The famous Manny Road blog

The way I see it, the fans have made it clear that they want to see a little adventure in Bolton’s play. At the Stoke game, the team was intent at playing long-ball from the start, looking for Davies, Taylor and Steinsson (none of them the tallest) to beat the 4 towering Stoke centre-backs in the air. It took 45 minutes and an anxious crowd before anything changed (we had one notable chance on goal that half – Cahill heading over from another set-piece).

There’s two much negativity in the tactics. The opening day saw McCann start on the right-wing – meaning Kieran Richardson could push forward a little more content that the defence can handle any threat posed down that wing. Playing 4-5-1 at home to Stoke with 2 forwards on the bench, a right-back on the right-wing and 2 of the 3 central midfielders being defensively minded sends across the wrong message.

As soon as the team manage to keep the ball on the ground, move for each other and work the ball up the field from some inventive play the crowd respond to it. I believe with Mark Davies, Cohen, Taylor, Gardner and new recruit Lee we have the youth, energy and eagerness to try and play some good football. I believe this squad is just as capable of playing football as the Bolton team at its peak in the BSA era. McCann gets the ball and assuming he has some space (otherwise he plays it backward or loses it, as he doesn’t have the dexterity to shield a ball and make space for himself) he looks for the long ball to someone’s head. At least Campo would be inventive enough to try and catch out the sleeping centre-back.

So, in my book (and I’m all for Megson staying if he manages to pull it off) Megson should study the positives over the last couple of weeks and choose the best team capable of achieving all the good things Megson talks of in post-match interviews. If he gambles a little more his squad might just react to the inevitable positive crowd reaction the team will receive. If he sticks with it, crowds may just increase, sponsors will be happier, there will be less anxiety in the dressing room and the chairman can be happy. Most fans are man enough to stomach a defeat if the team at least attempts to win in a positive manner – the Liverpool game should prove this (although this is more of the shift the players put in against better opponents).

The way I see it Megson can’t afford to not gamble on playing a little more adventurous. If Bolton continue to play dross and show little invention, the crowds will stay away and stay hostile, the players will continue to suffer, and Megson will eventually be out of a job.

When dear old Sam decided to leave, not only Sam left but the back room staff as well. The remit for Megson was to stabilise the club, rebuild the back room staff, reduce the average age of the playing staff and finally keep the club in the Premier League. The conclusion being that he has achieved the objectives. Yes you can say that the performances have not been pretty, but then West Brom play pretty football and where are they?
Given that the Club now has good foundations to build on the average punter has to take the view over the next two years before passing judgement on the success of Megson.

True the club needed rebuilding, however scraping around the bottom, taking 1 point off the top seven sides last season (a poor Aston Villa side on a run of many losses ended by drawing with us)is hardly inspiring fayre after numerous successive top half finishes.

Fulham also scraped up on th last day of megson’s 1st season with us and they pushed on, qualifying for Europe the next season.

The difference being that they have a much better manager.

The reported fightback v West Ham shows promise of the kind of spirit that may attract back stay-away fans like myself. Was the play better than recent matches ?? I didn’t see it.

I am so tired of being told by strangers that we are not Real Madrid. I’m pretty sure all Wanderers fans are aware they we aren’t Real fucking Madrid and that kind of condescension is completely missing what our actual issues with Gary Megson are. The media crucifying all Wanderers fans is really starting to get to me.