ALF is a Wanderer

From the mouth of Iles.

(So it's probably not true.)

i'm still smiiling that my boyfriend ALF is back 

Norpig wrote:i'm still smiiling that my boyfriend ALF is back 

Will you still watch City?

only when my son makes me 

Norpig wrote:only when my son makes me 

Who did city sign?

Boggersbelief wrote:

Norpig wrote:only when my son makes me 

Who did city sign?

it's like flogging a dead horse now this joke, find something else to try to wind me up now please

Who's he?

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:Am I right in thinking that overall we've gained two young and allegedly pacy wingers on loan, ALF plus £3 million but lost Clough who has a comparable goal scoring record to ALF i.e. 1 every 3 games? 

If so it sounds a bit like short-termism - a cash building exercise as much as team building. TBF it's probably needed but our failure to get the dead weight off the books may cost us. There will be a lot of pressure on ALF to do the business and fire us into the Championship and if we get there it will be a chance to review the squad again.

Wanderlust, you keep making this "comparable goal record" claim, but that hides the fact Clough was a bit of a lazy bugger and ALF is an all out 100% effort kind of guy.

We'll improve with ALF.

Hopefully we'll improve enough to get promoted because that seems to be the £3 million gamble. Doesn't detract from the fact that we don't score enough goals and that ALF doesn't score any more frequently than Clough does therefore if we are going to improve it will come down to a change in style of play (not likely with Parky) or that Long and Viv a) actually get to play and b) play better than their predecessors and chip in with a few goals themselves.
Clough will be scoring goals long after ALF has retired so whilst we may need the money to bridge our finances in the short term,  we will need a replacement when ALF's loan expires. In fact we'll probably need half a squad come the summer so promotion is needed to cover the rebuilding costs. 
If we don't get promoted this season and get stuck in this league we could be here for a while building around the likes of Proctor and the other players who will be returning. On that basis I think this year is our best hope so selling Clough perhaps indicates we are under the cosh financially rather than anything to do with squad building IMO.

ALF has scored his goals at a higher level than Clough.

He'll piss it at this level.

ALF's a proven goalscorer and now he has to do it all over again - even though he did nothing at Wigan recently.

Wigan meanwhile have had a punt on Omar Bogle who has been brilliant in the lower leagues and for Grimsby and I suspect he'll be able to step up to the Championship no problemo as he's such a beast. I guess the days of us gambling on young players to come good are suspended until we sort out our finances.

Great move by Wigan just rubs it in. Impressed by Bogle in the Cup match and he is a goalscorer may keep the pie eaters up.

Tweet from Iles -

Parkinson confirms @A1F1E9 gave up a "significant" chunk of money to sign for #bwfc - "He just wanted to come to Bolton, nowhere else."


Fair play to ALF!

Let's hope he starts banging them in

Adam Le Fondre gives up payment from Wigan Athletic and Cardiff City to force through Bolton Wanderers move

Adam Le Fondre passed up a “significant” cash payment to ensure his move to Wanderers went through on deadline day.

Whites boss Phil Parkinson revealed the striker waived money owed to him by Wigan Athletic and his parent club Cardiff City to ensure his return to the Macron Stadium did not break down.

Le Fondre could make his debut at MK Dons on Saturday alongside fellow new arrivals Viv Solomon-Otabor, Chris Long and Felipe Morais.

And Parkinson admits his arrival could be the pick-me-up Wanderers needed after the sale of Zach Clough to Nottingham Forest.

“Bringing him back is an exciting thing for us,” he said. “I met Adam and what struck me was his desire to play for Bolton.

“There were a number of clubs looking at him but he enjoyed his time here and whether it’s out there or not, I don’t know, but I can tell you he gave up money to come to Bolton.

“It’s the first time since I have been a manager that I have seen a player wipe off money like that, such were the complicated negotiations between Wigan and Cardiff.

“I am really pleased. He came into training and gave everyone a lift.”

Parkinson insists Le Fondre’s arrival does not mean he will need to change the formation he has used for most of the season but that he does represent a penalty box threat the club has lacked.

“I’ve watched a lot of his games and he’s played up front with a target man, with a midfielder behind him like Dave Edwards at Wolves, or a clever number 10 like Cloughy was for us.

“Cloughy was a scorer of some very good goals but I think Alfie can score those six yards box goals. He’s made a career from getting in the box and anticipating where the ball will drop.

“He’s the type of player we haven’t really had.”

Parkinson also confirmed the decision to sign Le Fondre was made on Monday after the Football League confirmed Wanderers’ quota.

“We were genuinely plate-spinning,” he confirmed. “We hadn’t agreed anything prior to that, Adam or otherwise.”

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what a guy, no wonder i love him 

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Phil Parkinson wrote:Parkinson insists Le Fondre’s arrival does not mean he will need to change the formation he has used for most of the season

Phil Parkinson wrote:I doubt MK Dons will be able to guess my formation because I don’t really know it myself yet

Well he says he doesn't HAVE to change the system so he is pointing out that it remains an option. My question would be whether or not Parky sees the alternatives.
In my heart of hearts I just feel that he'll never be able to let go of what he knows so I imagine that "changing the system" for Parky just means shuffling the front four. 

I even wonder if he tries anything different in training e.g. playing Derik in midfield or dispensing with the target man so we can get the ball down and pass around them.