Bolton Wanderers – Here we go Again

Article by Alan Houghton

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New Macron shirts on, tickets in hand, a supply of Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls and a 200 mile trek down the motorway can only mean that football’s back, although it’s hardly been away this year with the World Cup. We were playing pre-season friendlies well before Mario Gotze got the winner for Germany in the Maracana stadium on the 12th July. The Wanderers fans were in good voice and spirits in the Moon Under Water in Watford as we enjoyed our lunch, boosted by a couple of pints of Old Empire. A short walk to the unfinished Vicarage Road and we were ready for the off.

Things went downhill rapidly once we entered the ground. Watford do not serve alcohol to visiting fans. The team selection didn’t inspire confidence. Goalkeeper Adam Bogdan made a surprise appearance on the bench, along with Jermaine Beckford. There was no sign of Mark Davies. Within 25 minutes, we all wished that we had never left the pub. Already some fans were calling for Chairman Phil Gartside’s head. Our defence had a shocker. They played like strangers who had just met. They failed to deal with two proven strikers in Troy Deeney and Matej Vydra. That merely rubbed salt in the wounds as we know where our deficiencies lie. It was a bitter disappointment as the defence was the one area which we thought that Dougie Freedman had sorted. Captain Jay Spearing was the only one who could hold his head up in the first half.

Things improved slightly in the second half as Liam Feeney replaced Darren Pratley. In truth Dougie Freedman could have substituted most of the team after the first half performance. Our man of the match Chung Yong Lee weaved some magic and we created a few chances. Apart from a couple of cracking Heurelho Gomes saves from Craig Davies and Chung Yong Lee, which had us wishing ‘We want Almunia back’, our lack of quality up front meant we couldn’t take any of the chances which came our way. However, it was no surprise when Fernando Forestieri made it three after yet another defensive mistake. Juan Parades had nearly broken the bar at the start of the second half with a piledriver which left Andy Lonergan well beaten.

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Expectations are not high in the Wanderers faithful and they are even lower after this start. New season, same old Bolton; giving the opposition a two goal start didn’t work last season and is unlikely to work this season. The majority of players on show on Saturday were Dougie Freedman’s signings. We lack a creative playmaker in midfield and our striking problems are assuming historic proportions now. We know the club’s position. We know finances are tight and that Dougie Freedman has to work in incredibly difficult circumstances but so have most managers these days. The fans are prepared to be patient but that patience will wear incredibly thin if we don’t see signs of progress. We cannot afford another bad start to the season like last season. Dougie Freedman cannot afford another bad start to the season. Wanderers fans will support their team through thick and thin providing they see a team of triers. It is our third year in the Championship and we still don’t seem to have reached the levels of power, pace and aggression needed at this level. As the fans were singing by half time,‘Freedman, Freedman, sort it out’. One match doesn’t make or break a season but on the evidence of this match, there is a huge gap between us and the teams that will be challenging for promotion. It’s going to be a long and winding road this season.