Different Competition, Same Bolton

Well, that’s us not winning a fifth FA Cup then…

Bolton went out of the FA Cup at the first time of asking for the second successive season, as we fell to a 3-2 defeat against Crewe.

Firstly, the result isn’t exactly a disaster – a cup run is nice but not the end of the world, and it could be argued that we lost by a single goal to a team in a higher league. But the result alone doesn’t tell the whole story, and there was plenty about the match those who paid their tenner to watch could be banging their heads at.

Firstly, the defending. Ricardo Santos said after the match that a team shouldn’t be scoring twice and losing the game. Yet that’s what we’ve done for the second time against Crewe this season alone. The central defenders didn’t do badly themselves but there are yet more questions of Billy Crellin, with seemingly no alternative, again a substitute goalkeeper wasn’t named on the bench, while Crewe were able to get behind the wing backs. We now need to seriously consider getting Matt Gilks up to speed, it’s not ideal parachuting your goalkeeper coach in, but it’s getting to the point now where you wonder what good it’s doing Crellin to continue playing him week in, week out.

Further forward, with a still-recovering Tom White and a back injury-stricken Antoni Sarcevic, we struggled to create much going forward – only managing five attempts all afternoon. The only ones that were on target at least were both converted, with Nathan Delfouneso’s finish for the first absolutely superb.

For once Wanderers have a full week off now, or at least nearly a week – Salford visit on Friday, what will Ian Evatt change? Anything?