Bolton News

Frivolousness Is The New Black

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The club’s attempt to have Cahill’s red card rescinded, lazy southern journalism (again) and Shaggy and TMS speak.

Morning all. After yesterday`s lacklustre attempt at gaining sympathy (many thanks for the cards and grapes by the way) we are back to full fettle. So, we will kick off with a full and reasoned look at the club appealing Gary “Gaz” Cahill`s red card.

The chumps. While there is good reason to have a look at Baby Face Attwell`s overall performance, roundly labelled as “joke” “rubbish” “my mum could do better” “your mum has” etc.., one of the very few decisions he got right was the sending off. Sure, you can argue, yellow cards have been given for worse. Indeed, after Stefan`s attempt to kick Diaby into the stand, no cards have been given for worse. But red cards have been given for less and, unless there is a case for mistaken identity like AOB had pulled on a Gary Cahill mask and had played the game in his stead so Gary can start negotiating his multi million pound transfer to Inter, then there is a case to answer.

The FA will look at it, look at the fact that Baby Face didn`t do anything about Robinson`s tackle, take that into mitigation without telling anyone about it, and turn the appeal down. Then slap another game on top.

So far in the reign of St Owen Coyle there has nary been a misstep. This is the first. Of course, I may be proved wrong but if you remember that we are Bolton Wanderers, the dirtiest team since Leeds`s won the league in 1973, I`d be surprised if the FA don`t throw the FA rules book at us and then fine us for getting blood on it.

Anyway, whatever happens, hopefully it will draw a line under what can only be described as a fractious game, which is a shame after the relative thawing of relations between the clubs. Until the return game in April.

One hangover has been the national press going on about the “kickers” in the game again. The Guardian were at it yesterday, using Diaby as an example of the wronged footballer. Then, in an article in the Evening Standard with the title “Brutal Truth of Wilshere`s Lucky Escape“, Jason Cowley, who it turns out is the editor of the New Statesman, and read into that what you will, goes into a diatribe of such one eyedness you wonder if he has set foot outside the M25. Please find below the article in full:

I was at the Arsenal game on Saturday afternoon and watched, aghast, as a violent tackle by Bolton striker Kevin Davies left teenage midfielder Jack Wilshere prostrate and in agony. For a moment, it looked as if we were witnessing a repeat of what happened to Aaron Ramsey at Stoke last season, when his leg was broken by a horrific challenge from Ryan Shawcross. This time, Wilshere was lucky. The 18-year-old was soon up and mobile again, dictating play with his quick, neat passing. Elsewhere, Tottenham’s Luka Modric, one of my favourite players, was less fortunate: he was kicked out of the match against West Brom and it appeared that he had broken the same leg as he did last season ? fortunately X-rays revealed only bad bruising. It’s beginning to look as if the destroyers of the Premier League won’t be satisfied until gifted playmakers like Modric and Ramsey have been brutalised out of the game altogether.

Now, anybody who saw the West Brom – Spurs highlights will know that Modric injured himself tackling a West Brom player. So far, so wrong. Secondly, Wilshere had a quiet game on Saturday, which caused him to be substituted, the midfield play being dictated by Fabregas. Thirdly, if anyone watching the game can show me that SuperKev`s tackle was anything like Shawcross`s, I`ll give you a pony.(*) Yes it was a late tackle and SuperKev was rightly booked. But he didn`t go over the ball, his studs weren`t showing and he caught Little Jack in an unfortunate place. I don`t know where Mr Cowley was watching the game, but by the looks of what he saw, I`m sure it had a bar attached.

It`s funny how the article doesn`t mention the Robinson tackle on Diaby, but then if it did it would have to mention the two times that Diaby has put the foot into Bolton players. The Guardian call Diaby “tall but not intimidatingly physical, powerful but not concussively so“. I`m sure Ivan Campo and Gretar Steinsson would have something to say about that. And I`m sure Campo did, once his foot was put in plaster.

Elswhere, Shaggy and TMS have been talking about the Arsenal game and the mixed emotions that they felt. Shaggy had a good game, being kept busy before the sending off and busier after. He says:

I tried to do my best and keep the goals out because that is what I have to do. I had a decent game but you can never be happy when you concede four goals and lose the game.”

There wasn`t really a great deal that he could do about the four goals, although he may have gone down a bit too early when Song strolled through the defence for the third.

He should have a less stern test at Villa, who appear not the be able to stop people scoring against them at the moment. With TMS knocking them in, we may hope for another three points, which have never been easy to come by in the third city. Elmander himself says:

We now have to look to Aston Villa. I think we have a good chance of going there and getting a result if we continue like we have been playing.”

Hopefully he didn`t add “with ten men”.

JOB has been talking about his need to go out on loan to get his career back on track. It is interesting that no one has made an enquiry for him yet, but he does seem to be holding out for a Championship side.

I remember seeing Joey during his loan spell at Wednesday when I was at University. He certainly had the talent for that level at eighteen years old and if no Championship club comes in for him, it may be worthwhile looking at a club like Wednesday again who are towards the top of League One. Joey has a lot of work to do, and a lot of players in front of him, to get back into T`Trotters first team and he won`t do that, or get a new contract, by sitting in the reserves. He may become a wraith like The Badger, who unsubstantiated reports say has been seen manning one of the turnstiles at The Reebok.

And with that, we will close. Expect more frivolity, and possible frivolousness, tomorrow.



*This is a) not an actual pony and b) subject to you travelling to Bolivia to pick up the money from my good friend Carlos The Psycho.

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