Round 25: Bolton vs Birmingham

Oh good another defeat. Thats exactly what was needed to lift the gloom on boxing day.....

Dougie still believes a charge on the playoffs is possible, and technically he is correct. There are still enough games and points left for us to achieve that. But come on lets not delude ourselves here, its not going to happen. We will finish in mid-table obscurity and it will be no less that what the shower of "players" currently in our employ deserve.

The cheque book needs to come out in January, not just to get in new players but also in my opinion to pay off and move on certain others. I mean does anybody honestly believe that Zat Knight and Tyrone Mears are League 2 standard let alone Championship? I know Alonso takes alot of criticism, not all of it undeserved, but at least he is still young enough to improve as a player.

We paid £3 million for Eagles and Mears. I'm starting to believe the original deal was £5 million for Eagles but Burnley offered us a discount if we took Mears off them as well.

And as for £4 million for Knight! Villa are still laughing now.

The bottom line is we are in serious need of a complete re-build from front to back and off the field in the boardroom. Thats right Garty, we're looking at you! You authorised the signings of useless cloggers for fees which were too high and on contracts for too much money and too much time. Don't think that by sacking Coyle you have escaped any blame for this mess. You haven't. And your time will most assuredly come.

January might, and I stress MIGHT, bring a turn of fortunes with new signings and the hopeful return of Holden and Wheater. But I'm not holding my breath, can't be disappointed that way.

Our opponents this weekend also know the pain of recent relegation and underperformance. Relegated from the Premiership at the end of the 2010-11 season (combined with winning the League Cup) the made the playoffs last season yet at the half way point of this season languish in the bottom half, below us only on goal difference. Last time we faced Birmingham we lost. The time before that was an FA Cup fixture. Remember that. We won a game, played well, were sat in the top half of the Premiership. Happy times.

I'll stop thinking about that now. Might end up on the whiskey drowning my sorrows. Wouldn't be good with work at 6am.

Team News

We're pants. Oh wait thats not really news is it.......

Predictions

Bolton 0-3 Birmingham, Zigic (he's going to be relishing our defence)

NOTE: I make no apologies for the grumpy, negative tone of this. I fail to see anything to be cheerful about with Wanderers at the moment. If you don't like that then please forward all complaints to:

PO Box I don't care
Dealwithit Lane
PI5 0FF