Bolton 3-1 Charlton

Dear me, what a shambles. Less than 4 hours to kick off and no match thread.

Mods hang your heads in shame.

As for the match, it's make or break time. Lose or stumble to a 0-0 draw and the bedsheets will be out.

Best I can hope for is a 1-1 draw.

Evans out.

Natasha Whittam wrote:Dear me, what a shambles. Less than 4 hours to kick off and no match thread.

Mods hang your heads in shame.

As for the match, it's make or break time. Lose or stumble to a 0-0 draw and the bedsheets will be out.

Best I can hope for is a 1-1 draw.

Evans out.

Apologies - I was on another sabbatical otherwise I'd have done it days ago.

Yet again we are playing a team above us in the table, but this is a home game that we should win.
To some extent it'll be a measure of Evatt's assertions that we can compete with this squad, but I reckon he'll have to tweak things a bit to do it.

Too early for the new lad? Probably. If he's as good as he's cracked on to be, I like the idea of matching pacy wingbacks - and maybe that will allow our main strikers to get in better forward positions and score a few goals?

That would help.

No Sheehan - injured?
Sadlier doesn't start in that free 10 role in which he excelled.
I'm confused - the bench looks like the makings of a team that would beat the starting X1

wanderlust wrote:No Sheehan - injured?
Sadlier doesn't start in that free 10 role in which he excelled.
I'm confused - the bench looks like the makings of a team that would beat the starting X1

Agree. Sadler, Morley, Dempsey won’t be happy on the bench unless it’s all about tiring Charlton out for 60-70 minutes and changing things up to win the game in the last 20 mins. Evatt has a tendency to see the game that way.

Losing already to an appalling goal

finlaymcdanger wrote:
Agree. Sadler, Morley, Dempsey won’t be happy on the bench unless it’s all about tiring Charlton out for 60-70 minutes and changing things up to win the game in the last 20 mins. Evatt has a tendency to see the game that way.

Well maybe he should concentrate on putting out a team to get ahead before the changes Finlay, instead of chasing games like we now are again? I just don’t know what planet Rvatts on sometimes if he can’t see Sadlier should at least get a chance to start.

Great cross for the equaliser but there's a suspicion Bradley knocked it in with his hand

Santos is a nightmare to watch when he f***s around at the back.

Playing a bit of football for the last 10 minutes - but no goal at the end of it.

Christ! Charles definitely handled it in our box but got away with it.

Charlton coming back into it now.

We still look nervous at the back

Bradley caught upfield leaving acres of space for Charlton to run in and crack a shot, well saved by Trafford. Difficult to have confidence in the defence sadly.

Thomason with a free header nods it straight into the arms of the goalie.
With the defence being so shaky we really need to start taking these chances

...and Lee finally does! 2 - 1

We need at least one more

Mixed half and a familiar story. Loads of possession but not converting enough whilst being shaky at the back giving the impression we could concede any time.
Next goal important and I imagine Charlton will switch things up.

Interesting point about this team. Nat might not have got the midfield signing she wanted but by playing both MJ and George together, the midfield looks solid. Evatt may have sacrificed a bit of creativity to do it, but both DMs have got stuck in,  kept it simple and it's been effective in controlling the ball against a possession team.
Our problems have been when they've bypassed the centre and gone to their wide men - usually when Bradley and Iredale have been caught upfield so we'll need to watch that second half.

Straight away I can see that Charlton's CBs are getting tighter on Baka and Charles as they drop off to stop them turning and creating the overload. Not sure what they've changed in attack but imagine Blackett will come on before long.

Potential serious injury to their winger who twisted his knee badly

Charlton pressure.
They've definitely switched things up - we need to respond.