[Archived] Bolton

[DudeAbides]

Ive got this quote from another site.....

"Bolton are a far, far better side than Blackburn, yes you are in europe, you were better last season, this season Bolton have overtaken Blackburn by quite a long way."

would you say this was true ?

Discuss.

[OhmiBRFC]

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[Sparky Marky]

Looking at the league tables, it would indicate that Notlob are certainly more consistent than us. And considering they have beaten us at our place.....then that's a fair point really.

However, if both teams play to their capacity, then we are without doubt a better side.

[Laurence]

I know who I'd rather watch week-in week-out

[modes98]

Their tactics are crap, but they are damn good at them.

The way to beat them is to play proper football and not try to play them at their own game. They can't say they are a better team than us simply because of this season.

[allrovertheworld]

They are not better than us this season, we are in Europe and the FA cup. In the prem they are doing better but I would say our season is much more successful up to now. Also we have a much better history in the Prem and have won more trophies over all. Bolton have only got so excited in the last few years becase they are a tough team to beat and fair play to them but we had great succes in the early to mid 90's and have played lots of seasons in Europe. Also we have had some of the best English players at our club.

Both clubs are similar in size and supporter base and both clubs have great histories but recent history is ours by along shot.

I have a mate who is a Bolton fan and doesn't go to the Reebok beacause the football is rubbish, he says it was exceptable when they were trying to stay up but he wants more decent football to be played.

[M-K]

They're Wimbledon with slightly better players.

[joey_big_nose]

Bolton are an outstanding side, especially when you consider the miniscule amount of money spent by Big Sam over the last four or five years. They do play boring football quite a bit but they are also caable of some very smart moves. Diouf and Anelka are two exceptionally technically gifted players and the likes of Nolan really should be in the England squad. I am all for credit where credit is due, and Bolton certianly qualify for that.

Nonetheless I also think Rovers are an excellent side who have also been put together on a very low budget. The main difference is that we have been ravaged by injuries. We have lost for two months or more over the course of the season: Reid, Roberts, Savage, Ooijer, Nelsen. I would say that roughly equates to the trotters losing Nolan, Davies, Ben Haim, Giannakollopus (whatever) and Campo. If that happend their season would be as bad if not worse than ours.

If both sides were injury free and playing at a neutral venue I would slightly favor Rovers. But Bolton are a good team.

[Sparky Marky]

I'm sick of all these people saying Nolan should be in the England squad....why?

I've never seen him dominate a game in the way centre mids should...

Parker

Gerrard

Lampard

Carrick

Barton

Bentley

Cole

I'd rather have any of these in my midfield before Nolan.

[Manc Rover]

I think they are on a par with us and as much as it hurts me to say it, they are starting to look like an established top 10 team. Anelka, Ben Haim, Nolan, Meite, Spit, Jussi and Campo are actually very good players. I do, however, think that if it all starts to go wrong, they will struggle to last the pace. We have the youth, JW and (hopefully) the experience to surpass them.

Rovers for UEFA - Glasgow here we come

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

Very Effective with their style of play and get results from very little financial outlay.

Other than that they are a two-bob shower of shyte!

[Jimmy Jupiter]

League table doesn't lie, they are a better side this season (be that form, quality, whatever). Does that mean they've suddenly "overtaken" us in the grand scheme of things? Course not.

[Eddie]

They can play some very good football at times, but generally their style is horrible to watch, but very effective. I would agree with whoever said that if both teams play to their best that I think we would win, but if we played them they would certainly be favourites at the moment given their consistency this season. I think it is a very good time to be a supporter of both teams and could be a very good few years for both clubs as long as their are no major mistakes made with regards to transfers and finances and they avoid horrible luck. I simply can't stand their style of football though and it really annoys me when we are often lumped together in the same basket as being the tough and physical teams from the North-West. Several Arsenal fans I know have all commented on the fact that they think of us as being the same style of team.

[James No. 7]

League table doesn't lie, they are a better side this season (be that form, quality, whatever). Does that mean they've suddenly "overtaken" us in the grand scheme of things? Course not.

Aye. Three quarters of a season does not make a better side. It's a very fickle and unstable view of overall team ability.

[herbergeehh]

Yes, I think Bolton is a better side per 15.02.07.

We haven't got the complete side we had last season, whilst Bolton has improved from a scrappy physical side to a quality side with pace, technique and athletism. They have our Bellamy in Anelka, they have our Savage and Reid in Nolan and Speed, our Nelsen in Meitè and our Gamst Pedersen in Diouf.

I despise them, but I can see they are clearly better at this stage.

[LeChuck]

There's no doubt about it, Bolton are now an excellent team. Replacing Davies with Anelka has turned them into a different side. Contrary to what people believe, they actually have a varied attack now, combining pace and skill with brute force, and the midfield can always be replied upon the chip in with more than it's fair share of goals (Nolan and Stelios especially). At the back they're always solid, although you do wonder how they'll manage without Ben Haim when he leaves.

However, their squad is paper thin and had the suffered the injuries to key first-team members that we have, I wouldn't be surprised to see them battling relegation. If we both had full squads available to pick from it would be a close run thing, I think they might just edge it due to having Anelka whereas we don't have a striker who can put in a world-class performance anymore...unless we get infront, in which case McCarthy's showboating is definitely top notch.

[Hypo-Luxa]

I don't hate them more than Liverpool, but they're pretty close...Sam is an arse, Diouf is a cheat, Campo is a troll and Jussi...well if it weren't for Brad I'd have Jussi Envy, but whatever, they are not a better team than Blackburn.

They are having a better SEASON, but they are not a better TEAM than Blackburn. The sun shines on a dog's bum every now and then, and that's how I see Bolton. Now, I don't think that they are a relegation type side, but their squad is full of mercenaries and it hurts to watch their games. Their tactics have become a tad less boring with the injection of Anelka, but the fact that they choose to play the hoofball every game even after they're assured safety irks me to no end. Sam and Benitez can take their "tactics" and take a flying leap...

[bluebruce]

Player for player, we're better. League tables don't lie, but they do bend the truth. A few games that we've had terrible fortune with could have gone another way that would have left us atop them. The game against them for starters.

[ihateburnley]

Nolan is overrated to the extreme.

I think with a fully fit squad we have the better side. Let's not forget we have had first-team players such as Reid, Savage, Roberts, Nelsen, Ooijer and now Pedersen and Derbyshire injured this season. Who have Wanky Wanderers had out?

I despise them, and there manager is a tosser although admittedly pretty decent at his job.

[Bazzanotsogreat]

Ive got this quote from another site.....

"Bolton are a far, far better side than Blackburn, yes you are in europe, you were better last season, this season Bolton have overtaken Blackburn by quite a long way."

would you say this was true ?

Discuss.

Which site?

[neekoy]

They have some quality but the players that are the heart and soul to their team in Campo, Speed and Gio are very very close to being past their used by date and going to tear the heart out of them. Add Diouf and Anelka who you never think are going to hang around forever and they will come back to the pack.

[dave birch]

How many players do they have on long term contracts, how many could walk away at the end of the season?

How many Anelkas are there in the team?

[frosty]

They're more consistent than us, but I wouldnt call them a better side, we played them off the park at Ewood a few months ago (and it was typical Bolton to go and get a goal of a set piece to nick a 1-0 win )

[Bazzanotsogreat]

You have to ask youreself if both clubs had a fully fit XI how many Bolton players would get into a Rovers XI. Id have Ben haim,nolan and Anelka but thats it. This seasaon we have been incosistant through not once fielding our first choice XI. Whilst they have been injury free the same as Pompey and Reading. If we had stayed like this then i would imigine that we would be above all three of those sides

[herbergeehh]

I agree Bazza, but it's still irrelevant. The important issue is how the players play together as a team, and Bolton looks like a very comfortable side.

Even though I would put most of the blame for Rovers' poor showings on the injuries to Savage (in particular), Reid and Oh Yeah - Bolton's attacking trio of Anelka, Diouf and Stelios has a lot more pace and explosivity than our attacking line.. Then again, they have bench players like Henrik Pedersen..

Gary Speed is vastly underrated in my opinion, he provides them with a stability we've lacked since last season. As does Ivan Campo, as much as it hurts to say it.. But remember people talking about Bolton as a bit of a one-man-side when Jay-Jay played there? They've certainly improved vastly since then.. Bring on Lord Stevens!