Bolton v Reds MDT

I want to see all our players giving 100% this half!

 

Me and my dad were saying the same earlier. When we were in the Championship for years we were crap for a lot of it but we had some serious heart in the team. Players like Steele, Hassell, Foster and O’Brien weren’t the most talented players we’ve ever had but they gave 100% every week and won games through sheer determination.

 

We didn't look dead on for the play offs though we were embarrassing about 5 games on the spin Blackpool away was shocking football. If we keep Collins and don't make the play offs the club get hammered they can't win.

 

Let's assume our formation is not changing as it never does. 3 centre halves.

Are Earl and MDG good enough to go with Pines next season? Thoughts.

 

You can’t say that on here pal.

 

I hope O'Keefe has that move trademarked where he goes to take a touch and accidentally knocks the ball 45 yard away from him.

 

No. I think both of them have done more than enough to prove they'd struggle to get a game in L2.

 

I think Earl might be, but I'm less and less sure by the game

MDG is far too weak in my eyes

 

Dead right. Looking at our defence over one and a half legs so far, Collins worked wonders to earn us a playoff place. His sacking (especially the timing thereof) reflects very badly on us.

 

They might be with a decent coach in.

 

You can't replace the entire defence and expect anything different. We didn't learn from the last Conway **** up!

 

We are reaping what the board have sown every time we've sold players since Conman and the dog took over we've kept lowering the quality of the players signed to replace the ones leaving and the back seat drivers who decided they wanted to be front seat ones have carried that on. So the quality of the squad as gone down every window in the hope of maximising resale profit and that was never going to work.

 

That's very true mate and I agree the club would've been hammered either way but I think just morally (I know there's no morals in football) we should've stuck with the person who's largely got us there and let him die on his shield so to speak if necessary.

Then we would've got rid of him at the proper time.

 

Why not go the whole hog and say “they don’t want to go up”?

 

The blaming of coaches/defensive coaches/set piece coaches if we even have them dilutes the point that the players who they woukd be coaching just aren’t good enough and are making errors you would fully expect a professional footballer not to make.

 

What I find disturbing is that there is no bollocking of players who aren't giving 100% and running hard and closing down.

Yes, we have arguably a weaker side than last year, but there was no coasting like that under Duff last season.

 

Agreed. All or nothing now.

 

How many corners ffs. We never, ever, ever learn.

 

Surely 3 goals down in the tie we bring on another striker.

 

At the start of the season we lost our defence to teams in the Premier League or Championship.
We replaced them with free transfers from our own League or Leagues worse than ours.
We still managed to finish top 6, understandably shipping far more goals than the previous year.
And yet the talk is all about sacking the manager.
With the Bolton defence, we'd have finished top 2.
It's really clear where the issue is.