Bolton 1-1 Forest

After the win yesterday it's back to business for the Whites. Will Duggy pop his head back into his shell and go with his boring style or will he show a bit more adventure as was supposedly apparent yesterday?
This is a real "Biggie" for me. I can't see us getting more than a point from this if the usual is played.

We are going to get spanked

Since Dougie has publicly said that none of the young players have done enough to force their way into the team and he is reticent to play 442 given our current back 4 Spearing will undoubtedly be back although Medo acquitted himself OK yesterday by all accounts.

Don't know if he'll play 2 holding mids - maybe yesterday was a test to compare them with a view to picking one or the other? Hard to guess which way he'll go seeing as it's a strong Forest team we're up against.

Mavies will probably play behind a striker - I suspect he'll stick with one out and out striker until he's confident about the back four.

I think that seeing as Bolger has finally appeared on the bench and White has been on the bench for the last 2 games, Dougie is twitching about whether to include them - perhaps waiting to see what he can do in the window?

The departures of O'Halloran and Gregus suggest he's starting to make some serious decisions on the youngsters, so maybe those that aren't dumped are considered to have a realistic chance of coming into the team and he's fast-tracking them so they are in or around the first team if needed.

It feels like we're going to see the same old for the time being but with youngsters as a back up for now with a view to including them at some stage depending on what happens in the transfer window.

If he picks the same squad as yesterday I can see us winning it 2-1.

A goal each for Ngog and Beckford yesterday.
They'd both be benched if we still had Joe Mason. As it is, I think only one of them will be dropped.

Reebok Trotter wrote:If he picks the same squad as yesterday I can see us winning it 2-1.

This 2 strikers business doesn't make any sense to me. I couldn't go to the match but my mate tells me that positionally, Dougie only played one striker yesterday - Beckford.

Ngog was given Mavies' slightly deeper role - an attacking midfielder who got back to defend and ran forward from deep. He was practically on the half way line when he picked up the ball for his goal and went back for Pool corners etc. Sure he wears the 9 shirt, but was playing as a 10.

Logically, Dougie would replace Ngog with Mavies which some fans would see as a negative move, but I see it as like for like. However as Ngog has scored a couple and is apparently in the shop window, maybe he'll keep his place?

Just watching the forest game on ITV and if we are to win the game we have to do much better in possession against this lot and not give it away too cheaply as we have been doing.

Andy Reid will run the show if we give him too much space, just like we did with Ince yesterday.

I can't see us winning this one, 2-1 to Forest.

wanderlust wrote:

Reebok Trotter wrote:If he picks the same squad as yesterday I can see us winning it 2-1.

This 2 strikers business doesn't make any sense to me. I couldn't go to the match but my mate tells me that positionally, Dougie only played one striker yesterday - Beckford.

Ngog was given Mavies' slightly deeper role - an attacking midfielder who got back to defend and ran forward from deep. He was practically on the half way line when he picked up the ball for his goal and went back for Pool corners etc. Sure he wears the 9 shirt, but was playing as a 10.

Logically, Dougie would replace Ngog with Mavies which some fans would see as a negative move, but I see it as like for like. However as Ngog has scored a couple and is apparently in the shop window, maybe he'll keep his place?

 good managers don't change a winning team unless there is an injury

I think we'll be playing one upfront against Forest. My prediction is Bolton 1 Forest1

Lonergan

Baptiste---Knight---Mills---Ream

Spearing---Danns

Chungy---Mavies---Eagles

N'Gog

Norpig wrote: good managers don't change a winning team unless there is an injury

biggest myth ever!

Agreed Biggie. whereas all teams need continuity, a good manager will identify and change as necessary, whether its a long-term or in-match, (pending player availability)

Forest look very good today, though West ham were poor.

Probably the toughest home game of the season if that game was anything to go by.

In fairness to Dougie, some of the best managers around have no problem changing winning teams.
If you win a game 1-0, where your centre half gifted three massive chances that were all squandered, would you keep him in the side for the next game? Well the only reason you didn't lose 3-1 was poor finishing by the opposition.

Coyle couldn't get his head around this. Dougie does, except instead of dropping the players we win in spite of, he drops the ones we win because of.

Can anyone second guess Dougie for this one?

I'm hoping he shocks us all...

What happened to the old-fashioned man-marking ? I think we may need to resurrect the idea after watching Reid orchestrate an excellent win against West ham.

That Abdoun bloke looked useful as well.

I fear the worst......

What annoys me is man for man we have a better squad, we're worrying about them, stick with medo and danns in the middle, let's go a bit more direct to ngog and beckford, let them worry about us.

They will kill us, 4-1

Weststandupper wrote:What annoys me is man for man we have a better squad, we're worrying about them, stick with medo and danns in the middle, let's go a bit more direct to ngog and beckford, let them worry about us.

We all know Oor Doug will revert back to one striker and two defensive midfielders for this game, so don't get your hopes up......

Danns. I meant to put him in. Danns and Medo in middle.