbeat After England Snub
• Top Ten: Worst England Internationals (Michael Ricketts in at number 3)
• Davies unsure over timing of international break
• Bolton defender Cahill: Davies better than Villa’s Heskey
• Cahill questions Davies England snub
• Megson – O’Brien needed rest

Have your say on Bolton Wanderers in the comment box below…

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Fabio Capello has done Bolton a favour by not picking  Cahill, Davies and Taylor

The various Bolton Wanderers message boards erupted in anger last Sunday after Fabio Capello’s latest England squad failed to include Bolton’s Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor and Gary Cahill.

Davies and Cahill had both been included in Capello’s initial 32-man squad but were left out when the England boss whittled it down to 22 following last weekend’s Premier League games.

At first I was tempted to agree with the fans who were threatening to boycott England games from now on. But then I started to think about it a bit more closely.

In the case of Davies and Taylor (I’ll come to Cahill in a second), you have to question whether either of these players are really good enough to play international football. Both are good, honest professionals who always give their best for Bolton Wanderers – and are often crucial in helping us win matches.

But does that make them good enough to play for England? They’ve both been around for a long time and have never really been linked with England places before.

Yes, they’ve both been playing well of late (Davies is the top-scoring English striker in the Premier League), but the it’s only because of a dearth of quality in the positions Davies and Taylor play in that they’re even being mentioned in the same breath as the national team.

The last Wanderer to represent England was Michael Ricketts and his career has never recovered. Of course, Ricketts was a flawed individual with an inflated ego and a work ethic deficiency, and I’m not suggesting being found out at international level would be the final nail in Davies’ and Taylor’s careers like it was with Ricketts. They’re both much tougher mentally than Ricketts to allow that to happen.

But even if Davies is more deserving of a place than Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole, what’s the benefit to Bolton Wanderers of him going to play for England, failing to make an impact and then being vilified in the papers for the next six months?

Let those players take the flack and let Davies get on with scoring goals for Bolton.

My reasoning for being pleased Cahill isn’t playing is entirely different – purely selfish, in fact. I have no doubt that Cahill is good enough to play for his country, and most probably will at some point in his career.

But the moment he puts on an England shirt is the moment it becomes much more difficult for the Wanderers to keep hold of him. On current form, it’s surely only a matter of time before bigger clubs start sniffing around, and getting an England cap will only act as a catalyst for that.

How long before Phil Gartside is made an offer he can’t refuse? Much quicker if Cahill is playing for England.

Yes, it would be great to see Bolton Wanderers players representing England and doing well. But I’d much rather see them representing Bolton Wanderers and helping us win matches.

What do you think? Should Gary Cahill, Kevin Davies and Matt Taylor be playing for England?

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- Despite giving him just four out of 10 in their player ratings, the Telegraph saw fit to dedicate almost half of their match report to Stewart Downing. In fact the Telegraph gives Bolton virtually no credit at all, concentrating instead on Middlesbrough’s deficiencies.

- The Times was much more complimentary, even suggesting that Gary Cahill and Fabrice Muamba were unlucky not to feature in Fabio Capello’s England squad in mid-week (Stewart who?).

- The Independent thinks we could have scored six and suggests Gary Megson should take credit for his man-management of Johan Elmander.

- Elmander’s performance even prompted The Guardian to quote Nelson Mandela (unfortunately this elaborate analysis falls apart if you know that Elmander is Swedish and not South African, as the author claims).

- The Sun keeps it much more simple, as you might expect, but they do emphasise that we were always in control.

What did you think about the Wanderers 3-1 win over Boro? Have your say in the comment box below…

- An England squad that included Wolves (yes, that’s Wolves of the Championship) defender Michael Mancienne, who is on loan from Chelsea because he can’t get a game there (what does Gary Cahill have to do to get a call-up, other than playing consistently well in the Premier League every week?).

- This prediction that, like his predecessors Sam Allardyce and Sammy Lee, Gary Megson’s last game in charge of Bolton could come against Chelsea (roll on December 6th!).

- This addition to the list of Megsonisms from The Bolton News, in which the Wanderers manager claims we ‘gave everything we got’ against Liverpool (if anyone can explain what that means please do so in the comments section below… still, didn’t stop The Bolton News using it as their headline). And yet another ill-judged Megson quote, this time from The People.

- Evidence that the stewading at the Reebok Stadium is just as bad as it was when I was at Upton Park earlier this season.

- Nicky Hunt enjoying himself at Birmingham City.

- More reports linking us with Swansea’s Ferrie Bodde, who scored again at the weekend. We’re also being linked with Deportivo La Coruna midfielder Julian de Guzman.

- And finally… this article suggesting Rob Styles is available for after-dinner speaking (although I can’t actually find the site they’re talking about… incidentally, the Styles out of the Premier League petition still needs your signature).