Bolton continue their pre season with a visit to League One Crewe this afternoon, looking to step up both their fitness and goalscoring with the Championship season now just twenty one days ago.
Not a return to British soil, as the official site would have it, unless Alex Salmond has got his devolution in whilst everyone was in Stratford last night, but it is a step up in class, away from the ramshackle grounds of the lower Scottish divisions to the railway sidings of one of Britains largest railway interchanges.
Unlike Bolton, Crewe have had a mostly winning start to their own run in to the new season, but their opponents have been mostly Southern and Northern Premier League opponents, so Bolton’s visit will see a step up in class for them also.
Vital Quotes:
‘The opposition down south was decent. It wasn`t too testing but that was good because we wanted to see what we could do in possession and creativity wise. Now with Championship clubs coming up we will be tested more defensively.‘ Crewe boss Steve Davis (no, the other one. No, the other, other one) obviously hasn’t been paying attention to Bolton’s inability to hit the back of the net in Scotland.
‘There were a lot of pleasing aspects over the seven days but we know there’s further room for improvement and one of those is obviously making sure we finish our chances.‘ OC telling us all the bleeding obvious.
Crewe Alexandra Team News:
Steve Phillips, Luke Murphy and Kevin Mellor are all out. I have no idea what this means.
Player to watch: Mark Clayton
The seventeen year old has played for England at U-16, U-17 and U-18 and has netted four times so far this pre season, twice more than the whole Bolton team put together.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
No news on David N’Gog’s ‘bad back’ so he may well sit out again. Matt Mills was expected to be able to play some part.
Player to watch: Zat Knight
After the long ball fiasco of Falkirk’s goal on Wednesday, it will be interesting to see how the cumbersome defender deals with a better opposition.
Match Facts & Stats
At last, someone we have played before, albeit only twenty times. Bolton hold a 10-4 lead over Crewe in all competitions and a 4-3 lead at Alex.
The last time the teams met was in our promotion season, Dean Holdsworth netting Bolton’s goal in a 2-1 away loss. And it is Holdsworth himself who is our leading scorer with four, between 1999 and 2001.
Match Prediction:
Bolton to win 2-0 and start that climb towards whatever it is they are climbing towards.
Next Fixtures:
The reserves are at Chorley on Tuesday, the first team at Morecambe on Wednesday.