Bolton News

Now, Don’t Go Upsetting Yourself Dear

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You Know What It Does To Your Blood Pressure

Morning all. It looks like we`re moving from one season to another quicker than expected. Gales are forecast and squally showers will follow. If it feels like you`re living somewhere between Cromarty and German Bight, it`s because it`s the Autumn, it`s time to put away the BBQ`s and bring out the roll neck jumpers.

Talking of gales, and if you think that there are times that I just can`t think of a link to an opening so I`ll mention the weather to get one in you`d be right, a storm of opprobrium came crashing down on the Bolton boards overnight over the non selection of our own Gary “Gaz” Cahill by the England manager. Many fans think that Capello should be ashamed of himself. In fact, I believe there are some Bolton fans with flaming torches and pitchforks halfway down the M6 as we speak, hoping to cut off the England flight before it gets into Luton.

Let me make one thing clear. I am not happy that he didn`t get his cap. He played well on Friday and certainly did enough to deserve to keep his place. But there are a large number of factors that make the decision that the England manager made a reasonable one and it is possibly a sign that he isn`t that bad a manager, regardless of what Steve Claridge thinks. If what Steve Claridge does could be thought of as thinking..

First of all there is the fact that Lescott (or as we shall call him, Mr Worf) is a more experienced international defender than Cahill. Now, I know that you can`t get international experience unless you play at international level, but this was a game that, if won, would pretty much secure England their progress to the European Championship Finals ten months early. A defeat of your closest rivals on top of a defeat of the third strongest country in the group would appear to have seen the national team home and hosed.

Would Cahill have done as good a job as Worf last night? Yes, probably. But look at it this way. If Bolton were playing a game that would define our season and our front three central defenders were out, would you play Sam Ricketts, who can and has played there, or Mark Connolly, who certainly has the ability but is untested in a game of that magnitude? You simply would not risk it.

Secondly, Worf and Jagielka formed a pretty solid defensive partnership before the former took the money and ran to Eastlands. Gaz and Jags have played approximately half an hour together. Worf and Jags played a full season. You need that familiarity, which is why, even though these pages don`t like it, Rio and Terry will be back. They know each other and complement each other. Sometimes in a good way.

I`m not suggesting for one second that Lescott is a better defender that Cahill, far from it. He may be class when he wants to be, but Lescott`s career has been littered with times when he has been less than class. There is a reason why he has been shunted out to the left hand side by Citeh and even then only on occasion. He is not a long term prospect like his partner last night and Cahill are.

And yes, Capello did say that he would pick on form rather than on history. But that story has long since flown the nest and to rely on it as an argument is as old as Robbie Blake. You simply cannot pick an international team on form. Sure, if someone is having a mare of a season and can`t kick straight then you drop them, but I don`t see anyone clamouring for the inclusion of Andy Carroll just because he`s scored four goals. Who`s next? Kevin Nolan?

Cahill`s time will come, the press will make sure of that. Whether it comes as a Bolton player who is suddenly worth another £2.5million is anyone`s guess. The probability will be that it won`t. Maybe we should revel in the fact that he won a cap with us, which is something we didn`t see happening two years ago.

So, to the ever ongoing story of Danny Ward and his loan move to quite possibly every single Championship club. He has signed a new deal, which can only be a good thing and shows that St Owen sees a future for the player.

Speaking of the loan move he said:

There have been numerous clubs throughout the Championship that have been after him, so it is likely that he will go out on loan in the next week or so.”

I really wish that they would get a damn move on. Him going out on loan has been dragging on longer than a public law text book, and take it from me that`s long. Every week he will be going out in a week or so. Coventry, Watford, Leeds and Swindon are just some of the clubs that were linked with him yesterday, never mind the past month, and now Doncaster have thrown their hat into the ring. Will someone please just loan him because I`m having difficulty finding the proper news on News Now in between all the Danny Ward rubbish.

Personally, I like the idea of Doncaster, a small club who have been underestimated every year that they have been in The Championship and they have an excellent manager in Sean O`Driscoll who has managed to make gold from straw. Not that I`m comparing him to a hobgoblin or anything. They need someone to play alongside Billy Sharp and Ward could be that man.

The manager has also been having a wordabout Rodrigo, who was unveiled yesterday, and has also been talking up the striking options. It is quite impressive to say that all of Bolton`s strikers have scored at least one goal already this season, although, in the long run, we need at least two of them to break double figures.

The skipper has been magnificent for me from day one, Johan has shown that he is really up for the task, Ivan Klasnic has been injured but we have him to come back in and Robbie Blake has shown that he is prepared to step up and has that quality. Rodrigo will add to that, which is great, and hopefully we can now add that cutting edge.’

Rodrigo also talked about his first days at the club and his hopes for the season. And the fact that Bolton isn`t Madrid, Lisbon or the Copacabana.

Obviously it will take a few weeks to settle into everything because there is a lot for me to get used to like the climate and new methods of training but I think everything will come together in the best possible way.’

He also mentions the forthcoming games and says:

There`s no doubt that the teams we are playing are very tough, but we have to trust ourselves because we all know what we can do.’

Tough game? Tough game? Ahhh?he must be talking about our old friends The Arse. Whilst cordial relations have broken out between the teams in the past year, which is primarily to do with the loan of Wilshere, you can`t help but think that Arsenal fans views of Bolton won`t have really changed that much. I`m not basing this on anything, but you know how much they hate being told they don`t like it up them and rise to the bait every single time.

Early team news suggests that Nasri may play some part, but Walcott looked dodgy when he came off last night and Van Percy’s ankles couldn`t stand up to Big Sam`s brutes a couple of weeks ago saving our defenders a job.
Only joking Arsenal fans. He wouldn`t have got past the midfield.

It`s going to be a funny few days.
Until tomorrow, have a good day today.

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