HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday evening’s game at Portman Road by delving into their forums.

“Let’s be brutally honest. Results have been nothing short of appalling”, “We need a miracle. I bet the rest of the league are licking their lips when they see us as an opponent”, “I’m delighted we are relying on ‘fingers crossed’, a well proven method of escaping a relegation zone”, “Sad days indeed.”

“This is a terrible state of affairs.” Saturday evening’s draw in the Lancashire derby at Preston saw the Trotters’ winless run stretch to eight games. Although this point lifted them two places off the bottom of the table, fans are anxious after seeing a succession of points dropped in winnable games.

“It’s safe to say we are at a point where expectations are at their lowest”, “We are a rudderless ship heading for the rocks”, “It increasingly looks as it any silver linings have disappeared”, “We are a shambles”, “The place stinks of relegation. We need inspiration from somewhere pretty quick.”

“Cynicism reigns supreme”, “All joking aside, this hurts. We talk about the Third and Fourth Divisions at times with a slightly romantic view. The reality was that it was miserable, but we were in town with our mates so it was bearable. The Third Division at the Macron has nothing going for it.”

“Some of the football I have seen us play has been pretty horrible and by that I mean a seeming lack of any plan or idea about how we are actually going to score”, “A team of journeymen with a light sprinkling of talent”, “I had high hopes for Neil Lennon but I just can’t see us getting another win.”

Neil Lennon

“Would you blame Neil Lennon if he walked?” Most Trotters are solidly behind their manager and are quick the blame the circumstances he inherited for their current plight. “I still back him to find his feet and turn things around. It’s just that we will have to be very patient with him.”

“Give Lennon some space and let him try and sort this mess out in his own time. If we go down, it’s because we were badly managed over the last five years, leaving us with no money and a pack of donkeys”, “He is undoubtedly struggling with the situation but we should stick with him.”

“Lennon needs time but someone needs to take him to one side and tell him to stop messing and pick a settled side in a settled shape so that everyone knows what they are doing.” The minority of critical fans want to see evidence of a longer-term plan coming together on the pitch.

“Lennon doesn’t have a specific style of play he prefers or a type of player he likes. He is as bad tactically as any manager we have had for a long time and he recently found Dougie Freedman’s bingo machine in the cupboard and has recently started using that for picking the side.”

Formation

“Hopefully people will stop saying we are just a goalscorer away from being mid-table. The entire squad has a problem”, “We have no shape, organisation or clear tactics week in, week out”, “It feels like we’re just fumbling for a plan, trying something different every week until something clicks.”

“The midfield diamond was a bit better but is still not great. Any improvement is good though.” The Trotters used this formation on Saturday at Preston (above) and in the previous game against Leeds to provide a solid platform. “The passing was atrocious but at least the defence has looked solid.”

With the midfield too narrow and players still seemingly struggling to develop a passing rhythm, fans have complained that the team have been reduced to playing long ball football. “We seem to have no idea how to pass from the back and are hoofing the ball to the strikers all the time.”

“We had a system that offered no width, with a right winger up front, a centre-half at right-back and a lack of discernible shape to our play”, “I literally have no idea what we are aiming for now. I don’t know how Lennon sees us playing or what sort of shape or style of football we are trying.”

“When we break, our midfielders seem too scared to cross the halfway line and our full-backs rarely overlap. The space between forwards and midfield is huge and we play with our backs to goal”, “We offer nothing in the middle or up top which means we are just inviting pressure on to ourselves.”

Leadership and Confidence

“There is also a big problem with the lack of character in the side”, “We need an old hand who has been there and don’t it to take the team through difficult times in games and help manage them. That type of experience wins you games and we lack that big time.”

Bolton lost 4-3 at Loftus Road last month having been 2-0 ahead and some fans have highlighted the lack of fight in the team at times. “We have no pressure on the ball and are very easy to play against, lots of space wide and in central midfield. Teams have to do very little to get to the final third.”

“We don’t have a leader on the pitch or a player who can take a game by the scruff of the neck when things get tough”, “It was worrying that when Leeds came out on top at the start of the second half we didn’t have the nous to keep hold of the ball, slow the game down or kill the momentum.”

“It’s not just a striker we need. It’s a backbone”, “We are so predictable to play against”, “We are still too naïve in this league. We don’t exaggerate fouls, obstruct opponents or create enough space with clever fouls. I’m not saying I like to see it in the game but every other team is doing it.”

Preston 0 - 0 Bolton

“Did somebody make Sky show that?”, “I’m behind the goal and it is really clear how much space Preston have. A goal could change everything but it is dire”, “Two abysmal sides when in possession of the ball. Both could go down”, “Where’s the wine?” “We were horrific but so were Preston.”

“That was truly mundane tonight.” In a game lacking goalmouth action, one incident which could have proved pivotal was the yellow card handed to Preston defender Calum Woods for a trip on Max Clayton when through on goal. Many Trotters were angry that he was not dismissed.

“I sat down at home with a pint hoping for a rip-roaring Lancashire derby. I left after 55 minutes to fix the light in the garage and put the washing on”, “We were competitive but lacking any attacking composure or quality”, “Two terrible sides in one of the dullest games I have ever endured.”

“Anyone who managed to watch that full game deserves a medal”, “We are lumping it forward too often”, “Can we not play it on the ground rather than constant long hopeless balls? It’s so frustrating”, “Long balls are probably our best option. We are very poor with the ball on the deck.”

Bolton 1 - 1 Leeds

“I am very happy that we showed character and toughed out a draw”, “The result is simply not enough. Leeds were dreadful and being unable to win games like this at home is worrying. We lacked width and didn’t come out after half-time. If was as if everyone just decided to stop playing.”

Wanderers took the lead when October signing Shola Ameobi struck home on 32 minutes following a corner. The visitors equalised from the penalty spot on 71 minutes after Mirco Antenucci was fouled by Prince Gouano on a counter-attack with the defender dismissed for this challenge.

“We truly are rough to watch and the players are just awful”, “A point is a point but it feels slightly disappointing after taking the lead in a good first half performance”, “In truth it was an improvement on the nadir that was the Birmingham game, small mercies but still worth having.”

Bolton 0 - 1 Birmingham

“Look at the difference between Birmingham and us. We have literally gone in opposite directions from a similar starting position and a similar budget”, “The most tepid uninspiring performance I have seen at home for a long time”, “Are we back where we were à la Freedman?”

“I’m sorry to report that Paul Robinson headed in from three yards.” The visitors won under the lights at the Macron when the former Wanderers centre-back stole in at the back post to head home a freekick on 20 minutes. The manner of the defeat left many Trotters downcast.

“That was absolutely sickening to go through and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone”, “We made them look very good. Birmingham just did the simple things very well, passing and moving into space. We often relied on the up-field punt”, “Get ready for the lower tier, compañeros. We are going down.”

“Anyone still think we won’t go down?”, “We had absolutely no shape, plan or tempo. We play negative slow boring football. No wonder we don’t score many goals. It is absolutely turgid. I am seriously worried now”, “We had two immobile lumps up front and a clueless nine behind them.”

Defence

“The defenders who can run are absolutely great but they do something daft which costs us points. The centre-backs who cannot run create so much discomfort that the midfielders drop deep and the full-backs don’t want to cross halfway for fear of a ball into the channel not being swept up.”

“We are lucky to have Ben Amos”, “He kept us in the Birmingham game. Without his saves it could have been a lot worse.” The 25-year-old summer signing from Manchester United “made several cracking saves”, “He is very much in profit and has saved us on a number of occasions this season.”

“Amos is a bright goalkeeper and kicks well. He relieved pressure late on against Leeds spotting Ameobi free on the left wing and the massive kick exactly where he wanted put the pressure back on Leeds”, “Nobody wanted the ball from him against Birmingham so he had so resort to the hoof.”

“Derik Osede is a decent footballer but not a right-back.” The 22-year-old ex-Real Madrid B centre-back “didn’t know where Demarai Gray was most of the time against Birmingham”, “He looked like a mistake waiting to happen against Preston, playing some sort of ‘spot the invisible ball’ game.”

“Derik just isn’t a right-back. Defensively his positional play is poor but more importantly he hangs his midfielder out to dry. He gives him the ball and leaves him to it against two or three players. He has no interest in an overlap”, “His distribution is poor, mainly because he is playing out of position.”

“I enjoyed Francesco Pisano’s energy and challenges when he came on against Preston.” Trotters are divided over the 29-year-old right-back signed from Cagliari this summer. “He needs to get up to speed, closing his marker down quicker and stopping crosses coming in from such dangerous spots.”

Trotters are far happier with left-back Jose Manuel Casado. The 29-year-old August signing from Almeria “is exactly what we need right now, someone with a bit of passion fighting for everything and someone who cares”, “I like Casado. He is a natural ball player who can pick a pass out.”

“I like what I have seen of Casado. He may be a bit raw but I don’t mind that”, “Casado is a feisty little so-and-so”, ”He is a right little git”, “I reckon he’s the best passer we have”, “He’s a good brave strong lad, excellent on the ball but (and it’s a big but) he doesn’t seem to stop crosses coming in.”

“I can’t see this team winning another game with Dorian Dervite at the back.” The 27-year-old ex-Charlton centre-back “was decent when we were decent last season but looks like a walking red card when he plays now”, “He plays like he doesn’t care about the result and has always been a liability.”

“We don’t need a midfield when Dervite is obsessed with booting it long and hoping”, “His use of the ball is poor”, “Andre Gray’s pace showed him up against Burnley”, “When he came on after Gouano’s red card against Leeds, it was inviting them on to a defence which was hardly steadfast.”

David Wheater

“David Wheater had one of his better games against Preston, solidly clogging and heading.” The 28-year-old ex-Middlesbrough centre-half “was colossal throughout the game”, “We lack a leader at the back whenever Wheater isn’t there”, “He was man of the match and looked class against Burnley.”

“Wheater seems to get slower by the week.” Some fans worry about his lack of pace. “He worries me. He turns like a cruise ship and constantly tugs shirts. He all too often relies on last-gasp tackles to save previous errors caused by his slowness or poor positioning.”

Midfield

“Our midfield is poor. We don’t create enough and cannot balance holding the centre and getting players forward so we do one or the other”, “The Leeds game showed why we cannot play 4-4-2. We are always outnumbered in midfield”, “We were being overrun in midfield by Birmingham.”

“I still wish we had an affordable beast of a midfield destroyer”, “I’m not sure we need a beast, just someone who can lead the team and get them organised”, “I can’t help wishing we had a Jason McAteer figure, someone who would shield the defence and then drive us forward.”

“I still can’t make my mind up on Josh Vela. At worst he waltzes around doing nothing and thinks he is better than he is, alternatively he is a steady Eddie in midfield who helps things tick over.” The 21-year-old holding midfielder or right-back “reads the game better than anyone else in our midfield.”

“Vela is one of the few who isn’t flustered on the ball”, “He made quite a few misplaced passes by his standards against Preston”, “Josh gives us an extra dimension going forward”, “The lad needs to decide what he is. He can pass a ball but he doesn’t get stuck in and is not a defensive midfielder.”

“Neil Danns offers nothing other than the occasional tackle and is consistently in no-man’s land.” The 32-year-old ex-Leicester man “dives in all the time”, “He is just a headless chicken, all effort but absolutely no quality and he is continually caught in possession in dangerous areas.”

“Jay Spearing is doing his bit”, “We bossed the Burnley game until Spearing went off.” The 26-year-old one-time Liverpool midfielder was substituted on 36 minutes at Turf Moor with a leg injury. “He looked a good player, breaking things up and pushing us forward but we fell apart when he got injured.”

“Spearing is a top bloke”, “He would be in the side ahead of Danns for me”, “The same back four as at Preston and Spearing to also start at Ipswich please”, “He showed again at Preston why he is our best defensive midfielder and looked the player most likely to create something.”

Former Wolves man Mark Davies missed the Preston game with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old “is our shining light but because of our disjointed understaffed midfield he has to play too far back”, “He is still being asked to play in a midfield two where he is far less effective than in a three.”

“When we haven’t got Mark Davies we have no ball carriers”, “When Spearing went off against Burnley, Davies came on and we were wide open with Burnley controlling the game”, “Davies is our only decent player but he is played out of position and too deep where he can’t hurt teams.”

Darren Pratley

“Why on earth is Pratley captain? He is far too casual and looks so slow and unfit it is like he never trains”, “He is far too quiet and has reverted to the poor player he was for two years”, “Will he stop hiding? He is simply not the midfielder to play in a two-man central pairing in a 4-4-2.”

“Darren Pratley seems to have morphed back into the one-paced plodder he was under Freedman.” The 30-year-old ex-Swansea man was criticised in his role on the left of the diamond at Preston. “I had no idea what his role was. We might as well have played with 10 men and he was the captain.”

“There was a huge gap on the left of our midfield which thankfully Preston did not exploit”, “Their player had 30 yards of space. If they were anything we would have been battered”, “The space they had down our left was frightening”, “Pratley was the worst player on the pitch, static and clueless.”

Liam Feeney

“Liam Feeney should never play in the striking role. Danns put him through against Leeds and he just stood there”, “We have seen him not working as a striker several times this season”, “He is our top scorer from cutting in from the flank and not from a forward position where he has been poor.”

“It’s a big ask to play him as a striker as he struggles to stay onside and is not a natural finisher.” The 28-year-old ex-Millwall man normally operates on the right flank. “All our crosses come from our right. That is not because opposition left-backs are poor, it’s because he is our one idea.”

“We are completely reliant on giving the ball to Feeney and hoping something happens and it never will, He is the victim of being our only out-ball”, “For all the stick he gets, everything goes to our right and that is not his doing”, “He isn’t great but he works hard and we have no alternatives right now.”

Strikers

“The problem is that shopping in the bargain basement for strikers buys you Gary Madine, Stephen Dobbie and an ex-England international whose best days were 15 years ago. That is what our manager has to work with”, “Emile Heskey and Madine won’t score if they play all week.”

“Heskey has done nothing”, “I got the feeling that the Birmingham game proved that Emile Heskey can’t do it any more and that is the reason we signed Shola Ameobi.” The 37-year-old ex-Villa man has really struggled to make an impact this season. “He is sadly well past his sell-by date now.”

“Max Clayton looks lost in this side when he plays. He takes up good positions and wants the ball but the midfielders are 15 yards too deep and the strikers may as well be sat down having circle time.” The 21-year-old ex-Crewe man “needs to start in the number 10 role as he has great movement”.

Some feel Clayton is being under-utilised. “He made a few decent runs and created space against Preston but we were so bad at getting the ball to him”, “The few times we did get him in behind the Birmingham defence was our best play. He makes good runs but we rarely find him or look for him.”

“There is no goal flood to come from Gary Madine. We don’t create many chances and he needs about six to hit the target”, “His biggest threat is with his head but we have wingers who cannot cross”, “He won five times more headers than Ameobi in the 15 minutes he had at Preston.”

“He really is poor. You sign that rubbish as your main striker and you end up in one place.” The 25-year-old “is one of the poorest players I have seen. Didn’t Sheffield Wednesday fans tell us just that?”, “He drifts all over the pitch to get the ball so that there is nobody in the box.”

Shola Ameobi

“Shola, take a bow”, “Some goals are more important than others.” The 34-year-old ex-Newcastle striker replaced Madine early in the Leeds game and scored before the break. “The bright spot was the difference Ameobi made. Even though he is as fit as me, he showed what his quality can create.”

“Ameobi was seriously exhausted midway through the second half and we had no threat against Leeds otherwise.” He is still building match fitness. “He showed he can create. He’s no world beater but grafted hard, chasing back to win one late tackle and he was a presence defending set-pieces.”

“Shola showed a good touch at Preston, got his foot in a fair few times and did what was needed, smacking the ball when the chance appeared”, “We looked much better with his ideas and movement”, “He gave his all and led the line a hell of a lot better than Heskey has this season.”

Trotters’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Is anybody bothering to go? A few of us are going over from London but I imagine this will be our lowest turnout of the season”, “Horrible club, horrible town, horrible beer and horrible people. There is no quick way of getting to Ipswich either”, I can't see myself ever going to Ipswich again.”

“Been once, it is horrid. I supped in a disgusting freezing boozer facing the station and a snooker club, and we got beat.”

“That probably sums up my feelings about the place but can't let it go without adding Barry Knight, ****er of all the ****s”, “It’s like a dagger to the heart”, “It still shocks me the state of that man’s performance.”

Apart from an increasingly gloomy parade of reminiscences and the inevitable references to the 2000 play-off semi-final, there has been little said about Tuesday’s game. I will update the forum and link this on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon if there is any additional comment worth feeding back.

Websites

The busiest Wanderers forum is Wanderers Ways and additional informative discussion can be found at The Wanderer.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

Carberry added 11:09 - Nov 2 Do they mean us?
1

Steve_M added 11:17 - Nov 2 Good to see they are still blubbing 15 years on. Hopefully the tens of Bolton fans turning up tomorrow will be blubbing some more afterwards.
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StowTractorBoy added 11:41 - Nov 2 Usual sour remarks from Bolton fans. Where would you rather live Ipswich or Bolton and at least we play in our Town and not miles outside. Really hope they do go down - miserable fans, a retail park football ground in the middle of nowhere and supporters still moaning when our play off win was so deserved. Bolton were animals that wonderful night. God I hope we win Tuesday night.

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Bluebell added 11:45 - Nov 2 Thanks Harry. A great read as always. The don't think much about us do they? "Horrible club, horrible town, horrible beer and horrible people." Let's hope this is the start to our winning run and we thrash them!
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LankHenners added 12:09 - Nov 2 What pleasant people. You'd have thought 15 years would be ample enough time to put things behind you - clearly not. Surely this has got to be our first win? Beside the fact we seem to become 10 times better on a Tuesday night at home, they really seem like a side in complete disarray. At least with us you can see that with some real confidence, we could start to look like a good team again. It could be a horrible scrappy one if they're playing poorly and we don't have the confidence to have a proper go at them, but I'd like to think we have enough to outscore them at the very least, even if it's just by 1 goal to 0.

4

theipswichman added 12:23 - Nov 2 The comments at the end are hilarious, it makes their position even funnier. Looking forward to seeing Bolton in league 1, we may be in bad form but at least were not Bolton.
4

JimmyJazz added 12:54 - Nov 2 So they are rubbish - 0-0 on the cards then. I actually think we'll sneak a 1-0, which hopefully will lead to better things for us in the weeks to come
1

IpswichT62OldBoy added 13:02 - Nov 2 Excellent job Harry, a very impressive piece of work. I have a very fond memory of Town pinching a 1 nil win in the 91st minute at Bolton shortly after Mick took over.
4

NSL added 14:08 - Nov 2 LOL! I was in Cologne of all places watching the Norwich playoff second leg in an empty Irish bar. Empty, that is, until a Bolton fan came in exactly when Berra got sent off. All I heard in my ear was 'Karma this is, Karma'. Barry Knight this, Barry Knight that . . . . . . That was a dagger to the heart I tell you!
2

TR11BLU added 14:39 - Nov 2 So they cant score but are reasonable in defence, 0-0 then......... If we cannot beat these comfortably, it really is season over. Great read as ever Harry.
4

Seasider added 16:40 - Nov 2 Lets hope we don't set up to try and negate Bolton,because surely after reading that should really go at them;or am I expecting too much from a McCarthy team.
4

therein61 added 17:34 - Nov 2 We will be set up for nil if Mick sticks with his ridiculous selection policy and just hope they do not have the cheek to score(mind you they are a bloody good side Mick so you have to be careful!!!!) if we do not get 3 points then I'm afraid it's time for the taxi you have done a great job since joining until the last two months when you have lost all sense of reason(re selection)and the plot what the hell are you doing big man???? our great togetherness so apparent in the last 2 seasons and first month of this one has visibly gone downhill fast and the dressing room cannot be a happy one, this big man is down to you and you only!!!!!!!!

0

Cloddyseedbed added 18:19 - Nov 2 No money and a pack of Donkeys!! Great quote, it could apply to both teams.
0

Portman51 added 18:33 - Nov 2 HennersITFC..... I feel much the same about Aston Villa and that was nearly 35 years ago. Having seen them lose to us on the last day in 1962 is some consolation, as is their current predicament. Pity about ours though.
0

therein61 added 18:42 - Nov 2 It's an effin sight harder being a Town at the minute and that is all I'm interested in sod any other team(mind you the opposition have entertained me more recently) I want to see something worth shouting about from our boys I am going to make yet another 400+ mile round trip to witness another point gained at home!!!!
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Umros added 07:20 - Nov 3 I can't see you ever coming to Ipswich again either............bye bye Bolton, League 1, best of bad luck with that!!!!! Barry Knight......Zzzzzzzzzzzz
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steve_mcalls_teeth added 13:35 - Nov 3 15 years on and they still havent got over it. It was a victory for the footballing world, better quality players winning out over thugs. The Bolton gameplan from minute one was to kick us off the park. Why the big surprise that they had men sent off and conceded penalties? Your gameplan failed and youve just got to accept it! Plus anything that goes against BF Sam Allardyce and Dean Holdsworth is a tonic to the heart of every living being.... Ive just called Barry Knight and he says hes up for refereeing tonights game....

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bournemouthblue added 13:42 - Nov 3 You can't but help thinking their views are distorted some what by that play-off, we must be one of the most inoffensive clubs in the country One of team mates is a Bolton fan and said we deserved to win that play-off, where they lost it was the first leg It would be interesting to rewatch that play-off in the full 90 minutes, Bolton caused their own problems with niggly fouls, reducers etc etc. The surrounding of the referee was disgraceful after every decision, even for just simple fouls.

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muhrensleftfoot added 15:20 - Nov 3 To be fair to them, I still hate West Ham for the cup semifinal reply in 1975, when we had two good Bryan Hamilton goals disallowed by Clive Thomas. I will never forget the misery of getting the tube from Stamford Bridge, with thousands of West Ham fans singing "I'm forever blowing bubbles" in our faces.
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