Bolton 0-1 Blackburn

Biggie wrote:5. Dyer looked like he couldn't control his legs, let alone the ball.
8. Oztumer played a kind of number 10 role today (or seemed to) and he is streets ahead of the players around him. At times I become very frustrated on his behalf.
6. Wildschutt - maybe get schutt (of him). One dimensional and a lack of desire.
6.5 Noone seems to try hard but nothing he touches turns to gold.
6.5 McGennis, 8 for effort. 5 for usefulness. 
7.5 Wheater and the other defender did good today.
5.5 Doige was difficult to judge and didn't get much of a chance. He made some clever runs but the through balls were never of any quality.
Number 4 played well today I think. A lot more solid from him. But his mate in the number 21 shirt, whilst showing some good glimpses, was guilty too many times of poor decision making, poor passing, poor positioning.
7 Olkovski did well for the most part although often guilty of trying to do too much when there is a pass available.
8 Our keeper didn't do anything wrong, made some good saves too. 

Who am I forgetting?

2 Grounds at fault for yet another goal please return to Brum, thanks, but no thanks !!!

Two positives for me. Oztumer, who seemed to take control of the midfield, and spread the passes really well. Hopefully Parky will realise he's better here, and isn't really a striker. Also, Williams played really well, but faded for the last few minutes.
It used to be that we had a semblance of an attack and defence, that were let down by the midfield, but it appeared the opposite way round for this game.
Grounds wasn't that good again, but made a few less mistakes than normal, (can this be classed as improvement?). Unfortunately, one of his mistakes led to the goal.
Overall' our game was a great improvement on recent rubbish, which shows we can do it. I would like to know what is said or (not) done to change the performances so much.

Williams was by far and away our best player.

I thought Oztumer was our best player by far.  Kept the ball on the ground and made some mazy runs.  Looks good

The team’s clearly an improvement on last year - last night was a strange one, in that we showed glimpses of quality but couldn’t break through. Not sure how to feel about it if I’m honest.

I thought Williams and Oztumer were both shit.

Williams is just another runner with no ability with the ball. Just like Lowe. I doubt they played a forward pass all game between them. They were great at passing back to Wheater or Hobbs though.

Oztumer played too deep in the first half, and in the second he clearly didn't like someone in the crowd because that's where all his passes ended up. Magennis was totally isolated because none of the midfielders were linking the play.

Parky is costing us too many points with his negative shite. I have no problem packing the midfield with defensive midfielders against the top sides but against the likes of QPR and Blackburn you have to try and win the game.

Ken can bleat all he likes about 20,000 crowds, but with the shit served up under Parky I think 10,000 is going to be a struggle when the away following is poor. Were there more than 6,000 Bolton fans in the ground yesterday?

What changes would you have made to the lineup though?

Report: Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Blackburn Rovers

Bolton Wanderers were defeated by a single Bradley Dack goal against Blackburn Rovers at the University of Bolton Stadium on Saturday evening.

Team News

Since the team's last outing against Stoke City, manager Phil Parkinson made just one change for the visit of Blackburn Rovers, that being David Wheater replacing Marc Wilson in the starting eleven.

First Half

A freekick was given to to Wanderers on the 17th minute mark, as a brilliant bit of link-up play from Will Buckley and Joe Williams saw the latter fouled in a dangerous area.

Josh Magennis stood over the dead ball, but his powerful drive towards goal was deflected by the Blackburn wall.

Two minutes later and Williams had a chance of his own, as a built up bit of pressure from Wanderers saw the ball fall to him on the half-volley.

However, his strike wasn’t the cleanest as it glanced wide.

Rovers then took the lead on the 22nd minute through Bradley Dack.

A ball over the top saw an effort on goal which was saved initially by Remi Matthews.

The follow up from Harrison Reed was again blocked, this time from David Wheater but at the third attempt, Dack calmly slotted the ball home from eight yards.

Wanderers responded with a chance of their own five minutes on through Will Buckley.

Jason Lowe found the winger in space on the left wing, before cutting inside and curling an effort nearly past David Raya, but the Blackburn shot stopper tipped it around the post.

From the resulting corner, Josh Magennis rose highest and powered down a header towards goal, but Raya was equal to it as it got a hand to it and tipped it over the crossbar.

Ten minutes to go in the half and Reed was through again for Rovers, but once again Wheater was on him quickly and got his body in the way to divert the ball out of play.

Shortly before half time and Josh Magennis had a header cleared off the line.

After a high looping ball was deflected up, Magennis got first to it in an aerial duel and lopped it over Raya.

But, Charlie Mulgrew was on hand for the visitors to head away the certain goal.

Second Half

Moving into the second period and Wanderers had the first chance through Pawel Olkowski.

The Polish right back through himself into a challenge with a Blackburn defender with so much force, the out coming ball nearly looped over Raya into the Rovers goal.

With just over 20 minutes to go and some intricate pass-and-move football between Oztumer and Williams released Jonathan Grounds.

The full back tried to power his cross along with the six yard line, but found Raya’s gloves.

Wanderers had the majority of the possession, but Blackburn had the next chance through substitute Adam Armstrong.

With the Whites playing a high line, Rovers counted with a ball over the top for the winger to latch onto.

Showing his pace, he sprinted down the right channel and unleashed a venomous effort on goal from a tight angle.

Matthews was more than equal to it, palming the ball away and stopping the visitors doubling the deficit.

Joe Williams came close with a long range effort, but a deflection took the sting out of the shot as it nestled into Raya’s hands.

Into the last ten minutes and Phil Parkinson’s men were throwing everything at the Blackburn defence, with the final ball just evading them from scoring the equaliser.

Christian Doidge came on as a second half substitute and had a looping header saved by Raya acrobatically with five minutes of regular time to play.

With three minutes to play, the referee pointed to the spot as Doidge was fouled inside the area.

However, after consulting with his linesman, the decision was changed to an offside call on the Welshman.

Five minutes of additional time was allowed and still the Whites pressed for the equalising goal.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be as the referee blew for the full-time whistle.

Full Time

Wanderers XI: Matthews, Lowe, Oztumer, Buckley (Wildschut 45), Noone (Dyer 66), Hobbs, Olkowski, J. Williams, Magennis, Grounds (Doidge 78), Wheater (C)

Unused substitutes: B. Williams, Vela, Wilson, O’Neil.

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T.R.O.Y wrote:What changes would you have made to the lineup though?

At home against the likes of QPR and Blackburn I would start with two strikers, there's no point having a centre forward who wins headers if there's no one around to make something of it.

I don't think we need two defensive midfielders at home, so I'd have left either Lowe or Williams out.

Natasha Whittam wrote:Were there more than 6,000 Bolton fans in the ground yesterday?

The attendance for the game was: 15461. Blackburn were given an allocation of 2,658 so that makes it 12,803 Bolton fans

BoltonTillIDie wrote:The attendance for the game was: 15461.  Blackburn were given an allocation of 2,658 so that makes it 12,803 Bolton fans

That's the official attendance which I'm lead to believe includes season ticket holders even if they don't attend.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

T.R.O.Y wrote:What changes would you have made to the lineup though?

At home against the likes of QPR and Blackburn I would start with two strikers, there's no point having a centre forward who wins headers if there's no one around to make something of it.

I don't think we need two defensive midfielders at home, so I'd have left either Lowe or Williams out.

So you’d play 442 with Oz in central midfield? I think that’s madness, we’d get overrun.

This squad is clearly suited to packing the midfield. You need at least one excellent box to box midfielder to play 442, the only time (in recent memory) we’ve been able to successfully is when Holden was at his best - we don’t have a player even close to that now.

T.R.O.Y wrote:So you’d play 442 with Oz in central midfield? I think that’s madness, we’d get overrun.

This squad is clearly suited to packing the midfield. You need at least one excellent box to box midfielder to play 442, the only time (in recent memory) we’ve been able to successfully is when Holden was at his best - we don’t have a player even close to that now.

Where did I say I'd play Oz? I don't rate him at all.

I would play Vela before Oz.

Changing the formation is going to be difficult because we have so many wingers in the squad who for me are not pulling their wight at the moment. I would go back to a 352, Olkowksi would be fine on the right but left may be a problem though.
Nat is right we dont need 2 holding midfelders at home, even a 442 diamond would be better as we at least get 2 strikers with Oztumer playing just behind them.

Norpig wrote:Changing the formation is going to be difficult because we have so many wingers in the squad who for me are not pulling their wight at the moment. I would go back to a 352, Olkowksi would be fine on the right but left may be a problem though.
Nat is right we dont need 2 holding midfelders at home, even a 442 diamond would be better as we at least get 2 strikers with Oztumer playing just behind them.

All well and good but you're forgetting who the manager is

Norpig wrote:Changing the formation is going to be difficult because we have so many wingers in the squad who for me are not pulling their wight at the moment. I would go back to a 352, Olkowksi would be fine on the right but left may be a problem though.
Nat is right we dont need 2 holding midfelders at home, even a 442 diamond would be better as we at least get 2 strikers with Oztumer playing just behind them.

Think we need balls in the box for a strikerlike Magennis - and Doidge too from the little we’ve seen of him so far. Be good to see if they could play together up top, on the face of it I think it could be a good match Magennis flattening defenders would create space for Doidge to play into.

Can’t see Parky going for it unless results and goals become really hard to come by. There’s still been enough this season to suggest we’ll create enough to get results.

I see now why Norwich have Wildschutt out on loan.

He always loses out what ever he attempts .

Grounds needs to go to ground too.

I can't really take anyone seriously who doesn't see that Oztumer is by far our best player. Clearly we see football differently.

The goal -

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I hadn't seen the goal before this clip but read loads about it being Grounds fault - but I don't see it that way.

Grounds lost his man five yards inside the Blackburn half and thus had half the field to organise some form of cover before the goal was scored! Yes it was a poor tackle but to lay all the blame of the goal on Grounds as many seems to have done is ridiculous.

Maybe he was poor throughout the ninety minutes I don't know but it seems like a bit of a witchhunt against him if people actually want to solely blame him for a missed tackle half the length of the pitch away as being totally responsible for us conceding what turned out to be the losing goal.

Grounds should have brought him down, and taken one for the team.