Bolton take on Salford tonight, in a game which is surprisingly being broadcast on Sky Sports Football rather than the Horror Channel. It’s quite fitting we’re playing on Friday 13th too.
Wanderers have had a bad run since beating Bradford the other week, with a heavy defeat at Leyton Orient followed by a failure to beat winless Mansfield, then a Cup exit at the hands of Crewe. So not the best form to be coming into ahead of the microscope of a televised game, especially when we’ve got injuries to contend with.
🗣️ '𝙄𝙩'𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.' 💬
🎥 Ian Evatt spoke to https://t.co/oVVl0dtnLo ahead of tomorrow's televised @SkyBetLeagueTwo fixture against @SalfordCityFC.#BWFC 🐘🏰 pic.twitter.com/Rh10QBD0BA
— Bolton Wanderers (@OfficialBWFC) November 12, 2020
Team news
It looks like Antoni Sarcevic, Eoin Doyle and Gethin Jones will all miss out with injuries – Sarcevic has had a back problem in recent times, while Doyle and Jones have suffered setbacks in their recovery. There is also a massive question over the goalkeeper position – Billy Crellin may be dropped, with Matt Gilks favourite to come in if that comes to fruit.
Previously
It’s a first competitive fixture against the Tesco Value Manchester United.
The opposition
Everyone knows about Salford’s back story now – like us they were meant to be among the promotion favourites this season. Unlike us, they’re at least within touch of the top. They’re 10th, three points off the playoffs, but if we won tonight we would go within three points of them. It’s a first league game in charge for Richie Wellens, who we were linked with in the summer. There are couple of familiar faces in their squad, Jason Lowe made the short move to Moor Lane after leaving us this summer, while Oscar Threlkeld is in his second season there after spells at Plymouth Argyle and Belgian side Waasland-Beveren.
One tactical tip?
One potential area to exploit could be RB Clarke. Traditionally a CB in his Preston days he's made 5 apps this season with 4 of those coming at RB. Against Cambridge he lost his man drifting back towards the centre which led to Cambridge's equaliser pic.twitter.com/QN9rxnmRkN
— BWFC Analysis (@analysis_bwfc) November 11, 2020
I wonder, and realistically assuming Evatt wants to keep a back three, if a 3-4-3 would be an interesting idea to get an overload on our left side. Having Lloyd Isgrove or Arthur Gnahoua on that side (with presumably Delfouneso in the middle and Darcy or another wide man on the right) might cause some problems, along with whichever left wing back we pick and hope does something.
Prediction
I’m expecting a defeat, 2-1 to Salford.