Can we win? Can we score? Next stop on this nightmare start to the season is Villa Park, where we take on an Aston Villa side that had started the season slowly, but winning their last three, they`re starting to show a bit of why they were pre-season promotion candidates, and thrashed Burton at their own place on Tuesday. Great, Just great.
Vital Quotes:
“We know we have got to get results, we completely understand. Supporters will always feel down when their team has been beaten but you want to be in my shoes, I promise, I feel it just as badly.”
Phil Parkinson in the Bolton News
Aston Villa Team News:
Young striker Keinan Davis will be looked at ahead of the game, with Josh Onomah and Scott Hogan both able to come in if needed. Mile Jedinak has had a groin injury and may be out. Andre Green and Jack Grealish are both definitely out with injuries.
Player to watch: Albert Adomah
Adomah has been in great form recently, which has been timed with Villa`s improvement. He has been finding the net with regularity, scoring four goals in the last three games.
Bolton Wanderers Team News:
Sammy Ameobi is unlikely to start the game again, Adam Armstrong could come back into the squad after being left out in midweek, Stephen Darby and Will Buckley have been training so could come back into contention, as could Ben Alnwick after a re-occurrence of his neck injury. Jem Karacan is back from suspension, but Filipe Morais will be on the naughty step after his red card in midweek. Josh Vela and Derik remain on the longer-term injury list.
Player to watch: Mark Howard
It could be a long afternoon for whoever is in goal. Howard came back in on Tuesday night after Alnwick wasn`t fit enough, and while some grumbled he put in a good performance, keeping the score down, like in fairness Alnwick did on Saturday. Whoever gets the nod will have to be on it.
Match Facts & Stats
This is Bolton`s first trip to Villa Park since April 2012, when David N`Gog and Martin Petrov scored in a 2-1 comeback win, after Stephen Warnock, who would play for us the following season, scored the opener.
Aston Villa have come into some form, winning the last three, have been unbeaten in seven league games, while their only home defeat has come to Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup.
If Bolton fail to score tomorrow, it will be seven league games without a goal. The record is 11 games.
Match Prediction:
I can`t see an improvement in our fortunes. Expect another blank. I`ll try and be reasonably positive and go for 1-0 defeat.
Next Fixtures:
Good news everyone! We can`t lose next week as its international football time. After the week off, we have back-to-back home games against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR.