Bolton News

A Mixed Bag

|
Image for A Mixed Bag

SuperKev is like an ancient Greek statue, Big Sam and The Bullet, Al Habsi on his way, a new feature and a European Tour?

Afternoon all. Many apologies for the lack of update over the past two days. I did offer a reason yesterday on Twitter (@QuentinX for those who are still not following) and I stick to it. Christmas parties eh? We wouldn’t even be doing them if it wasn’t for the kids.

Let’s get the Big Sam issue out of the way. Just as at Newcastle, he wasn’t given any time to prove what he could do. He may have an ego the size of, well, himself, but he is still a damn good manager and I would suggest that the next club who fire their manager would do a lot worse than hire him. If the new owners believe that Blackburn are anything other than a mid table club then we really are in the Christmas silly season.

There are some who think it would be funny if Gary Megson is appointed as Blackburn’s new manager. Come on people, I wouldn’t even wish that on Burnley.

So, we are now two for two. Got rid of Houghton and now Big Sam. What bets on Ancelotti come New Year?

One of the last things that Allardyce did as Blackburn manager was to praise our captain for this performance on Sunday. If anyone knows SuperKev it is Big Sam, and there is a lot of truth ‘>Someone else to thank SuperKev was super sub Fabrice Muamba, after his, let’s be honest, surprising goal on Sunday:

I had no-one marking me at the time, so when the skipper laid the ball off, I took an extra touch and managed to get it in the back of the net. They had two or three people all marking Davo, so I utilised that.’

As I said on Monday, there was certainly something missing in the midfield until Mark Davies was sent off and Muamba came on. He’s not the most elegant of footballers, as his goals per shots ration will attest, but there is a steeliness to his midfield play that was missing in the first half on Sunday. You got the impression that Holden was being held back by the idea that he was the holding partner of the midfield duo, which isn’t the way to play him. And if you doubt that, then look at the way he ran through for the second goal. I’m not so sure that he would have been there if Mark Davies had still been on the field.

This is nothing against Mark Davies, who has shown that he is an able stand in for the American. The point is, if you have a settled team that is doing well, why change it? Everyone is playing with confidence and I don’t expect there to be any changes to the line up now until the enforced one in January when Lee goes off to the Asian Cup.

‘>hasn’t done anything to play down these rumours:
‘If a bid comes in January, well look at it, and do the right thing for the football club.’

This is similar to what he has been saying about Gary Cahill and while the figure of £2million seems slightly inferior to what I feel the player is worth, it seems that that is the figure that may be accepted, on top of the loan deal. Add onto this that Ali only has a year left on his contract after this season, with no sign that Jussi will be losing his place anytime soon, and you are left with the feeling that we have seen the last of Al-Habsi in a Bolton shirt.

Right, I’ve been a bit lacking in player of the months and the fantasy league. So, even though no one has asked me, the player of the month for October was Stuart Holden, who was man of the match three times and came second once and, even though he missed the last match in November, he is the November winner as well. He already looks set fair to win December too.

As for the fantasy league, Gill Ashton is still top with 889 points, with little known Bolton fan Paul Scholes second.

Today, we start a new feature that will last until New Year’s Eve Eve. We call it ‘Gardening Watch‘. And Gardening Watch tells us that it is exactly two weeks before South Yorkshire’s most famous gardener is off our books forever. Come back tomorrow for another gardening tip, here on gardening watch.

Right, that’s it. I have to get on a train back to Manchester for a last set before Xmas. Whether I get back to the smoke and Mrs X for the actual event lies in the hands of the weather and Virgin Trains.

All pray to the great god Branson.

Share this article

From the North, In the North.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *