Barnsley 1-0 Bolton (2nd Leg)

I'm still seething that Bod wasn't at least on the bench for the 1st leg. Surely, surely he has to play a part on Friday night?

But this is Evans, so I'm sure it'll be Kachunga once again trying to improve his 4% conversion rate.

I just don't see us scoring enough goals to win this.

3-0 to the Tykes.

This match is really the play off final as we know Bolton will demolish Peterborough. I feel more confident than you are, Bolton failed to beat Barnsley at home three times but beat them easily at Oakwell. That sort of psychological advantage is huge. I think Bolton will win 2-1 and meet Peterborough in the final.

I'd be starting with Lee in midfield instead of Sheehan on Friday, would also like a different partner for Dion but it's slim pickings as none of them stand out. I'd probably go with Adeboyego as we need more of a physical presence up front.

Crazy as I am I’d start with the same eleven as Saturday other than maybe John for Williams. We just underperformed and the midfield never got going which hopefully will be different in the second leg? It may have been the way Barnsley set up or it may have been nerves, or not wanting to commit going forward and leaving space behind but whatever it was I think they’ll have got over that now. I’d be amazed if IE started Bod with no match fitness though I could see him on the bench as a last, last resort if we need him. I think he’ll give Kacha one final chance to show what he can do alongside Dion. I know he doesn’t score much or even create many chances but he works hard and gets others into positions to create as he did at Wembley so he’d start for me on that basis and also because I don’t rate any of the other alternatives. Even Baka could come on and change a game which none of our January signings seems able to do. So I’d start with our best footballing side and see where it gets us later in the game.

Whitesince63 wrote:I’d be amazed if IE started Bod with no match fitness though I could see him on the bench as a last, last resort if we need him.

He's been training since mid-April so he's fit enough to play some part. As I've said, a half-fit Bod is twice as good as any of the other fully fit "strikers".

Whitesince63 wrote:
I think he’ll give Kacha one final chance to show what he can do alongside Dion. I know he doesn’t score much or even create many chances

Read that back to yourself. Doesn't score or create but you want to play him because he runs about a bit? Isn't running about an absolute minimum for any professional footballer?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

He's been training since mid-April so he's fit enough to play some part. As I've said, a half-fit Bod is twice as good as any of the other fully fit "strikers".



Read that back to yourself. Doesn't score or create but you want to play him because he runs about a bit? Isn't running about an absolute minimum for any professional footballer?

I think if you read it again Nat, you’ll find that I said although he doesn’t directly score or create, he fuels other players to do it with his pressing, control and workrate, providing lay offs. I know you don’t rate him and yes I agree we need better but we don’t have better I’m afraid. Like you I think Bod is better than any of our current strikers but with no match fitness there’s no way he can start but certainly I’d give him a berth on the bench and a run for 15 to 20 minutes at the end if we need a goal because he can’t do any worse than any of the other options.

Being the away side on a big open pitch will suit us perfectly. Expect a much better performance from us after the first leg. If we turn up we will win the game, simple as. Barnsley pressed very well for the full 90 minutes in searing heat, there’s no way they’ll be able to do that again Friday night so we will have plenty more time on the ball and hopefully the likes of Sheehan can take advantage of any gaps. 

One man I’d look to target is their captain Andersen, only just back from injury so won’t be match fit and doesn’t look the quickest anyway, I’d be feeding Charles in behind him every opportunity.

0-2 Charles with both

Boggersbelief wrote:Barnsley pressed very well for the full 90 minutes in searing heat, there’s no way they’ll be able to do that again Friday night

Why?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Why?

Are you looking for a fight? 

They were at full tilt all game busting a gut to press us. It will have caused fatigue in their camp 100%.

Boggersbelief wrote:Are you looking for a fight? 

They were at full tilt all game busting a gut to press us. It will have caused fatigue in their camp 100%.

Last time we arranged a fight you bottled it. Amos videoed you not turning up outside the club shop if I remember rightly.

They've had almost a week to recover, they'll be pressing even more if anything. What we need is a different approach. But it'll be the same team with the same tactics with the same subs made at the same time.

Think you’ve been on the funny fags Nat, I don’t shy away from a scrap.

I’m telling you now they will be nowhere near as energetic as they were Saturday, We’ll win the second leg fairly easily

Boggersbelief wrote:

Are you looking for a fight? 

They were at full tilt all game busting a gut to press us. It will have caused fatigue in their camp 100%.

What a load of rubbish. These are professional footballers who are super fit, it’s not celebrity fat club with the likes of Rick Waller asked to run around. You think these footballers can’t recover in 6 days? You’re talking stupid.

Boggersbelief wrote:Being the away side on a big open pitch will suit us perfectly. Expect a much better performance from us after the first leg. If we turn up we will win the game, simple as. Barnsley pressed very well for the full 90 minutes in searing heat, there’s no way they’ll be able to do that again Friday night so we will have plenty more time on the ball and hopefully the likes of Sheehan can take advantage of any gaps. 

One man I’d look to target is their captain Andersen, only just back from injury so won’t be match fit and doesn’t look the quickest anyway, I’d be feeding Charles in behind him every opportunity.

0-2 Charles with both

Wasn’t it Andersen who gave us the penalty and got the red card in the league game early on boggers? I agree that Dion should play on him because Anderson’s ok with the ball in front of him but struggles to turn quickly and doesn’t seem blessed with pace. We just never got the ball up to Dion last weekend but I can’t see Barnsley being as tight at home tomorrow so we should hopefully be able to fire the ball behind the defenders for him to chase, assuming he’s not one of the unnamed injured of course? I don’t think it will be easy by any means but I do think we’ll win.

Mad Dog wrote:
What a load of rubbish. These are professional footballers who are super fit, it’s not celebrity fat club with the likes of Rick Waller asked to run around. You think these footballers can’t recover in 6 days? You’re talking stupid.

Who’s this bird brain?

Whitesince63 wrote:
Wasn’t it Andersen who gave us the penalty and got the red card in the league game early on boggers? I agree that Dion should play on him because Anderson’s ok with the ball in front of him but struggles to turn quickly and doesn’t seem blessed with pace. We just never got the ball up to Dion last weekend but I can’t see Barnsley being as tight at home tomorrow so we should hopefully be able to fire the ball behind the defenders for him to chase, assuming he’s not one of the unnamed injured of course? I don’t think it will be easy by any means but I do think we’ll win.

Yeah it was Andersen who was sent off. Dion made him look like a donkey. We need to go back to oakwell with the same game plan because it worked perfectly

Whitesince63 wrote:We just never got the ball up to Dion last weekend

We got the ball up to the strikers plenty, but sadly none of them possess the ability to hold onto the ball. It's exactly why I'd risk Bod on Friday.

Looking on other forums 99% of fans seem to think we'll win. I know we have a huge amount of happy clappers but on what evidence? I can't see anything but a defeat, we don't score enough to trouble decent sides.

Boggersbelief wrote:Think you’ve been on the funny fags Nat, I don’t shy away from a scrap.

I’m telling you now they will be nowhere near as energetic as they were Saturday, We’ll win the second leg fairly easily

Famous last words.

Cajunboy wrote:
Famous last words.

Not sure you know who I am, you’re talking to the original top boy of Bolton nuts. The guy with direct lines to people high up at the club. The guy who’s won the most prediction leagues in Bolton nuts history.

It'll be Wednesday in the final if we make it. What a match they've just played out with the Posh.