Bolton Wanderers On Tour

Between August 2005 and August 2007, wrinkly, crinkly, overaged and overhere rockers, The Rolling Stones, went on a 147 show tour, bringing in $558,255,524. Somewhere along the line Keith fell out off a cocunut tree and Mick did what Mick normally does.

Well, welcome one and all to the Bolton Wanderers version of a Bigger Bang. Ten games in little over a month, spanning two continents. More pre season games than you can shake the proverbial stick at and already one more than last pre season.

After taking in the delights of the US Deep South and a quick stop in Canada, the team will be camping out on the M6 with trips to Rochdale, Morecambe, Fleetwood and Fylde. Falkirk and St. Johnstone will also be visited, so St Owen can go and see his gran, before Osasuna come to the Reebok the obligatory home game against European opposition.

The manager has been quoted as saying that he wants the squad to get as much game time in before the start of the season. This is fair enough. But with respect to Charlotte, Charleston, Fleetwood and Fylde, I cannot really see the point of playing lower league teams to get an idea of what you are wanting the team to do. I would suspect that the team will play well enough against professional opposition for the manager to gauge where he needs to work on. I would think that some of the youth squad would be played against the non-league sides but you aren’t going to get better playing against inferior teams, no matter what your age. Bolton are an established Premier League side and should be looking at top League One or Championship sides to pit their wits against, not cannon fodder. Simply banging in goals against teams that cannot test our sometimes shaky defence gives you the wrong kind of confidence, an over confidence, that can come back and slap you in the face come mid August. I cannot remember the last time Bolton played decent English opposition in pre season but I don’t believe man had discovered iron by then.

Not much in the way of transfer talk today. The di Santo gossip is being repeated and Cahill to Arsenal is still doing the rounds but that is really it. I don’t think I need to repeat myself from yesterday.

In other news, The Times Online World Cup Podcast names Lee Chung-Yong as South Korea’s player to watch, which reminds me that I have to start collecting my wallcharts for every room in the house, and the legendary Frank Worthington is down at the Arena on Saturday doing a cookery roadshow before his appearance on next Thursday’s Come Dine with Me alongside Fat Mike’s Strike Partner in England’s Worst XI, Razor Ruddock and Carlton Palmer. Expect recipes with excessive amounts of alcohol being presented by loads of classy birds.

The weekend beckons, when we will return.