Guest post from Barney!
Hi all, guest article from Barney today. Think you`ll have to wait for my thoughts on Testimonial-gate until I`m certain it`s all over with that silly radio station! Enjoy?
These are two important words for life in general, and for football in particular. So, when it comes to assessing Bolton`s chances of success in this or any other season, those notions are right up there where it matters. By ‘success` this year, I obviously mean gaining that elusive sixth play-off spot and going on from there, to win promotion back to the Premier League.
Indulge me for a moment, while I reminisce…..Go back to early 2011. Expectation at Bolton was riding fairly high. Then suddenly, Stuart Holden was injured, and out of the team. We saw an immediate change in Bolton`s fortunes. From being a fairly confident bunch of lads, playing some decent stuff; getting amongst the goals and putting points on the board, the team almost fell apart. Over the next eighteen months, Owen Coyle appeared impotent to improve matters and reality set in.
He did sign two new strikers, Ngog and Sordell, and once again expectation grew amongst the fans. From the middle of last season, they waited expectantly for them to appear and bang in some goals. They did neither! Why? Mainly, because they didn`t even play…..Ngog did get some game time when he first arrived, but mostly he just warmed the bench. The way Sordell was not utilized at all, was particularly shocking. Yet, he was still being picked for his country. Again, the reality didn`t match our expectation!
I know we are not privy to the internal machinations within our football club or any other, for that matter, but all this was hard to fathom. Surely, everyone appreciates that playing for ten minutes, every other game is useless! No one can be successful in a system like that! Neither Ngog nor Sordell was given a proper run or decent chance to bed themselves in and get up to speed. Look at the general improvement in Pratley, since Dougie Freedman showed a bit of confidence in him and played him more regularly. The same could also be said for Alonso. It`s hardly rocket science!
Now, we are where we are. A new management team is in place and slowly trying to pull things round. Initially, reality went through the window. People believed ‘it would be alright now`. But, as we have seen, it`s not that easy! On the surface, nothing changed. As far as I could see, the team was still not playing well. Yes, they were picking up points here and there, but without breaking any pots. Few of us thought that promotion was a possibility. Expectation dissipated quickly. They were stuck in that 16 – 18th position for a hell of a long time. Fans were losing hope of seeing a real improvement in form…. And then, we signed Craig……Dawson that is! And everything changed, including that word – ‘expectation`!
He seemed to be the catalyst we needed! The defence tightened up! Mid-field got a grip! I wish I could say the strikers started finding the net, but they didn`t! Importantly, Dawson did! We stuck in there, ground out some results, and had some luck as well for a change. The fans got behind the team more. The groundswell of confidence and then hope, flourished as the team went on its eight- game unbeaten run. There was light at the end of the tunnel! The bright lights of the Premier League beckoned!
My glass is half-empty, as a rule. I tend to look on the black side. But my heart can still rule my head when it comes to football. I cling to the hope that our ‘easier` run in, might just make the difference. But it`s still a big, big ask! Expectation is growing rapidly, despite Ipswich, and now realistically, it can be done. The manager insists we can go on another long winning run and I have every faith in him. I`m sure the players are inspired by the management team and believe they can do it. They only need a sniff and they`ll go for it! And we`ll be right behind them! Come on lads! Give it your best shot and let`s see where it leads us! We can in reality expect no less!