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Wanderers cannot afford to be pretty – that’s the view of manager Phil Parkinson after a frustrating cup exit at the hands of Blackpool.
Despite watching his side dominate for long spells at Bloomfield Road, the Whites boss was left explaining his first competitive defeat.
Of the 14 shots put in on the Tangerines’ goal, only three hit the target and that is one of the mental notes made by Parkinson as he brings his side back in for training today.
For all their impressive build-up and quick passing exchanges around the penalty box, it was the home side’s more pragmatic approach which won the day.
“Sometimes we’re trying to score the perfect goal but we’ve got to pull the trigger quicker,” Parkinson reasoned after the game. “Those little intricate goals in and around the penalty box are few are far between.
“We have got to get a better ratio of shots hitting the target but we’ll get there.”
Jamie Proctor, who followed Parkinson from Bradford in the summer, opened his account for the Whites with a fine first-half header but played for just an hour as the club continue to monitor a reoccurring injury.
If Parkinson is to sharpen up his attack, the former Preston North End and Fleetwood Town striker may play a major part in the coming weeks.
“I’m very pleased for him,” he said. “He scored a couple in pre-season and has missed a bit of training because of a problem with his groin, which he’d had at the back of end of last year but flared up again.
“He hadn’t trained that much prior to the game so we were only able to give him 60 minutes but I thought for the first 15 minutes of the second half in particular he was very, very good.
“I’m sure the goal will spur him on now.”
Finding one man to provide a regular supply of goals has been an eternal struggle for Bolton managers, even in the Premier League days.
Michael Ricketts is the only players to pass the 20 mark this millennium and only seven men – Kevin Nolan, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Nicolas Anelka (twice), Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander and Chris Eagles have even got into double figures in the league since then.
Considering Wanderers’ top scorer managed double figures for all but five of the previous 100 years, it is clear what a barren run the club is on as a whole.
Much hope is pinned on Zach Clough to change all that this season. Although he has not yet featured because of a hamstring problem, his ratio since breaking into the first-team ranks suggests he is capable of reaching the bigger numbers.
Proctor’s 10 for Bradford last season is the only time he has hit double figures in his professional career while Gary Madine has managed it twice, for Carlisle United and Sheffield Wednesday.
Kaiyne Woolery did score his first goal of the season at Blackpool but is a relative newcomer to the professional ranks, whereas Alex Samizadeh boasted an excellent record at youth level for Wanderers but is still waiting for regular football.
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Despite watching his side dominate for long spells at Bloomfield Road, the Whites boss was left explaining his first competitive defeat.
Of the 14 shots put in on the Tangerines’ goal, only three hit the target and that is one of the mental notes made by Parkinson as he brings his side back in for training today.
For all their impressive build-up and quick passing exchanges around the penalty box, it was the home side’s more pragmatic approach which won the day.
“Sometimes we’re trying to score the perfect goal but we’ve got to pull the trigger quicker,” Parkinson reasoned after the game. “Those little intricate goals in and around the penalty box are few are far between.
“We have got to get a better ratio of shots hitting the target but we’ll get there.”
Jamie Proctor, who followed Parkinson from Bradford in the summer, opened his account for the Whites with a fine first-half header but played for just an hour as the club continue to monitor a reoccurring injury.
If Parkinson is to sharpen up his attack, the former Preston North End and Fleetwood Town striker may play a major part in the coming weeks.
“I’m very pleased for him,” he said. “He scored a couple in pre-season and has missed a bit of training because of a problem with his groin, which he’d had at the back of end of last year but flared up again.
“He hadn’t trained that much prior to the game so we were only able to give him 60 minutes but I thought for the first 15 minutes of the second half in particular he was very, very good.
“I’m sure the goal will spur him on now.”
Finding one man to provide a regular supply of goals has been an eternal struggle for Bolton managers, even in the Premier League days.
Michael Ricketts is the only players to pass the 20 mark this millennium and only seven men – Kevin Nolan, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Nicolas Anelka (twice), Kevin Davies, Johan Elmander and Chris Eagles have even got into double figures in the league since then.
Considering Wanderers’ top scorer managed double figures for all but five of the previous 100 years, it is clear what a barren run the club is on as a whole.
Much hope is pinned on Zach Clough to change all that this season. Although he has not yet featured because of a hamstring problem, his ratio since breaking into the first-team ranks suggests he is capable of reaching the bigger numbers.
Proctor’s 10 for Bradford last season is the only time he has hit double figures in his professional career while Gary Madine has managed it twice, for Carlisle United and Sheffield Wednesday.
Kaiyne Woolery did score his first goal of the season at Blackpool but is a relative newcomer to the professional ranks, whereas Alex Samizadeh boasted an excellent record at youth level for Wanderers but is still waiting for regular football.
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