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Bolton Wanderers Player Review 2009-10: Part 3

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The Strike Farce Force

9. Johan Elmander Played 32 Scored 5 Yellow Cards 2 Red Cards 0 Rating 5.5
Will he be at the Reebok next season: 25% certain yes

It would be easy to draw a veil over the Misfiring Swede’s contribution to the team, but he was bought as a striker and ten goals from sixty three appearances tells its own story. He has the ability to score, his goal for Sweden against Wales proved that much, but he has proved to be a square peg in a round hole since he came. With the manager chasing strikers and Danny Ward banging them in for fun at Swindon, the only thing that will keep Elmander at the club is another club not meeting our valuation. The fact that he wasn’t in the final squad should pretty much tell you all you need to know.

14. Kevin Davies Played 42 Scored 9 Yellow Cards 10 Red Cards 0 Rating 7.0
Will he be at the Reebok next season: 100% yes

Not the captain’s best season but moving from one system to another would have been difficult for the talisman of Megson’s tactics. He did, however, manage to top the club’s goalscoring for the second season in a row and brought, as always, more to the team than goals. It would be difficult to imagine Bolton Wanderers without SuperKev, the best captain since Gudni, but it will be interesting to see just who the manager brings in to partner him and what particular role in that partnership he has.

17. Ivan Klasnić Played 32 Scored 8 Yellow Cards 4 Red Cards 0 Rating 7.0
Will he be at the Reebok next season: 50/50

A folk hero who has come through more adversity than a normal human being should have to go through, the goal against Everton early on in the season epitomised his character. Poleaxed one minute, scoring the next. He has fitness issues and being sympathetic to his medical problems is one thing, but sympathy in football doesn’t last long and it is performances that count. He certainly knows where the goal is, most of his shots being on target and if he returns he may score more with the team playing expansive football. Also gobbed at John Terry before the furore, so is obviously a good judge of character.

Others:
33. Danny Ward. Played a couple of games before being farmed out on loan to Swindon where he has scored nine goals en route to the play off final. Let’s not forget he is only 18 years old, so if he is the future of our strike force it won’t be next season and it will be dependent on who comes in (and who leaves) whether he plays a part next season. The best idea would be to wait until just before the window shuts and send him off on loan if he isn’t needed to a Championship club, or, if they don’t go up, back to Swindon where they love him, apparently.






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