What Exactly Is Our Problem?

Recenlty, Owen Coyle has received a lot of stick for our poor start to the nPower Championship. We’ve played four, lost two, won one and drew one, and in the Carling Cup we were knocked out by Crawley. You don’t have to be a genius to see that something is clearly wrong. Is it the players? Is it the manager? Is it the coaching staff? Personally I think it’s a mixture, a combination of all of the above, and that’s what we’ll be looking at today.

Players

Goal Keeper

Adam Bogdan hasn’t had a great start and hasn’t look like the Player Of The Season that he was last year. I think Lonergan might get short cameo as the number 1 between the sticks.

Defence

During the season so far this has looked like our weakest position. The Hull match really summed it all up, the likes of Ream and Ricketts just haven’t been sharp enoough and it’s really showed out there on the pitch.

Midfield

Our midfield has been very impressive so far this year. Chris Eagles has been outstanding with three goals in three starts and he’s also created many a chance. Sparky and Petrov have been slightly disappointing but I’m sure they’ll be back in top form soon. Also, Chungy’s had glimpses of his usual self, I think it’s just a matter of time before he’s fit and returns to full form.

Attack

We’ve looked alright up front with Sordell, Kevin Davies, Afobe and Ngog all fighting for a first team place and we haven’t so far done too badly for goals.

Manager

You’ve got to feel bad for Owen Coyle. He’s worked hard for the club, some may not see it this way and has received a lot of criticism from the fans. To be fair though, if we’re not winning and doing well we aren’t gonna be happy and we are going to look further than the team for reasons on why this is.

He’s got us playing nice passing football which is a nice change from the days of Big Sam where we’d hoof the ball up to Kevin Davies, who’d head it down to Anelka to score. Overall, if we keep playing poorly he’s eventually going to lose his job. Althought I’d wish to avoid that from happening but that’s football, if you’re not winning, you’re going to be up against everything, including the fans and the media.

Backroom Staff

There should be a slight shuffle in the pack which is our coaching team. There are some unproven coaches who hold reliatively high positions such as Sandy Stewart and Steve Davis. I’m not saying that they’re bad but there are some more experienced coaches like Sammy Lee – although Sammy is restricted to working with the youngsters.

Overall, there are many problems, too many kinks. Maybe it’s the players, maybe it’s the manager, maybe it’s the rest of the coaching staff, maybe it’s the board, but maybe it’s also ourselves – expecting too much too soon. It doesn’t do any good if we just sit there shouting abuse at Coyle, if we really back the team I think we’ll go much further and will be able to challenge for the title.

Do you agree with my views? Please leave yours below. Remember #backthemdontboothem (Back Them Don’t Boo Them)!

6 September 2012 18 Comments nickycrompton Short URL

smithyi

Having seen all the League games so far, but thankfully missing our League Cup exit at Crawley, the problem with our performances so far is a collective one, the players lack motivation, and believe that they are to good for the Championship, The management needs to change their attitude , luck , lack of funds, bad decisions, injuries, they have been used for the last 18 months, every team gets bad breaks, Bolton have had more than most recently. But good teams use that sense of injustice as motivation.
Before the season started comments like ” We can Runaway with the Championship” in the press from Zat Knight and Keith Andrews were unecessary, do your talking after the jobs done, not before.
Last Saturday at Hull typified our problems, the first 20 minutes were fine, we played the ball around nicely enough Hull sat back until we scored, after that it was a nightmare defenders looked slow and clueless every time Hull attacked down the flanks. Mears may have been a good fullback, but he does not tackle, rarely overlaps and when he does the cross is overhit or cut out by the first man. Ricketts is not much better, he is Premiership quality but at the moment would struggle to get in a League 1 side.
We need a Defensive Coach to sort out the problem, last year we had the same problems, but at least gave it a go in the Premiership, even Spearing who stood out at Hull for not losing the ball, passing to a white shirt , and tackling , in other words the basics of football, cannot solve the problem alone,
Bogdan, Ricketts , Ream, Mears, Mavis, Andrews , Chungy were absolute rubbish on Saturday, Eagles despite scoring, refuses to play the simple ball, to often he holds the ball to long or tries to beat one player to many, he is potentially a match winner but needs to play for the team.
Saddest of all is Chungy, who is a class player, but looks completely out of sorts, the pace of the Championship is leaving him behind, and whether it is a hangover form his injury, but he is playing with no confidence, and looks like he wants to be anywhere but on a football pitch.
Up front we have goalscorers, and Afobe and Sordell at least put in a shift when they come on. SKD is in the twilight of his career, he gives 100% but that isnt as good as it was a couple of years ago, its time for him to take a place on the bench and be used as an impact sub, as soon as Ngog gets over his back strain, he has to go in the team to stop the continual long ball tactics that Championship teams know are coming when SKD starts.
Owen Coyle has some tough choices to make, his mates on the bench are unproven and in my opinion not good enough, they have to go and a proven defensive coach brought in e.g.Derek Fazackerly who is out of work ang knows the Championship.
There is still plenty of time to turn things around, Watford at Home has to be a win banker, dont dither around Owen make the changes before someone makes for you.
One final comment, the supporters stayed with the team amazingly well last season, despite a dire campaign, Owen was given the benefit of doubt by most fans, hoping for a quick return to the Premiership this year. The outpouring of despair has been brewing since the Wembley debacle , things have to change and quickly or things will get really ugly.
- oldbooty
  
  @smithyi
  I agree. The coaches are not up to it. They are 1st Division/Championship standard and ‘coached’ us from the Premiership to the Championship. Coyle only seems capable of bringing in Championship players. If they were not good enough for their previous teams what makes them good enough to get us back into the Premiership?
  We desperately need a top defensive coach plus Sammy Lee on the bench. If the present situation is allowed to continue then the gates are going to plummet, which means less income, more debt and liquidation.
  This is the team that Coyle has basically assembled and it is just not good enough. There were five ex Bolton players in the West Ham team at the week-end, plus Cahill at Chelsea, and Al Habsi at Wigan. Hmmmmm……
- oldbooty
  
  @smithyi
  I agree. The coaches are not up to it. They are 1st Division/Championship standard and ‘coached’ us from the Premiership to the Championship. Coyle only seems capable of bringing in Championship players. If they were not good enough for their previous teams what makes them good enough to get us back into the Premiership?
  We desperately need a top defensive coach plus Sammy Lee on the bench. If the present situation is allowed to continue then the gates are going to plummet, which means less income, more debt and liquidation.
  This is the team that Coyle has basically assembled and it is just not good enough. There were five ex Bolton players in the West Ham team at the week-end, plus Cahill at Chelsea, and Al Habsi at Wigan. Hmmmmm……
- voiceofbolton
  
  @smithyi @oldbooty Some REALLY good points there. Very thorough and very constructive to say the least.
  
  Due to the experience we have in the squad, we should in theory be at least in the top 6 right now! Confidence does seem key and as you mentioned, Eagles for us, although he has some great talent and is currently our top scorer, his body language throughout the game varies a lot. There are times when it seems he’s not up for it and times when he does.
  
  Is it just us that notices this?
- voiceofbolton
  
  @smithyi @oldbooty Some REALLY good points there. Very thorough and very constructive to say the least.
  
  Due to the experience we have in the squad, we should in theory be at least in the top 6 right now! Confidence does seem key and as you mentioned, Eagles for us, although he has some great talent and is currently our top scorer, his body language throughout the game varies a lot. There are times when it seems he’s not up for it and times when he does.
  
  Is it just us that notices this?
SoulProvider78

@voiceofbolton Some exceptional points and well made. Constructive at last.
- voiceofbolton
  
  @SoulProvider78 aye. Huge thanks to @CrompersCrompo for the piece. Good to see there are fans that can put more than a few words together.
  - SoulProvider78
    
    @voiceofbolton @CrompersCrompo indeed, without the need for expletives. Excellent piece, thanks for putting it out there. Sure we’ll be fine
    - voiceofbolton
      
      @SoulProvider78 lol. Just curious
    - CrompersCrompo
      
      @SoulProvider78 Cheers mate
- voiceofbolton
  
  @SoulProvider78 aye. Huge thanks to @CrompersCrompo for the piece. Good to see there are fans that can put more than a few words together.
- voiceofbolton
  
  @SoulProvider78 btw, long shot. Not related to Alan Duckworth are ya?
  - SoulProvider78
    
    @voiceofbolton Huge long shot. Wasn’t so much a Ju Darby shot, more of a Julian Clarey! No pal, not at all!
SoulProvider78

@voiceofbolton Some exceptional points and well made. Constructive at last.
PaulfromOz

My first ever comment from afar. I liked the artical and always enjoy reading all the Bolton sites they make me laugh in troubled times. I agree with your comments, Owen will sort it or go, we don’t know the bigger picture at the club do we. The shock of the Championship and the big team syndrome will always bring out the best in the opposition. The reality is we won’t get the big players anymore, we can’t aford it unless we get taken over by the money people. We have to bring in the home grown kids gradually, this has not been done since big Sam was manager. I always query the loan system we adopt, we seem to be helping other clubs in there developement of kids, where are our kids. The under 18′s have started well, have we any stars coming through. I’ve supported Bolton from afar, Somerset / Australia since 1958 and can’t believe where we are now and it looks grim, we have quite a few oldies still. The latest statement is we will beat Watford, lets hope so, more pressure. Go you whites
PaulfromOz

My first ever comment from afar. I liked the artical and always enjoy reading all the Bolton sites they make me laugh in troubled times. I agree with your comments, Owen will sort it or go, we don’t know the bigger picture at the club do we. The shock of the Championship and the big team syndrome will always bring out the best in the opposition. The reality is we won’t get the big players anymore, we can’t aford it unless we get taken over by the money people. We have to bring in the home grown kids gradually, this has not been done since big Sam was manager. I always query the loan system we adopt, we seem to be helping other clubs in there developement of kids, where are our kids. The under 18′s have started well, have we any stars coming through. I’ve supported Bolton from afar, Somerset / Australia since 1958 and can’t believe where we are now and it looks grim, we have quite a few oldies still. The latest statement is we will beat Watford, lets hope so, more pressure. Go you whites
- voiceofbolton
  
  @PaulfromOz Hi Paul.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment – especially as you’re on a different timeline to us – the wonders of the web. We do struggle to generate some discussion on this site as most fans tend to do ‘one liners’ i.e. Coyle Out etc, but it’s great to see fans on the other side of the globe are also keeping in touch with us Boltonians.
  
  You’ve made some great points, very true about us developing other teams talent, Coyley is trying to bring in our own home grown kids as you’ve mentioned – and from the interview we listened to last night on BBC Manchester (you can get that as a podcast via the link below) in which John McGinlay took part confirmed Owen trying to develop our youngsters and gradually bring them into the team.
  
  I think the last time we had players come through the ranks, we had Nicky Hunt?!? Or was there another player or few after him? Let’s hope we get a win in our next game and we should hopefully get the confidence to go out and win more games this season. That’s the first thing we need to do – then we can start dreaming of going back up again.
- voiceofbolton
  
  @PaulfromOz Hi Paul.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment – especially as you’re on a different timeline to us – the wonders of the web. We do struggle to generate some discussion on this site as most fans tend to do ‘one liners’ i.e. Coyle Out etc, but it’s great to see fans on the other side of the globe are also keeping in touch with us Boltonians.
  
  You’ve made some great points, very true about us developing other teams talent, Coyley is trying to bring in our own home grown kids as you’ve mentioned – and from the interview we listened to last night on BBC Manchester (you can get that as a podcast via the link below) in which John McGinlay took part confirmed Owen trying to develop our youngsters and gradually bring them into the team.
  
  I think the last time we had players come through the ranks, we had Nicky Hunt?!? Or was there another player or few after him? Let’s hope we get a win in our next game and we should hopefully get the confidence to go out and win more games this season. That’s the first thing we need to do – then we can start dreaming of going back up again.

Recent Posts

What Exactly Is Our Problem?

Related Posts