Bolton Wanderers column: Peterborough test and Morley form

Football is mostly a game of subjective opinions - fans have their say, managers will normally back their team and journalists aim to remain objective.

So after Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat against Birmingham City, dependent on which side of the dugout you listened to, there was a different narrative spun.

Ian Evatt spoke about keeping it tight for large parts of the game, before bringing on more attacking options to try and get a positive results. The Bolton boss cited ‘big moments’ where his side failed to capitalise on, which in all honesty is not the first time that has cost them.

Birmingham boss Chris Davies labelled it as a ‘dominant’ display, going on to talk about how fast they looked in possession and finding the right spaces in the right areas of the pitch.

The fact is that Evatt can label it how he wants, whether that is the injuries within the squad or what would have happened if they capitalised and scored when they were in the ascendancy, but Tuesday’s game was not that close at all.

Birmingham are a level above anyone else in this league, and they could go on to be one of the best teams to ever play in League One. You would expect that for the money they have spent, which is not sour grapes whatsoever because it is a matter of fact, with the talent in their squad proof that they have effectively left the rest of the division fighting for second place.

Will Bolton’s season be defined by a loss at St Andrew's? No it will not. But you can still look at the display, or the formation, or how Bolton showed Birmingham too much respect and question what transpired on the pitch.

Normally an Evatt-led Bolton side are used to dominating possession, passing teams off the park whilst the opposition drops deep to defend. However, the shoe was on the other foot on Tuesday and it still felt like they turned up expecting to lose.

For a packed out midfield, they were still overrun and their ability to hold on to the ball when they did have it left a lot to be desired. Birmingham’s full backs had the freedom of the second city to exploit, their two central midfielders ran the show and it was just something Bolton could not compete with.

I do not think a full strength team makes a difference in that game, but I personally felt like Bolton could have offered more of a challenge. To sacrifice 71 per cent possession in order to rely on one or two chances is not ‘Brand Evatt’, but do we really know what that brand entails anymore?

I sit here every week and I say to myself that I need to write something more positive, but right now I just cannot think of any qualities in this team that standout to me and make me think that they are true promotion candidates.

Maybe if they beat Peterborough and Stockport then that shifts the needle in my brain, but I’m just struggling to get behind that line of thinking.

I want to be more positive, I do. But honestly, I have never been a good liar anyway.

Balancing on a precipice

by Chris McKeown

Birmingham proved too strong at St Andrew's (Image: CameraSport - Alex Dodd) Burton was a must win game and, despite a few missed chances and a squandered big opportunity from them, we did what we had to do.

Initially, we looked like we could open them up at will and then when the goal didn’t come, we became slightly more laboured and the game lost a lot of its buzz. From the stands it was starting to become tedious but a fantastic few minutes of inspiration lead to two quick goals.

That should’ve been the end of Burton but a perhaps fortuitous goal made for a tense finish. Not the commanding win we hoped for, but a win which set us up for Birmingham nicely.

Then came Tuesday, a fantastic away support went with hope rather than expectation.

The injuries had possibly changed Evatt's plans but the selection and set up was an eye-opener for most, with people wondering if it would click. Short answer, it didn’t!

I thought we may play more like we did against Barnsley in the away play-off game, to sit in and use a slightly more direct approach, but this particular system was very rigid and designed for a ‘thou shall not pass’ attitude.

If it was to work it meant to subdue what is a very, very good Birmingham team. To concede so early threw that out the window.

Yes, you could argue the game remained at 1-0 but any element of control was very much switched. Charles never had any of the ball and for me we needed perhaps Vic to be that outlet for that system?

It was a siege and despite the changes at half time it did feel like it was a losing battle. Yes we missed a wonderful chance but it didn’t feel like the smash and grab was on.

We had to be better, we had to win more balls and make life uncomfortable for them whilst throwing a few punches of our own.

Many teams will struggle at St Andrew's, they’re a superb team, but I came away dejected - not because we didn’t gain anything but because I feel we could’ve shown much more with our approach to test them.

The mood needs to be lifted (once again) and the next two league matches are must-wins now. Peterborough may sense a chance but if we are to be serious about promotion then we don’t have much wriggle room for dropping points.

We are on a precipice at this moment. It could go either way. And for everyone connected to the club, we desperately need a big performance this Saturday.

Recalling Morley is a no-brainer

By Lee Sidebotham

Morley has impressed on loan at Wycombe (Image: PA)

You can’t help but feel like we’ve been missing something this season so far.

Sheehan doesn’t seem to find any space in midfield. Rico can’t find anyone to play the ball out from the back to. Charles has found himself too many times making clever runs inside, only for no one to find him. And the less said about our corners the better…

I believe that one decision we’re starting to regret is letting Aaron Morley leave on loan.

Morley has so far impressed during his time at Wycombe and is starting to become a fan favourite. Perhaps we should tell them about our experiences of falling in love with a loan player...

He’s been described by manager Matt Bloomfield as one of their best signings, making three assists in League One so far this season. This beats all our current options in midfield.

The Chairboys are currently exceeding expectations thanks to Morley and more rather clever signings over the summer. They currently sit third in the division which I don’t think anyone predicted at the start of the season. In fact, I predicted 15th!

We’re severely lacking options when it comes to set pieces, especially corners. Too many times have we seen the ball whipped into the box or played short, only for it to end up in opposition possession once again. Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I remember us being lethal at corners and it was Morley who was behind them.

Then there’s free kicks. Just go back and watch his goal against Charlton a couple of seasons ago now to understand why it’s so important to have a set piece specialist on the pitch.

At times this season we’ve played five in the middle of the park, only to play like we’ve got no one in midfield. The thought of Morley in the middle of an in-form Dempsey and Thomason is one you can’t help but consider would change our luck in midfield.

I’m not stating Morley will come back and instantly turn our fortunes around. However, I don’t think anyone can disagree that his contributions have severely been missed. Whether it’s finding that breakthrough pass or creating a goal scoring opportunity from a dead ball, he brings something different compared to the options we currently have.

It’s not like we’d have to get rid of someone either. We have one space left in our squad registration and I strongly believe we should use Morley to fill it. Recalling him in January is simply a no-brainer.

Everything’s Just Rosy?

by Becca Ashworth

The problem for Wanderers (and one I’ve mentioned before) is that we’re a club rooted in nostalgia – one with plenty of stories of success and redemption amongst our tougher times.

This isn’t always a good thing: it provokes a viewpoint through rose-tinted glasses, which are fine so long as they don’t fog up and obscure what we are actually looking at.

Recently, Rioch reminiscences have popped up with increasing frequency. I understand why: we’re a team whose fans view us on the brink of new management, with a team aspiring towards successive promotions as we claw back to our glory days. Our earlier cup draw against Arsenal was a coincidence that really drove home the comparison.

At the risk of revealing my youthful ignorance, I wasn’t born in time for the Rioch era. Perhaps, then, ignorance is bliss, as I’m not subject to the blinding light of nostalgia. The problem with viewing our doubts in Evatt through a Rioch clouded lens is that the “it’s happened before so it’ll likely happen again,” viewpoint settles in.

Nostalgia constructs a worldview by which history is expected to repeat itself, but the sad reality is that Rioch-style managers are few and far between. Embittered as I am by our unimpressive opening to the season, I’m wary that calling for Evatt’s head in hope of a Rioch-style replacement may lead to a fruitless pipe dream.

Nostalgia, of course, isn’t always blinding. Moreover, looking for greener grass these days isn’t hard. In fact, despite the run of form that led to the Birmingham defeat, our lack of success against higher league opposition has almost necessitated the search. Seemingly gone are the Rioch-era days of usurping Premier League opposition on our way back to promotion, and if we can’t call upon nostalgia, we’re likely to apply our rose-rimmed vision elsewhere, gazing upon more recently familiar territory.

Morley, notably, is thriving through his loan at Wycombe. In particular, his frequent assists and goal-making plays have got him noticed as a key contributor to Wycombe’s outstanding (and – from the opposition camp – worrying) streak of form. Intra-league loans are always a risky business and, currently, it appears that Wycombe are reaping the benefits of the deal, whilst, donning our nostalgic lenses, we watch wistfully from afar.

Perhaps Morley should have got more of a chance to prove himself in regular gametime. Or rather, that’s precisely the reason he was sent on loan. Indeed, his loan is a catch-22 forming right before our eyes: few would have chosen Morley to start based off our mid-fielding roster and his loan at Wycombe has proved just how much the move has benefitted him.

Nonetheless, his success has demonstrated just how useful he could have been. Not to mention the humbling league position of Bolton against Wycombe. We want to see Morley succeed, and we want to ourselves reap the benefits of his success, but we unfortunately can’t have our cake and eat it too. If we did, we might only make ourselves sick.