Jermaine Beckford was brought in to start as many games as possible, wasn’t he?
There is no doubt Bolton Wanderers fans are craving a 20 goal a season striker. They`ve been without for several seasons mow, but only recently has the absence of one become both apparent and significant.
Indebted to teamwork, effort and individual talent, over a decade of successful top-flight endeavours haven`t necessitated a prolific poacher. Sharing the spoils throughout the team, or ‘goals from anywhere` has proved both successful and warranted for the Premiership paupers. Since Big Sam`s metal and matadors- coupled with the trapdoor exit from the Premier League- the dearth of a one-man scoring machine has shone like a beacon. A glare only intensified after over £7million was thrown at the light to diminish its glow.
Before the friendly game at the New York Stadium, I received an email from Vital Rotherham`s editor, asking me questions about Bolton Wanderers. (You can read it in full at Vital Rotherham from a couple of weeks ago). Most of the questions were easy to answer, only how I worded the reply was given any thought. There was one question, however, which had me stumped. He asked me, who was Bolton`s danger-man the Millers should watch out for?
Of course some names immediately sprung to mind, but none which came under the category of ‘danger-man`. Well, not to me anyway.
I ended up answering him with the names of our young/relatively young strike-force whom have yet to find their scoring boots. I told him, maybe one of them would begin their rise to stardom at the opening preseason game? Maybe one did?
It`s no secret Jermaine Beckford was brought to the Reebok Stadium this season to be the aforementioned goal-scorer extraordinaire. It`s also no secret Jermaine Beckford was brought to the Reebok Stadium- form and health permitting- to start as many games in the Championship this season as possible.
We`ve discussed the back-four personnel- last season and the most of this summer- until we are blue in the face. But whether we liked it or not, even before Beckford`s deal was rubber-stamped, we expected the ex-Foxes man to opn the Championship season in the starting eleven. But has Sordell`s pre-season performances earned the youngster the right to kick-off the new season?
This conundrum is a welcome migraine for our manager, but it may intensify even with an Anadin Extra. David Ngog and Tom Eaves are yet to feature and prove their worth. With Beckford wrapping his black cloak around the rest of the front men on our team, we`ve already glimpsed at what the spectre of competition has done for Sordell`s output. If Beckford`s arrival has the same effect on Ngog and Eaves this summer, who knows, Bolton may more than one 20 goal-getter this season on their books.