Wanderers are due a turn of luck, says Madine

His Bolton career began with a dreadful run of bad luck in front of goal.

And, drawing on that frustrating experience, Gary Madine knows, sooner or later, things have to change for Wanderers, who sit rock-bottom of the Championship.

The striker took nine games to get his first goal for the Whites, a last-gasp equaliser at home to Brighton and Hove Albion in late September, eventually ending the 2015/16 season with six to his name.

And he knows all too well that, if they continue to plug away their opposition’s last-ditch heroics will wane.

“It’s frustrating but I like to look at the positives,” he said following defeat at Aston Villa, which extended the run to 12 hours of goalless football.

“Their goal came from an offside which wasn’t given 30 seconds before and we’ve had one cleared off the line. But they didn’t trouble our goal too much.

“I’m trying to do a job for the team. If I wasn’t getting chances then I’d be worried – and I have had another couple cleared off the line again.

“It’s got to turn for me at some point. I’ve no idea what’s happening but I’ll be there again in a couple of weeks trying to score again.

“I can definitely remember that spell when I came to Bolton where everything was hitting the bar or the post but I have to stick at it.

“If I am not there to miss them then there is a problem.”

Whites fans became used to watching their side win during last season’s promotion.

And, back in the second tier of English football, they have had to look on, often in despair, as Phil Parkinson’s men found the going tough and the gulf in class between the divisions difficult to bridge.

Madine remains convinced the club can do just that, though. And when Wanderers resume against Sheffield Wednesday he believes they will put an end to that much-talked about run.

“The lads are fighting hard and the fans are still with us, so that’s brilliant,” he added.

“I always said the Championship is a big step up – everyone just gets that little bit more clinical, a bit faster, but I looked at our squad in the programme at Villa – we’ve got the players to get out of this.

“We’re not keeping clean sheets, we’re not scoring goals but it will change.

“It’s a pain [the run] but I don’t want to read too much into it. It’s not like I’m putting too many wide, or they are sitters, most of the chances are getting saved or blocked on the line. It has got to change sooner or later.”

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karlypants wrote:His Bolton career began with a dreadful run of bad luck in front of goal.

And continued throughout.

I don't consider the inability to hit a barn door from ten feet as unlucky.

Funny to think that when we signed Madine I asked my Wednesday mate what he thought of him. He said 'He's thick. He'll score you goals but contribute absolutely nothing else'.

In general I've always believed you make your own luck especially in sport. However I do think Gary has a point here, I admit I only saw the 'highlights' of the last two games and talked to a couple of friends who were actually there at the Villa match but they both said we were unlucky not to get a point. No one says we played brilliantly or even particularly well but my mate Greg whose judgement I trust said he felt that the Gods themselves were against us at certain points in the match.

Sometimes it does seem to happen that way when you're down at the bottom, the little things go against you instead of for you and it can feel like some evil prankster God is taking the mickey out of you. Whether or not Gary is actually right, that we only need a little luck to go our way is something I'll leave others to judge. Personally I feel we need some new players, definitely down the spine of the team and we desperately need someone who can actually hit the back of the net regularly, we need that yesterday.