2 points out of 9, 2 goals out of 3 games not inspiring.

and no clean sheets

Benny, I know the figures.

What do you think of the reasons for the poor results? Would you say that fitness was more important than results at this stage of pre season?

I think the club should also post the scores from training when defence plays attack!

I want to know how many goals the defence are letting in!

If they are letting in more than 5 goals in training then I bet that the defence have stopped playing for Owen Coyle!

would be far more optimistic if we showed any signs of keeping a clean sheet.despite a change in playing staff this set of players and most likely this coaching setup seems totally incapable of putting a team out able to defend against any team no matter which level they play at.

I still maintain that results and performances are important at this stage. 99% of professional players will be fit by the start of the season because it's a science based on running. If we can't even LOOK like beating a team who shipped in 7 goals a few days earlier and are tantamount to a leage 2 team - We're in a lot of trouble.

Hopefully Zat Knight will have learnt from his error and decide to switch into gear from the start, rather than 15 seconds into a match and 1-0 down.

Same old, same old.

Looks like Coyle has done jack-all about our defending which leads me to believe that he doesn't know what to do about it.

After last seasons defensive sham, you'd have thought he'd done a bit of work to sort it out.

Thank god the Yanks snubbed us as it could have been embarassing.

I am not bothered by results it is performances. Some of these players have a lot to prove after last season. According to the reports I read they were more or less out played each time. It not about fitness it's about sharpness and being ready for a game at a good level.

It should also tell coyle about his teams strengths and weaknesses. That being we still have no idea who will get goals in the side as Ngog has a shocking record skd is past his best and was never prolific leaving an unknown quantity in sordell. He should note that defensively we look suspect and be questioning why he gave knight a 2 year yes 2 year contract reduced terms or not. The DM is a must and have to have quality. We still don't have that spark in midfield yet either.

All in all from the reports there is a lot of work to be done for August if we are to sustain a Premier League challenge.

I keep saying this but the it's ok to lose mentality has to go from top to bottom at Bolton Wanderers football club. I am sick of hearing excuses. Whether its July or November no one is going to give us games we have to have the desire to win. Yes there will be slip ups along the way but the attitude has to improve. I hate the guy but read rio's article about city winning the league and whilst congratulating them he said this won't happen again. That must be our attitude in all games friendly or not. We have to go out there and demolish weaker teams?

It should also tell coyle about his teams strengths and weaknesses. That being we still have no idea who will get goals in the side as Ngog has a shocking record skd is past his best and was never prolific leaving an unknown quantity in sordell. He should note that defensively we look suspect and be questioning why he gave knight a 2 year yes 2 year contract reduced terms or not. The DM is a must and have to have quality. We still don't have that spark in midfield yet either.

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I'd have thought that the biggest thing that these friendlies have brought up is that we need another striker.

Sordell isn't an unknown quantity in the league, he has scored goals for Watford in this league. I am confident N'Gog will get goals too. He won't be a top scorer, nowhere near it, but 10-15 would do it nicely.

As for spark on midfield, we have Mark Davies, who by all accounts had a good game yesterday and in Andrews we have more goals from midfield. As for Knight, remember we tried to release him, but when Wheater got injured we realised we had to keep him. He was going up until half time vs West Brom there is no doubt that he won't be in the team when Wheater returns.

We still did not have to keep him. You have to note that coyle thinks he is good enough for this league.

Sordells most in a season is 12. He had 8 by January. We need someone like Rickie lambert who got 27 for Southampton. That is more goals than sordell has ever scored in the championship and double his highest tally. Ngogs career total is 14 in 114 apps. Nothing about our strike force says prolific goal ratio. We need another striker but not a tuncay who won't get a look in. Last season was a disaster in the loan market so don't get too excited about who we get.

Petrov, Sordell was playing for Watford, Lambert for Southampton. I don't think it's a fair comparison. Also, Sordell is what, 19/20? This will be his best season, no doubt.

'Last season was a disaster in the loan market so don't get too excited about who we get.'

And the season before was absolutely genius....Sturridge, Wilshere. Let's not forget that. I still think N'Gog will get 10-15 and Sordell 20+ this season...

Southampton were no better 12 months agin than Watford. They has just got into the league. Lambert had scored.

Ngog would have to score more goals in a season to get 15 than in all his career which it's why it is a pipe dream in my opinion.

Would you have said in may that we would have come away from three games against poor Scottish opposition playing mainly our first team with no wins?

Same thing as saying come 18th August the problems that have haunted us for 18 months will just disappear

Petrov, they are friendlies. Once again, emphasis is not put on winning these games, they are about fitness. I do not expect a team missing both it's lead strikers as having 2 or 3 new players in it to start winning games after not kicking a ball for 3 months. That's why we play friendlies.

We need to see the N'Gog and Sordell partnership. This GB football is going to leave us going almost blind into our first game. Anyone know when the Olympic football finishes and the season starts?

I'm with Petrov on this (somebody note the date and time!!!!), getting a loan striker in won't do anything for our team if they don't play and said person has to be better than what we have already! I'm holding on to an outside hope that we could get a young loanee from Barca B.

By all accounts this league is supposed to be easier to score in, so it will either be the making or the end of N'gog. If he's not scored any goals/or at the very least supplied a load of goals by Christmas then we won't go up and N'Gog should be sold asap in Jan - I hear the French want him.

I'm still positive and I'm still looking forward to our new season, but I'm starting to get a little worried that our 'best' strike force won't play together until maybe a month into the season. That means we have SKD (who is another year older and slower) and N'Gog (who is unfit again).

Happy Days!

JAH I agree (can't believe I am typing this).

Rowbot
I do not expect a team missing both it's lead strikers

The calibre of opposition I expect it. Above is an excuse. Throw in the fact we don't have Holden and we have a ready made excuse to win nothing. I would expect the team that started last night to beat most teams in the championship.


As for another striker. If Ngog is true to form or doubles his total from last season to 6 we will replace him with the equally undeadly skd and if sordell doesn't have more than his best ever by Christmas we can replace him with???? That is my point

That's kinda what I have said, Petrov. We need another striker. I've already bagsied that!

That team at full fitness will probably beat teams in this league and we should expect it, but 45 minutes each with players whom you aren't used to and having not played football for 3 months is maybe stretching it a bit far.

All Scottish sides, (bar The Rangers), are pretty much ready for their new season which starts in A WEEK.

Also I'd be more upset if we weren't creating any goalscoring chances whatsoever in these games.

All scottish sides bar Celtic are pants and I would expect us to beat them mid june

Let's just hope that Owen Coyle didn't return with a Scottish wishlist written on the back of a cig packet.

Haha like the mike Bassett comparison. 44 f'in 2. Ngog is our shot shy striker. Wheater the nutcase at the back who keeps getting sent off! Any other characters I forgot?

Benson & Hedges??

We have LandM down the right in lee and mears

Forgot about Kevin Tonkinson the Ivan kolas mic of the group