Tim Ream's post-Wigan thoughts

Tim Ream - It feels like a defeat

Tim Ream was left ruing another last-minute goal as Bolton Wanderers were pegged back by Martyn Waghorn’s overhead kick against local-rivals Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

Tom Walker had fired the Whites ahead midway through the second-half at the DW Stadium only for Wigan to fire home a deserved leveller deep into stoppage-time.

Having dropped points in familiar fashion in recent encounters with Watford, Blackburn Rovers, Reading and Ipswich Town, Ream was left cursing Bolton’s lack of luck come the final whistle.

“We battled as hard as we could but could only got the draw,” said the American. “To concede another last-minute goal is beyond frustrating to say the least.

“It wasn’t the outcome we wanted – we wanted three points so it feels like another defeat. We didn’t see the game out and it cost us.

“It’s just a lack of concentration. You get tired in the last few minutes. When you get tired and your legs start going, then your mind starts going a little bit too. It’s not an excuse; it is just the way it is.

“We’re not doing it on purpose. As we get more tired, the team feels if we drop a little bit deeper and get a little bit more compact then we’ll hinder them and stifle their chances. But they still get that one chance and they put that once chance away.”

Ream continued: “We have to figure out a way for each and every player to overcome that. We’re not doing that at the moment and aren’t learning from past experiences.

“We’ll use the international break to work on a few things on the training ground, but at this point in the season it is just as much about giving the guys a bit of a rest, especially with the number of injuries that we have had.

“The guys who have been playing a lot of games could use with a few extra days too. But we’ll work on a few things then make sure we are ready go against Blackpool.”

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“We’re not doing it on purpose. As we get more tired, the team feels if we drop a little bit deeper and get a little bit more compact then we’ll hinder them and stifle their chances. But they still get that one chance and they put that once chance away.”

Perhaps not dropping deeper and pressing the ball might be worth a try? Or is Tim suggesting that they are too tired to press so are forced to drop deeper?

Watching Utd in the last five minutes of their win at Anfield yesterday, I was left thinking "That's how you see a game out."

They secured the ball, pushed up well into Liverpool's half and just knocked it about to each other with a series of simple ten yard passes.

It really isn't hard, is it?

Unless you don't possess the basic skills necessary to pass a football to a colleague wearing the same coloured shirt as yourself.

Now that would be a worry.........

Can't concentrate, we get tired, legs start going, mind starts going, need a rest, those playing every week need extra rest on top of that.

These guys are supposed to be professional athletes and get paid as such. Get a grip and work on your fitness then you lazy fuckers. 

I despair at some of the comments coming from the club sometimes. Bread is correct. It is simple game management to see out a game and these dickheads just don't seem capable. They don't have a footballing brain between them.

Bwfc1958 wrote:They don't have a footballing brain between them.

Exactly. Craig Davies came on, got in a great position as Wigan pressed forward, knocked the ball past the last defender and rather than run after it he chose to dive and rightly got booked. It's this sort of stupidity that is costing us every week.

And don't get me started on fitness, these lazy fuckers are paid to be fit and can't even do that properly.

It's the dropping deeper bit that gets me. They can be knackered further up the park where the opposition have less chance of scoring but defend in your own box and every second presnts them with a scoring opportunity. Fitness would help enormously but right now I'd settle for decent field position as our friends across the water like to call it.

As I have said multiple times ....we don't have the skill to just knock the ball around and try to waste time.  The only solution is to play your normal game for the whole 90 minutes, preferable going forward.  If players are tired then that's why we have subs....also the other team is just as tired aren't they.
Also give credit where due...that was a grand overhead kick .... 1 out of 50 shot.

terenceanne wrote:Also give credit where due...that was a grand overhead kick .... 1 out of 50 shot.

Bollocks, any competent footballer could have pulled it off - the fact he had space to execute it unchallenged was criminal.

Conceding late goals is nothing more than a lack of concentration. Not marking tight, being organised and picking up players is nothing to do with a game plan or sitting too deep it's just switching off and not concentrating to the last minute.

I don't see what last minute has got to do with it in many ways. A goal is a goal when ever it comes.
Wigan must have crossed the ball and wasted the chance 25 times, but in the end one comes off for them. You can't expect them all to miss or be saved and you can't expect every chance to be snuffed out by the defence...

If Wigan's goal was in the 78th min or 38th min would i be any different. For example, that amazing save by Amos, if he had saved the overhead kick but not saved the other one it would still be 1-1 and either scenario was just as likely to have happened.

Biggie wrote:I don't see what last minute has got to do with it in many ways. A goal is a goal when ever it comes.
Wigan must have crossed the ball and wasted the chance 25 times, but in the end one comes off for them. You can't expect them all to miss or be saved and you can't expect every chance to be snuffed out by the defence...

If Wigan's goal was in the 78th min or 38th min would i be any different. For example, that amazing save by Amos, if he had saved the overhead kick but not saved the other one it would still be 1-1 and either scenario was just as likely to have happened.

Correct you are sir ....  but still getting a little tired at the end gives an extra yard to the opposing player if they have the gumption to still be coming forward. Having said that we should also have an extra yard on them too..... so don't try to waste time....or see a game out ...which is a bullshit statement to me. Go win the game.