Sometimes, when you unexpectedly go away for a week to a remote place, as I am wont to do (though some people are under the impression that the remote place I talk of is my head) a plethora of news comes out of T'Reebok. And, after weeks of having a go at the GSO, there appears to be an outbreak of sympathy for the ginger headed one.
First, let's get something clear. I thought that of all the summer signings, Sean Davis was the best. No doubt about it. Good professional, stayed with Fulham all dem years etc. etc. However, four yellows in three games, however ridiculous they were, is not a good return and he is already catching up Kev "Not coming back to Bolton so relax everybody" Nolan's return for last season when he managed to top the bookings chart despite being here only half a season. He has been banned for one game and is already one yellow card away from another ban. AFTER THREE GAMES PEOPLE.
This, however, does not deflect from a performance by Alan Wiley that made Rob Styles look decidedly average. While cynics,
step forward the Telegraph, may sneer at Bolton, this was a gutsy display, typified by Jlloyd, SuperKev and Fabric Muamba, playing his best game for T'Wanderers. Whilst it may be too much to say that Bolton would have gone on to win (it didn't take the Scousers too long to equalise the first time when the GSO deployed the pack the defence and let's hold onto what we have tactic. You know, the one that hardly ever works), Southport's best known non-criminal had been marked out of the game and Torres had resorted to falling over legs that weren't there (
as pointed out on Vital). Cue Benitez's love child Lucas (even Mrs X, a die hard scouser can't see the point of him) crying like a baby to the ref and it was only a matter of time.The Towers were under the impression that people who do what Lucas did were due a booking as well. Makes you feel sorry for Eduardo. But not that much.
Secondly,
Tony Cascarino has had a go at Ivan Klasnic. While Bolton fans may have every right to be cautious about the signing after Smolarek and Makakula last year, and what he says about Elmander is partly true, Klasnic was a regular scorer for Werder Bremen and spent one year at Nantes, presumably to aid his recuperation in a less frenetic atmosphere after his double kidney transplant. We at the Towers have very little time for Cascarino and his bastard twins Tony Gale and Jason Cundy (What have you won? Then f*** off my TV) and his tendency to start fights when one is not warranted or when he can't win (Mr R. Keane v Cascarino. I know who I'd back) plus the fact that Klasnic seems to be good enough to play for Croatia whilst playing Ligue 2 football means that I will continue to ignore him and his factless columns, until someone at work mentions it. And they all read the currant anyway.
Unfortunately, this does not mean to say that Bolton are winning the media war. First of all, I don't think that Tony Cascarino has any worries about
the GSO's wrath and secondly it appears yet again that someone senior is not reading the articles at the former BEN before publication, as they missed a gem last week. Assistant Manager Chris Evans (we have to say Assistant Manager in case you confuse Bolton's non descript flunky to the DJ or the actor) said on Thursday that the
GSO is held in high regard as a coach in the game. This will explain why he has been fired more times than a firey thing then, won't it? A good coach does not a good manager make, just ask Sammy Lee. Digging himself more of a hole further on in the article he tells us that the GSO had identified certain weaknesses in Liverpool's defence at set pieces before anyone else at the club. Well, it may have been before anyone else at the club, but the football watching public has been more or less punched in the face by pundits pointing out the deficiences in the scouser's zonal defence at set pieces for the best part of two years. And this would mean that if no one else at the club saw it then the whole of the coaching staff should be fired, especially Chris Evans whose
Wikipedia entry calls him a performance director. Ha!
Anyway, basically what he has said in the first part of the article (held in high regard etc.) has been negated by what he said in the second. However, he did praise the fans, which is more than the manager has ever done.
In Fat Mike watch, he didn't get off the bench on Saturday, even though Tranmere were three goals down. Oh dear.
And talking of Tranmere, the Bolton seniors were robbed of their glory last night at the Eccccccho arena. However they did manage to score more goals in one night than the first team have managed since January. Which is where the title comes in.
Hopefully, until tomorrow fellow masochists.
Well, didn't see that coming. A tactical masterstroke by the Ginger Genius and all of a sudden T'Wanderers are up to tthirteenth. That's right, away from the relegation zone. (This placement dependent on West Ham and Citeh tonight). Lovely little flick by Lee, commented on by approximately no-one on the MOTD sofa. Spoke about Villa-Blackburn. Oh yes. But, and probably because the producer got a nose bleed from putting Bolton on fourth on Saturday night, neither Hansen nor the ex-tache commented on it.
