I feel many supporters are getting into the same state of mind as the manager and the players of BWFC. That is they are looking ahead to see which matches are winnable and writing off matches that are not. Other clubs in the Premiership do not appear to write off matches even before a game is played. Even against the top clubs most other clubs give every match a go and hope to get something out of it even if it is only a draw - something we seem to have abandoned a long time ago.
The way I felt on Friday night about the Tottenham match was that Owen Coyle could have got on the phone to Harry Rednapp and said "look Harry we know we are going to lose tomorrow, why not save the team and the supporters the trouble and expense of traveling down to London, let's agree a score line, say 3-0 to you, and not bother to play the game."
There was a time a few years ago when we thought we could get at least a point out of a visit to Spurs, now it is only a feeling of let's try not to get thrashed. It seems at the moment all BWFC's fans can expect before almost any match is having a player sent off and losing.
State of mind
posted on 4/12/11
I don't know where you get your ideas from. Of course the team and Coyle go out to try and win every game.
posted on 4/12/11
It is incredible that you think we stood a chance against the 2nd best team in the league on current form, let alone after a fabulous reffereeing decision.
So, even though we only had 10 men, and against Tottenham, the second best form team in the division our loss was down to Owen Coyle. When you read that sentence back, do you not feel a little bit stupid?
posted on 4/12/11
I don't feel stupid about my comments. So both Coyle and the team go out to win every game? Well you could have fooled me; why then do we keep on losing? We potentially have some reasonable players, I believe it is the state of mind of the players, which is the manager's responsibility that is wrong. In any sport if you play a game you believe you are going to lose, then you probably will. I simply think that the manager and the players, just like the supporters are now doing, are deciding before a match whether or not it is winnable. It is not just the Spurs match, it is against any top team. Why do Bolton have the worst record in the entire Premiership against the top teams?
I am not one of those calling for Coyle out at the moment, though I am not far away from this. Since last April Bolton's results have not just been bad, they have been the worst in the entire history of the club. In any football club it is the manager who is ultimately responsible for the results.
posted on 4/12/11
Many teams have played Spurs this season, and "wanted" to win.. But failed..
So not quite sure this "mind Jedi thing" is relevant this week.. I'd have posted this last week after Everton..
Yesterday was just losing to a bloody good team and only having 10 men to do it with..
posted on 4/12/11
I'm struggling with this other side of the debate (argument). It really does seem that many expected OC to come in change around the squad using no money and make us into an attractive football playing side. I can't quite believe that people expected that. It was always at least a 5 year project including the development of an academy that would start producing players which the club could bring on and sell at a profit.
People expected all these things to happen and it all to run smoothly. I just don't understand how people can be so blinkered. We have had some of the worst luck I can ever recall a football team having, but people feel that in order to explain the bad luck they must have someone to blame a theme that runs throughout our society and often is fuelled by the 'Red Tops'. Things have gone bad so someone must pay!!! Now they think OC can be sacked and 'pay' for our bad luck and a new manager will come riding into the Reebok on a chariot and make things all ok again.
We are rebuilding our club after the debacle of the LSL and Megson eras (errors-works too).
Owen Coyle has proved he is a good manager. He has proved he can take a long ball playing team and play football the way it is supposed to be played. It's not an overnight thing. Thankfully Big Ed and Gartside also see this at the moment, but OC is judged on results and I hope he is given enough time to turn results around or he would go down in my eyes as the unluckiest Wanderers manager in history.
We have had some truly awful luck. That will change. Just stick with Owen Coyle long enough to see what he can do on a lucky streak!