MATCHWATCH : Bolton Wanderers (a)

[Sutekh]

When : Saturday September 21, 3pm
Where : Toughsheet Community Stadium, Burnden Way, Horwich, Bolton, BL6 6JW
Capacity : 28,723

Well if we still have a club on Saturday it'll be making it's weary way up north for a visit to Bolton for a game that possibly wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if it turned out to be Reading's last ever FL game, though realistically the club is likely to limp on to Christmas.

Pretending now that there's nothing wrong at camp Madejski then this is a game between two sides who have had disappointing starts to the season. Reading officially got their season of to a disappointing start after the god awful showing v Orient last week while Bolton have been consistently misfiring and have lumbered their way to being 3 points adrift of Reading in the table after a nicely rounded out 4-0 home stuffing from Huddersfield last weekend.

Charity FC are probably just the right team to be visiting the Toughsh*t Stadium though as Bolton have not won any games at home so far and have conceded 6, while failing to score, in their last two home games alone. Before that they were held to draws by Mansfield in the League Cup and Wrexham in the league. The 1-1 draw with Mansfield featured their only home goal so far, so plenty of unwanted records for the Trotters to break this weekend.

Bolton brought in 9 players in the summer including Luke Southwood from Cheltenham but Luke has yet to feature for Bolton so you're unlikely to see him saving the day on Saturday. Threats come from Dion Charles and Victor Adeboyejo who are the only players to have scored in the league for Bolton so far, with 1 goal apiece.

Reading will still be considering who is best to replace Pereira after CBBC was less than impressive v Orient. Dorsett and Craig will likely continue as full backs and one would expect Knibbs to start.

Referee

Sebastian Stockbridge

Previously

13 Apr 24 > Barnsley 2-2 Reading

Historically

Just the 3 wins to show from 17 previous league visits to Bolton Wanderers and all league games have been played in the years since 1984. Only one clean sheet has been managed by Reading in those games as well. Bolton have managed more than double the number of Reading wins so Bolton away is a game that usually results in a bad case of depression.

However, on the upside, this century Reading have only lost 2 of their 8 visits to Bolton (W2 D4 L2)...

How to follow the game

1. Get a ticket and travel to the game
2. Listen to Radio 5 Live and/or a myriad of other radio stations for score flashes
3. Ring/text a mate for updates
4. Use an RoyalTV subscription
5. BBC Radio Berkshire (FM : 104.4, 104.1 or 95.4 depending where you are in the area)

[Stranded]

Bolton 4 Reading 0.

or match abandoned.

[Snowflake Royal]

Bolton aren't that good. But a loss seems nailed on.

oxf*rd that pcunt Dai.

[Jackson Corner]

A chance to view the open casket before it’s buried.

[windermereROYAL]

Actual football matches aren`t important anymore are they?

[Sutekh]

Actual football matches aren`t important anymore are they?

Sadly not, maybe for other club's fans that support teams that don't have an owner with a deathwish to destroy that which they own (presume he must get more as a tax write off or something).

[Snowflake Royal]

They're important.

The more wins, the more likely we can avoid relegation even with a points deduction.

And every game could be our last, so we need to get as much enjoyment out of what's left as possible.

[WestYorksRoyal]

They're important.

The more wins, the more likely we can avoid relegation even with a points deduction.

And every game could be our last, so we need to get as much enjoyment out of what's left as possible.

This. Wins can actually transform the mood, even if there are bigger things at stake. The away win at Carlisle after the points deduction stands out as a real high to me.

Flip side is bad runs are even worse; you see the club falling apart on and off the pitch.

[Harry Bo]

Got to say that there’s a lot of sympathy at the Reebok for you guys, we’ve been through all this ourselves as you know and we wouldn’t wish it on anybody so let’s hope there’s another buyer in the wings ready to come in for you?

As for our match, we really are bobbins at the moment and our new signings have if anything made us worse. After our Wembley disaster the confidence levels are low and Evatt isn’t helping with his rants and claims that he doesn’t know how to pull the team from under the black clouds of the play off final, indirectly blaming the fans for this still hanging over us and nothing to do with the shite we’re producing on the pitch with his slowly slowly garbage system. Not only are we not scoring, we’re not even having shots. He’s gone to a midfield two which isn’t working, two wingbacks that stop on the half way line and 3 up top who never see the ball so with all that I should be feeling pretty confident if I were you.

As you can imagine, sentiment is not good at the moment so I’m sure Ruben will know all this and look to frustrate as long as possible then take advantage of one of the many cock ups we make at the back trying to fanny about playing out from the back. I can see you pinching a 1 nil win if your patient or more if you come with a positive attitude but I frankly don’t see anything but another bad day for the Wanderers and maybe the final nail in Evatt’s coffin?

[Snowflake Royal]

Got to say that there’s a lot of sympathy at the Reebok for you guys, we’ve been through all this ourselves as you know and we wouldn’t wish it on anybody so let’s hope there’s another buyer in the wings ready to come in for you?

As for our match, we really are bobbins at the moment and our new signings have if anything made us worse. After our Wembley disaster the confidence levels are low and Evatt isn’t helping with his rants and claims that he doesn’t know how to pull the team from under the black clouds of the play off final, indirectly blaming the fans for this still hanging over us and nothing to do with the shite we’re producing on the pitch with his slowly slowly garbage system. Not only are we not scoring, we’re not even having shots. He’s gone to a midfield two which isn’t working, two wingbacks that stop on the half way line and 3 up top who never see the ball so with all that I should be feeling pretty confident if I were you.

As you can imagine, sentiment is not good at the moment so I’m sure Ruben will know all this and look to frustrate as long as possible then take advantage of one of the many cock ups we make at the back trying to fanny about playing out from the back. I can see you pinching a 1 nil win if your patient or more if you come with a positive attitude but I frankly don’t see anything but another bad day for the Wanderers and maybe the final nail in Evatt’s coffin?

How have you guys gone from playing scintillating open attacking football to that in six months?

[Sutekh]

Got to say that there’s a lot of sympathy at the Reebok for you guys, we’ve been through all this ourselves as you know and we wouldn’t wish it on anybody so let’s hope there’s another buyer in the wings ready to come in for you?

As for our match, we really are bobbins at the moment and our new signings have if anything made us worse. After our Wembley disaster the confidence levels are low and Evatt isn’t helping with his rants and claims that he doesn’t know how to pull the team from under the black clouds of the play off final, indirectly blaming the fans for this still hanging over us and nothing to do with the shite we’re producing on the pitch with his slowly slowly garbage system. Not only are we not scoring, we’re not even having shots. He’s gone to a midfield two which isn’t working, two wingbacks that stop on the half way line and 3 up top who never see the ball so with all that I should be feeling pretty confident if I were you.

As you can imagine, sentiment is not good at the moment so I’m sure Ruben will know all this and look to frustrate as long as possible then take advantage of one of the many cock ups we make at the back trying to fanny about playing out from the back. I can see you pinching a 1 nil win if your patient or more if you come with a positive attitude but I frankly don’t see anything but another bad day for the Wanderers and maybe the final nail in Evatt’s coffin?

Thanks for the support, sounds like you guys might be just as happy with a Reading win esp. if it’s the end for your manager.

[AthleticoSpizz]

Yeah cheers Harry Bo

Hopefully better times lay ahead for both teams.

However (and putting aside our own clusterf11ck of a club)

We are the team that are generously charitable to any struggling and mis-firing team, it’s how we roll.

Enjoy the game

[Clyde1998]

My estimate was around 550 travelling up to this; club website says around 600. Decent showing given the context.

[Pepe the Horseman]

3-0 Bolton.

[Harry Bo]

Got to say that there’s a lot of sympathy at the Reebok for you guys, we’ve been through all this ourselves as you know and we wouldn’t wish it on anybody so let’s hope there’s another buyer in the wings ready to come in for you?

As for our match, we really are bobbins at the moment and our new signings have if anything made us worse. After our Wembley disaster the confidence levels are low and Evatt isn’t helping with his rants and claims that he doesn’t know how to pull the team from under the black clouds of the play off final, indirectly blaming the fans for this still hanging over us and nothing to do with the shite we’re producing on the pitch with his slowly slowly garbage system. Not only are we not scoring, we’re not even having shots. He’s gone to a midfield two which isn’t working, two wingbacks that stop on the half way line and 3 up top who never see the ball so with all that I should be feeling pretty confident if I were you.

As you can imagine, sentiment is not good at the moment so I’m sure Ruben will know all this and look to frustrate as long as possible then take advantage of one of the many cock ups we make at the back trying to fanny about playing out from the back. I can see you pinching a 1 nil win if your patient or more if you come with a positive attitude but I frankly don’t see anything but another bad day for the Wanderers and maybe the final nail in Evatt’s coffin?

How have you guys gone from playing scintillating open attacking football to that in six months?

We’re all asking ourselves that snowflake. Up to Christmas we were flying with gams in hand and the automatics just looked like a matter of time but after Christmas Evatt just seemed to slow tempo right down and persist with the slow and sideways stuff and it’s been like that ever since culminating in Wembley. We’ve started this season even worse so Saturday is a critical game for us. I want to win obviously, Evatt to have a rethink and we’re off to the races again but he’s so stubborn I fear he’ll just hunker down to try and show he was right and that’s why I expect you to win. If you come out and play and give us space watch out but if you just sit back, not Ruben’s style I know, and wait for us to make a mistake you’ll go home with the points. Whatever happens tomorrow I wish you guys all the luck with your ownership, you’re a great club and it’s so sad to see teams like yours struggling under a despot of an owner. We did it and came through it so I hope you do too. Can’t wish you luck on Saturday but I can for everything else.

[Sutekh]

Thanks nice to hear from someone normal up there who isn't Ten Bobsworth.

[traff]

Home banker of the weekend and at around even money great value.
Players and staff have been punched in the guts and fully expect the performance to reflect that.

[Wanderlust]

Got to say that there’s a lot of sympathy at the Reebok for you guys, we’ve been through all this ourselves as you know and we wouldn’t wish it on anybody so let’s hope there’s another buyer in the wings ready to come in for you?

As for our match, we really are bobbins at the moment and our new signings have if anything made us worse. After our Wembley disaster the confidence levels are low and Evatt isn’t helping with his rants and claims that he doesn’t know how to pull the team from under the black clouds of the play off final, indirectly blaming the fans for this still hanging over us and nothing to do with the shite we’re producing on the pitch with his slowly slowly garbage system. Not only are we not scoring, we’re not even having shots. He’s gone to a midfield two which isn’t working, two wingbacks that stop on the half way line and 3 up top who never see the ball so with all that I should be feeling pretty confident if I were you.

As you can imagine, sentiment is not good at the moment so I’m sure Ruben will know all this and look to frustrate as long as possible then take advantage of one of the many cock ups we make at the back trying to fanny about playing out from the back. I can see you pinching a 1 nil win if your patient or more if you come with a positive attitude but I frankly don’t see anything but another bad day for the Wanderers and maybe the final nail in Evatt’s coffin?

How have you guys gone from playing scintillating open attacking football to that in six months?

Hello again folks.
My take on it is that we got worked out at the beginning of the year with a high press and a block on the straight pass to midfield (mainly Sheehan back then) which forced us to go long more (easy for big CBs to deal with against our midgets up top) and prevented us playing through the lines, plus it starved the ball players of time on the ball and gave the opposition opportunities down the flanks as we pushed out WBs on.
Basically, we tried to play like City but with L1 standard players so the opposition forced us into proving we can do it under pressure (whereas previously teams sat off us) and we aren't good enough. so our attacking play flounders to create quality chances and we're susceptible at the back. Once one team did it successfully they all adopted it and our results went downhill for the most part.
The manager believes we can do it but with so many key passes going astray we're struggling.
We're all waiting with baited breath to see what Evatt does - a change in system or more of the same? It's difficult to change system with the players we have so it will be interesting.