Bolton 0-4 Wigan

Words almost fail me. Almost.

What an absolute shit show from start to finish. Evans should be sacked tonight for putting out a midfield of Morley, Sheehan & Dempsey. When will he learn you don't win big games with a soft centre?

The next bit is going in capitals:

BUY A FUCKING SHITHOUSING MIDFIELDER BEFORE THE END OF THE WINDOW.

But everyone was pathetic and spineless. The goalkeeper looked scared, the defence backed off all afternoon and the so-called "strikers" didn't control a pass all game. The signing of Dan for £300k is looking more and more like an absolute disaster, he really is terrible.

Evans has one way of playing which always comes a cropper when we play anyone decent. And worst of all, he never ever learns from his mistakes.

Evans out.

The goals.

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Not sure what we were doing for their opening goal from a corner?

Strange set up, I don't think I've ever seen it before.

We had 5 outfield players stood in the keepers box, with only 2 Wigan players and 3 players (two of whom were holding hands - I kid you not - with their back to goal stood on the edge of the penalty area, forming a wall?

The corner was taken, one of the two defenders ran towards the corner kicker (so got the jump on the Bolton players) and had a free near post header, which the goal scorer, who was one of the 4 Wigan players facing the Bolton 'wall' at the edge of the penalty area, simply burst through ran towards the goal, completely unmarked, our 'wall' was facing away from the goal and simply could not go with the runner and be a 'wall' at the same time - and had a free header, whilst the 5 Bolton outfield players still stood inside the keepers six yard box (or whatever it is called these days) simply stood like statues not knowing I guess what their role is - as they had no one to mark and didn't know what their assignment in this situation should be.

Fair play to Wigan - a well worked goal from their training pitch - but God knows what our defence had been trained to do as it wasn't man for man marking, wasn't zonal marking, God knows why they tried to form a wall and play Kabaddi (a game where you hold hands) at the edge of the penalty area - as they were defending a corner not a free kick?

We were completely on the back foot all through that corner and frankly looked as though our players didn't know how to cope with the set piece and had obviously been coached to set up some sort of a 'static' wall rather than have a dynamic defence - ie run with their players and be sideways on to the goal and not have your back to it and have to turn and give have a step to your opponent.

I could analyse the other three goals to but basically Wigan were able to run rings round our players and looked too physical and mobile for us.

We are a 'pretty' tippy tappy sort of team but don't seem to have any answers to teams that 'boss us' about?

I hear the call for a midfield enforcer but it seems to me the problem lies deeper than that, we need ALL our players to show physicality, shove them before they shove us sort of mentality - Jones lying on the floor moaning he'd been fouled in the lead up to the second goal sort of sums it up to me, he should have got straight up and back in the action.

Even if he had he couldn't have stopped the goal but my point is if he had and the shot had been saved he would be back in some sort of defensive position, instead he was three or four yards behind play.

Players if they get knocked down should bounce back up again, if they have their shirt pulled, you just keep going forward, if you get fouled you jump back up and show no pain (even if it really hurts), you don't give them nothing and you fight for everything.

You don't want a hardman on the pitch - you want 10 hardmen on the pitch, you let the opposition worry about you, you hunt as a pack not as individuals to be bullied.

That's my philosophy anyway and how I played the game.

Will the mods stop playing hide the sausage for a minute and make this a sticky thread, and perhaps remove the old games from sticky status.

25 mods and they can't even get the basics right.

That was a massive reality check for us, we were outplayed and out-fought all game. They won every 50-50 and pressed us much better as well. 

Defensively we were poor and Jones and Iredale had poor games but Nat is right we do need a battler in midfield especially as Wigan have just shown the rest of the league how to play against us.

Evans has a full week now before we play Burton Albion in 24th place in the league.

We have to get three points and get some pride back in the team.

Probably be a draw.

I just can't believe how bad yesterday was.

Well I agree with Sluffy, it’s not about bringing in one shit housery midfield player it’s about ALL the players standing up and being strong which sadly we’re not. There wasn’t one player in the entire squad that you felt could come on and change anything yesterday. From 1 to 11 plus subs we just allowed Wigan to bully us and actually looked frightened to get involved, losing out or pulling out of every tackle.  Are we just over coached and when plan A falters without any kind of Plan B to switch to? Sadly I think we are and I actually believe that’s the way Evatt wants it. 

The last thing he wants is a player with a mind of his own who changes things or suggest changes during games, ask Sarce, Doyle and probably even Declan John? Evatt’s ego is as big as his skin is thin and we know he doesn’t take criticism well so the thought of him bringing in the type of player many are calling for looks pretty remote to me as well as any additions up front. He’s stuck his neck out on Dan and I’m bloody sure he’s going to give him every chance to prove himself right even if it looks unlikely. Thankfully we don’t play teams like Wigan every week so maybe we’re worrying too much and the wheels will be back on next week at a struggling Burton but if we lose that one as well, who knows what might happen?

Dare I say he could learn a lot from Bob's mate Big Sam on how to grind out points from difficult oppositions.

Dare I say that the man with the larger head also had a larger budget.

Dare I also say that I seem to recall the Rags putting four past BSA's teams on multiple occasions, not to mention Newcastle, Rovers, Chelsea, Citeh, Boro, Spurs, Ipswich and erm Stockport County piling in four or more.

24 hours in the life of a fickle football fan.

Friday:

Whitesince63 wrote:I can’t see anything other than another comfortable win. Forget history, neither Wigan nor Wanderers teams are remotely similar to two years ago. We’ll win because this year we really do look like the real deal.

Saturday:

Whitesince63 wrote:From 1 to 11 plus subs we just allowed Wigan to bully us and actually looked frightened to get involved, losing out or pulling out of every tackle.  Are we just over coached and when plan A falters without any kind of Plan B to switch to? Sadly I think we are and I actually believe that’s the way Evatt wants it. 

The last thing he wants is a player with a mind of his own who changes things or suggest changes during games, ask Sarce, Doyle and probably even Declan John? Evatt’s ego is as big as his skin is thin and we know he doesn’t take criticism well so the thought of him bringing in the type of player many are calling for looks pretty remote to me as well as any additions up front.

In fairness, we haven't done too bad under Evatt, especially this season. However, Saturday was a debacle, and has vividly shown our shortcomngs. We don't want to take away from where we are, but need to take note of the positions, methods, and tactics we seem to be comfortable with.
I believe Nlundulu should be kicked out, our tactics book, or lack of, should be updated, and not rely on kicking the ball between the back line for 50% of the game, in order to show our possession percentages as amongst the best in the league. Make the players actually tackle the opposition, and not run up to them, and stop. One player who has always done this is Dion, however, he has the skill, and determination to keep going, with obvious good results from this.
Santos was given a sharp lesson on Saturday that his height and weight doesn't mean he will always get away with running through players, or leaning on them until they cave in. it didn't work on Saturday.
We could all go on for ages, but hopefully the manager will listen to criticism, and doesn't continue with the same tactics whereby any team that continues to run at us is immediately in the ascendency, leaving us bemused.
Sorry for the long ramble, but its not easy watching your team sticking to the same game play every game, being sussed by the opposition, and ending up pissing in the wind.