Calling The Ginger Prince

I have a friend back home in Manchester who's about 5'6", has ginger hair and is 35years old. His name is Scott and, in the days before children and the like, Saturday's used to be spent trying to complete "The Didsbury Dozen", the practice of having a pint in all, then twelve, pubs of Didsbury. If United had won that day, Scott used to be bombarded with thanks from the drunken hordes for his amazing game. Looking nothing like Paul Scholes and having little to no interest in football never stopped Scott sometimes accepting a free pint of Stella.
So now the currant are saying that Scholes is on his way to The Reebok. While this may be a silly season report, many teams in the Premiership would have him like a shot, even on the sort of wages that would make Lucas Neill blush. It would be quite a coup for Bolton to get him and his tackling would fit right into the world's blinkered view of The Wanderers.
Some of the comments underneath the story makes you wonder what game some United fans watch. Everyone knows that Scholes has always been an individual, doing what is right for him personally off the pitch. He may well feel that leaving United for another Premiership team is right for him. It is obvious that he enjoys playing football and he may feel that he has achieved all he can at Old Trafford and wants to play regular football again, which he would do most anywhere else. If he comes, great, if not and he ends up somewhere else then good luck to him. If he stays then I would say the same.

Unsung Heroes of Bolton Wanderers. 2. Michael Ricketts

MICHAEL RICKETTS YESTERDAY

Hang on, hang on. What's this you're saying. Michael Ricketts? MICHAEL RICKETTS?

Well, yes. Michael Ricketts. Alright, I've only ever seen two of our own players being booed by the crowd because they were angling for a move (Mark Fish being the other), but people seem to forget exactly what the aforementioned Mr Ricketts did in his two and a bit years at the club. Leading scorer in all three seasons that he was there, 24 in the first, 15 in the second and 7 in the last, the first Bolton player to play for England since Nat Lofthouse (not that he covered himself in glory), his goals were the reason Bolton had a chance of getting into the Premiership and then staying there. OK, he then believed his own hype, left for the graveyard of mediocre strikers that is Middlesbrough, scored against Bolton on the last day of the season that made the last few minutes slightly nervous (and celebrated a bit too much) and then won a League Cup winners medal against us, albeit for not playing very long. And then that was that. The list of clubs that he has played for since seems like a 21st century version of Frank Worthington, just without the talent. Leeds, Stoke, Burnley, Cardiff, Southend, Preston and Oldham all "enjoyed" his services, until he ended up where he had started, Walsall, from where he has just been released. To the above park bench. And still only 30.

Rubbish cornflakes

Back in 'the day', when I was having to cut down on food as it was getting in the way of my drinking, at times I had to go to Aldi's. In fact, there was nothing wrong with what they stocked, except for their version of Cornflakes, which proved the advertising slogan "If it doesn't say Kelloggs on the packet..." etc. One bowl, never again. Which makes the comment in Monday's Guardian about Hughes shopping at Fortnum and Mason's while the Ginger Special One shops at the aforementioned store seem quite apt when you see who Bolton have been linked with so far. The Evening News, amongst others, mentions Paul Robinson for about £1million. Don't panic Jussi fans. Not that one. Setanta Sports mention Matias Fernandez (although Big Sam is also after him) and Goal.com suggest Sylvain Distin. Now, and here's the rub, I didn't think that the problem was left back, where Robinson plays and Jlloyd was an ever present this season. Nor is it fundamentally at the back, although it has been suggested that we will need another central defender. No, it is plainly and simply at the front. So, Gary, mate, be linked with all the defenders you want. I'm not going to start biting until this supposed money you are going to spend gives me an erection. And I'm flaccid at the moment.

Those ratings...albeit 3 days late.

What the papers said, and the average ratings from the papers, from Manchester City 1 - Bolton Wanderers 0.

"Only rarely threatened" The Sun

"Poor" The Mirror (with a special mention for Johan Elmander)

"Sluggish" The Star

"Never really in it" The Mail

"Only one threat" The Express

"Andy O’Brien would have earned Bolton an undeserved point but for Richard Dunne’s goal-line clearance." Telegraph

"Barely posed a threat" The Times

"Began the second half the better team" Independent

"Feeble" The Guardian

Onto the average ratings. With there being no Sunday papers giving ratings here are your, with one good and one poor, quite insipid average ratings for the last game of the season.

Jussi Jääskeläinen 7.32
Gary Cahill 6.82
Jlloyd Samuel 5.91
Gretar Steinsson 5.75
Matt Taylor 5.45
Kevin Davies 5.32
Danny Shittu 5.30
Mark Davies 5.13
Fabrice Muamba 5.13
Andy O'Brien (sub) 5.13
Gavin McCann 5.07
Chris Basham (sub) 5.07
Mustapha Riga (sub) 5.03
Johan Elmander 4.30

Rotation Counts

After a weekend away from ''The Smoke'' but in the only place in Oxfordshire where Wi-Fi is a question rather than a wireless router, Mrs X and I returned home to find out our final places in the Can You Kick It Fantasy League. Mrs X, for the third year running, is now owed a weekend away with a final total of 1737 to 1617. Then again she did use the rotation policy better than me, using 72 to my 34. Next year though.....

Lawro's predictions....Bolton safe on Survival Sunday

With plucky Hull City only picking up a draw against Manchester United on Sunday, Bolton's defeat at Citeh in the end doesn't matter. If you are Mark Lawrenson.

Unsung Heroes of Bolton Wanderers. 1. Franck Passi

One of Big Sam's first "who he?" signings, Franck was already 32 when he signed for the Wanderers from SD Compostela. Two years of mainly substitute appearances later, he was gone and off into retirement. He is now, apparently, a scout for Olympique de Marseille in Africa. Which makes you wonder why Big Sam hasn't asked him to do some work for our friends 20 miles to the north.