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No, I don’t know what Charlie Sheen has to do with Aston Villa taking on Bolton either, but at least he’s providing some much needed light relief at the moment and having some fun. You remember fun, right? He’s also doing a decent job of making Stephen Ireland look sane. Some achievement, and for that I thank you Charlie Sheen.
He’s also seems to be doing a splendid job of claiming victory from what appears to be a stinging defeat, perhaps something Gerard Houllier could learn from. I’d like to think whatever it is that Houllier has said in today’s press conference, which is promised to cause an uproar tomorrow, has come from the Sheen play book. But I doubt it.
Personally, I’d like to see a defiant declaration that he is not running his team selections by committee with keyboard warriors on the internet, but it’s probably something far tamer. The CAPS LOCK CREW will surely engage full outrage mode regardless.
I’ll probably just place my head in my hands and sob “why Gerard, why?”
That’s not exactly an endorsement of the approach employed at Eastlands by the way, but it is an endorsement of the manager’s right to use his squad in the manner he feels will achieve the greater good over the course of the season.
I might not agree 100% with the team selection in Manchester and he could have been a little less misleading in the build up, but if we now go on a run up the table, it will end up sitting a little more comfortably with me. A little.
Not everyone is enthused about position in the league, I get that, but with each position earning about 800k more than the place below in “merit payments”, it’s not inconceivable, given our horrific wage bill, that a couple of places might make the difference between keeping a decent player next season or not.
We have just 10 games left and we have to milk every last point from them, starting tomorrow in Bolton. It’s just that simple. I’ve said before that the term “must win” is redundant at this stage, they’re all “must win”, but after Manchester, the stakes just got bigger.
When it comes to tips Houllier could pick up from others, he might do well to talk to Owen Coyle about how he implemented a transition from one style of football to another in a more gradual manner. Their form is a tad on the patchy side of late, although they’ve managed to grind out back-to-back 1-0 away wins in the FA Cup in the last couple of weeks, but this is not Big Sam’s Bolton any longer.
He might also want to look at how American midfielder Stuart Holden was eased into football life at this level to become a key player at Bolton and one of the league’s top tacklers. I’m not alone in thinking that compatriot Michael Bradley looked something of a passenger at times against City, but Opta say that he completed 35 of 40 attempted passes, so it probably wasn’t too bad for a debut.
An updated preferred lineup: I originally had Collins in, Baker at LB and Delph alongside Petrov.
Unfortunately, it’s not such a rosy picture at the other end of the pitch, Richard Dunne apparently picked up a shoulder injury against City – some sources are saying dislocated – and will be out for three or four weeks. James Collins is expected to available after his calf injury, but Carlos Cuellar is still recovering. Update: It’s been confirmed that James Collins will not be available.
We’ll wait to find out whether Nathan Baker is over his concussion or whether Fabian Delph will have to cover at left back once more. Amazing how we can be struggling to get games for the likes of Cuellar one moment to having to play midfielders at full back the next.
But that is, as they say, football, and this is, as they also say, a must win game despite my reluctance to rely on such a cliché. I don’t think there’s much point looking at the tactical intricacies, this one has got to be about pure determination and patience from the same mold as the Blackburn game.
To that end, it’s probably fortunate that this one is away from Villa Park, I’m not sure the home fans would have the tolerance for not being ahead by the break, if that’s the case tomorrow. Nevertheless, we do have the quality to beat Bolton, but they’ll be no pushovers and it might take another confident, patient approach to the game.
I don’t know where Charlie Sheen’s tigerblood falls on WADA’s list of banned substances – perhaps we could ask Kolo Touré – but maybe it wouldn’t hurt to try some if it helps us win just like Charlie.
#winning
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10 Comments to “Bolton preview: must win? Duh, winning!”
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Big game against a strong opponent. This will be a good test for us. I think the players will rally and put Man City behind us.
I like the lineup (other than the make-shift back four that is required due to injury). I also think Opta’s assesment of Bradley is likely spot-on. He was timid and a bit off the pace but when he did get invovled, both on and off the ball, he largely did well.
I remember an article about him being benched in Germany because he wasn’t following the coach’s instructions explicitly (he tried to adapt to the flow of the game whereas the coach wanted him to play a very specific role). He might take some time to settle into the EPL pace and into GH’s more open and creative style of football.
On the other hand Delph looked great and likely will jump over Bradley in the pecking order once we get some fullbacks available.
i don’t want to do another edit so i’ll add it here.
i’d forgotten that luke young is knocking on the door again. he did a decent job at left back in the past, i’d be tempted to throw him in there and get delph in the middle alongside NRC to give those young CBs as much protection as possible.
“Opta’s assesment of Bradley is likely spot-on. He was timid and a bit off the pace but when he did get invovled, both on and off the ball, he largely did well.”
Let’s face it Idaho, he was useless.
Not that I blame him.
It was the wrong game to start him, simple.
GH?
What’s that Mafia saying?
Oh yes, “He’s dead to me”.
Will we beat Bolton?
No, imo.
You might appreciate I’ve got the right hump.
And it isn’t knee-jerk, as most GH supporters seem to be suggesting, whenever anyone criticises this mug.
A draw for me represents a good result, a win and excellent result. A loss, not catastrophic however not helpful for the nerves or the knee jerk reaction that will follow!
I have no idea what will happen at Bolt-On. Is this site IanRobo’s new baby? It sure looks identical on my BlackBerry! Maybe less ranting (which admittedly is half the fun!)…
Maybe it’s because I comment on here.
Indeed, I have been very negative on Ian’s site and have been known to rant.
If so, I’m sorry about that.
But that’s the way it goes.
There really aren’t many positives to be had lately in my view.
We’re struggling and have just thrown the FA cup away, imo.
But this site is more about reasoned debate and my views are probably approaching the most extreme on here, so no, it’s not like Ian’s site at all.
Take a look at some of the previous threads and responses.
I can be happy sometimes
just a common plugin used for mobile devices. i’ve been meaning to look at doing something different, not exactly into looking the same as 1,000′s of other sites.
Badger – wrong game indeed. I like GHs transfers and his attempt to play better footy but am baffled at his detailed tactics.
He is a big picture guy and seems to slip up on important small things like throwing Bradley in on the deep end, his press comments before the game, his antics at Liverpool, etc.
I’m still with him I’m as frustrated as the rest of us. But my claret and blue glasses say with a win Saturday and a few other results we could be in the middle of a pack chasing 6th!
I admire your optimism, Idaho, I really do.
I just don’t share it, with the current manager.
He’s gone soon anyway, from what I’ve heard in between the lines (although everything I hear is probably total rubbish)
Badger I feel better now that we seem to be close to safe from relegation. If we drop I won’t be able to watch – we only get EPL games here in the US. Beyond that I find Vodka helps keep the spirits up