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Stoke City at Wembley, Scarborough, Aldershot, Reading, Bristol City – Wanderers can now add Burton Albion to the list of modern-day lows.
Some fans with longer memories may be able to recall occasions when a Bolton team has fallen so short of expectation but staring at the hollow expression on faces filing out of the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday evening, they cannot have been many.
Put simply, this was the work of a relegated team. That was almost excusable two years ago when a shell of a Bolton team were beaten at Derby to rubber-stamp their fate with five games to go. But here, with survival tantalisingly within reach, such a wretched display was completely inexcusable. In fact, it is almost as if the club came a full circle from those iconic banners of “no effort, no hope” displayed at Pride Park.
Hope Akpan and Lucas Akins scored the goals for Burton but the margin of their victory could have been much larger. Their resilience was just as admirable as Wanderers’ failure was abject.
Past disappointments against Millwall, Birmingham and Wolves had been shelved in the build-up, especially after Barnsley’s defeat at Nottingham Forest opened up a chance to Bolton to secure their place in the Championship next season. The town expected, and perhaps that is why the disappointment felt was so crushing.
There is a last opportunity to escape the bottom three next weekend when Phil Parkinson’s side host Nottingham Forest but they must also rely on others, namely Burton and Barnsley, failing. Most of all they must win a game, which at the moment looks the most improbable of occurrences.
Fans demand culpability. Wanderers’ current shortfalls cannot be pinned on one person, however, this has been a collective ‘effort’.
Zach Clough – the supposed marquee arrival in January – was nowhere to be seen at Burton. His signing, and so many others in January, must be held up to serious scrutiny, as must the decision to sell top scorer and team lynchpin Gary Madine without finding a replacement.
Such minimal investment in the playing staff was always going to be a gamble. And Ken Anderson – not a man who seems averse to living business life on the edge – has already taken a slice of the criticism as form deteriorated in the final stretch. One suspects more is to come.
The owner and chairman faces big decisions this summer, whether Wanderers rescue themselves next weekend or not. The position of manager Phil Parkinson, for example, must be under some considerable question.
Given the limitations he has worked within, to have gained promotion from League One last season and given Bolton a fighting chance after such a poor start can only be seen as a plus point on his managerial CV, regardless of a brand of football which has rarely proved popular.
Yet the dramatic drop in form since the international break reflects so badly, particularly in a performance as unmotivated and directionless as this.
Parkinson said he would take criticism on the chin. And he had clearly been rocked by the scenes of pure frustration which accompanied Burton’s second goal, including a group of younger supporters who tried to rush from the Main Stand towards the dugout, only to be blocked by stewards.
A proud and honourable presence in the dugout since he walked through the doors from Bradford City, Parkinson is also experienced enough to know how this sort of situation normally pans out for a manager – the most expendable piece on the chess board.
His selection of Karl Henry, Darren Pratley and Derik Osede in the same midfield was made in the hope of matching Burton’s physicality but also had the effect of rendering the team sterile and unable to react once falling behind. Likewise, picking the more defensive-minded full-backs, Jon Flanagan and Andy Taylor, ahead of Antonee Robinson and Mark Little, gave out a signal of conservatism even before kick-off.
But while Parkinson bears the brunt of the fans’ ire, one can only hope his players, many of whom are out of contract in the summer, also feel a weight of responsibility.
Wanderers still have a chance to escape the bottom three but in the event they do a serious investigation is needed to weed out those who have represented this club to the best of their ability, and those who have not. One suggests it could be a busy summer.
The game itself passed by in a blur. The little Bolton offered was in the first 20 minutes when Sammy Ameobi and Adam Le Fondre had sighters, after which Burton took control and maintained it until the end.
Akpan’s opener came from a rare bit of ingenious football in the penalty box from the hosts, a quick one-two on the edge of the box finishing with the former Blackburn Rovers man blasting his first Burton goal past Ben Alnwick.
Less than 10 minutes later Akins killed the game dead, pouncing on a ball Wanderers were unable to clear.
Marvin Sordell, often cited as the biggest transfer mistake in Wanderers’ modern day history, defied the jeers from the away end to create several decent chances, mercifully missed.
Alnwick walked off the field with his head held high, having made a handful of excellent saves to prevent this becoming a cricket score. Craig Noone also deserves some credit, having run himself into the ground on his return to the team. How sad they were the only examples worth noting in a game of such magnitude.
Travelling fans made their own fun, including a lovely moment with home keeper Stephen Bywater, which gave a welcome reminder of why people spend their hard-earned on a Saturday afternoon. The over-riding feeling, however, was that of anger. And it creates a most uncertain environment for next weekend’s home game at the Macron.
Quite how Wanderers have morphed from a team which out-fought Aston Villa to one which rolled over for Burton may be the topic of debate for the whole summer. There certainly seems no obvious answer right now.
Parkinson faces a big task getting his players to believe they can respond and snatch survival next Sunday against Forest but surely not as big as convincing the supporters it can be done.
Anderson looks set to stand by his manager if the tone of his website column is any indicator and urged fans to put their disappointments aside for one final 90 minutes.
They do say the darkest hour is before dawn. But I, and many others, are struggling to recall a time it has felt this dark.
Source
Some fans with longer memories may be able to recall occasions when a Bolton team has fallen so short of expectation but staring at the hollow expression on faces filing out of the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday evening, they cannot have been many.
Put simply, this was the work of a relegated team. That was almost excusable two years ago when a shell of a Bolton team were beaten at Derby to rubber-stamp their fate with five games to go. But here, with survival tantalisingly within reach, such a wretched display was completely inexcusable. In fact, it is almost as if the club came a full circle from those iconic banners of “no effort, no hope” displayed at Pride Park.
Hope Akpan and Lucas Akins scored the goals for Burton but the margin of their victory could have been much larger. Their resilience was just as admirable as Wanderers’ failure was abject.
Past disappointments against Millwall, Birmingham and Wolves had been shelved in the build-up, especially after Barnsley’s defeat at Nottingham Forest opened up a chance to Bolton to secure their place in the Championship next season. The town expected, and perhaps that is why the disappointment felt was so crushing.
There is a last opportunity to escape the bottom three next weekend when Phil Parkinson’s side host Nottingham Forest but they must also rely on others, namely Burton and Barnsley, failing. Most of all they must win a game, which at the moment looks the most improbable of occurrences.
Fans demand culpability. Wanderers’ current shortfalls cannot be pinned on one person, however, this has been a collective ‘effort’.
Zach Clough – the supposed marquee arrival in January – was nowhere to be seen at Burton. His signing, and so many others in January, must be held up to serious scrutiny, as must the decision to sell top scorer and team lynchpin Gary Madine without finding a replacement.
Such minimal investment in the playing staff was always going to be a gamble. And Ken Anderson – not a man who seems averse to living business life on the edge – has already taken a slice of the criticism as form deteriorated in the final stretch. One suspects more is to come.
The owner and chairman faces big decisions this summer, whether Wanderers rescue themselves next weekend or not. The position of manager Phil Parkinson, for example, must be under some considerable question.
Given the limitations he has worked within, to have gained promotion from League One last season and given Bolton a fighting chance after such a poor start can only be seen as a plus point on his managerial CV, regardless of a brand of football which has rarely proved popular.
Yet the dramatic drop in form since the international break reflects so badly, particularly in a performance as unmotivated and directionless as this.
Parkinson said he would take criticism on the chin. And he had clearly been rocked by the scenes of pure frustration which accompanied Burton’s second goal, including a group of younger supporters who tried to rush from the Main Stand towards the dugout, only to be blocked by stewards.
A proud and honourable presence in the dugout since he walked through the doors from Bradford City, Parkinson is also experienced enough to know how this sort of situation normally pans out for a manager – the most expendable piece on the chess board.
His selection of Karl Henry, Darren Pratley and Derik Osede in the same midfield was made in the hope of matching Burton’s physicality but also had the effect of rendering the team sterile and unable to react once falling behind. Likewise, picking the more defensive-minded full-backs, Jon Flanagan and Andy Taylor, ahead of Antonee Robinson and Mark Little, gave out a signal of conservatism even before kick-off.
But while Parkinson bears the brunt of the fans’ ire, one can only hope his players, many of whom are out of contract in the summer, also feel a weight of responsibility.
Wanderers still have a chance to escape the bottom three but in the event they do a serious investigation is needed to weed out those who have represented this club to the best of their ability, and those who have not. One suggests it could be a busy summer.
The game itself passed by in a blur. The little Bolton offered was in the first 20 minutes when Sammy Ameobi and Adam Le Fondre had sighters, after which Burton took control and maintained it until the end.
Akpan’s opener came from a rare bit of ingenious football in the penalty box from the hosts, a quick one-two on the edge of the box finishing with the former Blackburn Rovers man blasting his first Burton goal past Ben Alnwick.
Less than 10 minutes later Akins killed the game dead, pouncing on a ball Wanderers were unable to clear.
Marvin Sordell, often cited as the biggest transfer mistake in Wanderers’ modern day history, defied the jeers from the away end to create several decent chances, mercifully missed.
Alnwick walked off the field with his head held high, having made a handful of excellent saves to prevent this becoming a cricket score. Craig Noone also deserves some credit, having run himself into the ground on his return to the team. How sad they were the only examples worth noting in a game of such magnitude.
Travelling fans made their own fun, including a lovely moment with home keeper Stephen Bywater, which gave a welcome reminder of why people spend their hard-earned on a Saturday afternoon. The over-riding feeling, however, was that of anger. And it creates a most uncertain environment for next weekend’s home game at the Macron.
Quite how Wanderers have morphed from a team which out-fought Aston Villa to one which rolled over for Burton may be the topic of debate for the whole summer. There certainly seems no obvious answer right now.
Parkinson faces a big task getting his players to believe they can respond and snatch survival next Sunday against Forest but surely not as big as convincing the supporters it can be done.
Anderson looks set to stand by his manager if the tone of his website column is any indicator and urged fans to put their disappointments aside for one final 90 minutes.
They do say the darkest hour is before dawn. But I, and many others, are struggling to recall a time it has felt this dark.
Source