Bolton Wanderers Post Match Thoughts

[millersrus]

A good all round performance today, with the defence working together in a solid display,
except their lapse of concentration for Bolton's goal.
Powell in midfield was MOTM for me, he put some mileage in today, Humphreys playing
the defensive midfielder is his true position.
Nombe & Wilks ran the Bolton defence raggard, with the Bolton big centre-half number 5
absolutely knackered.
A welcome 3 points, with the Millers faithful going home happy.

Summed it nicely.

[NorthWestCorner]

Great performance - the team look balanced in this formation and the fullbacks are starting to pick up form. I suspect thats because they have more protection from that midfield formation and are not continually exposed. Odoffin and Jules continue to develop as a partnership and with Humphries in front of them it looks not only solid but a base on which the rest of the team can play from. I dont think I can remember the last time we had two centre halves who could carry the ball like they do.

I also though McDonald had a very good game today. Not rated him before but hes a ratter - you can see why Evans likes him. Shame he hasnt got the legs he probably once had.

I also thought the front two had a decent first half - got a bit ragged into the latter parts of the game. I would like to see JCH in this formation alongside either Nombe or Wilks. I know the majority on here seem to have written him off but I still think he will finish the season off stronger. Hes got more strength than the other two and I think if we slot him into this formation the goals with flow. He should have been on for the last 20 mins today.

Final word for Humphries - outstanding. He clearly needed the kick up the arse. However, there is no chance we are keeping him beyond this season. He is far too good for this league. I wont stress either way - if he leaves in the next few weeks we will take the coin. If he leaves at the end of the season we will get to see a few more of those sublime performances. I will say this now - after just 3 or 4 performances in that position, he is the BEST midfielder in the league by a mile.

[Millmoordays]

I was an ex official and still follow the game and rules carefully and, Mellow, you're wrong.

Here's what it says about 'double jeopardy'

Players who commit a foul to deny a goalscoring opportunity will no longer automatically be sent off, football's rule-making body has confirmed. (Correct)
The previous 'triple-punishment' rule required a red card - and therefore a suspension - as well as the award of a penalty under those circumstances.

However, players committing accidental fouls that deny a goalscoring chance will now be cautioned instead but, deliberate fouls will still incur a red card. Those include holding, pulling or pushing, not playing the ball, serious foul play, violent conduct or deliberate handball in order to deny a goalscoring opportunity.

The change has been ratified by the International Football Association Board (I.f.a.b), external - a body made up of the four British football associations and Fifa - which decides on changes to the Laws of the Game.


Today we saw the example of, a deliberate foul as the player did not make contact with the ball but our player's legs. Therefore this was, as shown in blue above, denying our player a clear opportunity to score. Furthermore, having 'not played the ball'

Summed up, it was a straight red as defined by the laws above. They took longer to make a decision than VAR would and still got it wrong between them. I think neither knew what to do so 'shared it out', yellow to them and a Penalty to us. I wonder if it upset the Ref and played on his mind so much, that he had to leave the field of play and be replaced?

Well, take this as official confirmation. It was a red card situation.

There are too many refs who don?t know what they are doing, too inexperienced, cannot take the pressure, confused by constant and too many rule changes.

But, in this instance the ref bottled it. No question. The bizarre thing is that if it was a last man thingy and outside the box that callous foul would certainly for most refs have drawn a red.

And what if the stupid arrogant stroke it in wilkes had hit the post? What then? A pen isn?t a certainty (not with our players). Harris did that also before.

With him being subbed it does raise a question?.coinidence?

Time refs just stuck to the rules. Instead of playing god, and trying to interpret player intentions. A foul is a foul wherever it is. The box defines what the infringement results in. Not playing the ball etc, as set out in the rule and more decides the card.

Sticking to it would soon see the clean up of the game and root out players and clubs. Then we may get back to better football entertaiment.

He bottled it.

[Jocksgloves1]

Have to agree. Reffing is hard enough without them having to second guess a players intentions. Get back to black and white laws and maybe they'll get some more respect back.

[caytonmiller]

I personally thought the ref made an excellent decision, took his time and used the linesman as they should be.. It was an important decision to make and one the linesman had a better view of.

[Scum-Triumphant]

The referee showed human judgement and common sense and left it at 11a side and that is a rare thing for refs to do nowadays so I think he was right.

The debate on here is proof it is open to interpretation and that?s how he interpreted it.

I may feel differently if we?d lost and Powell had his best game so far in a Rotherham shirt.

[MillerBill]

Great performance - the team look balanced in this formation and the fullbacks are starting to pick up form. I suspect thats because they have more protection from that midfield formation and are not continually exposed. Odoffin and Jules continue to develop as a partnership and with Humphries in front of them it looks not only solid but a base on which the rest of the team can play from. I dont think I can remember the last time we had two centre halves who could carry the ball like they do.

I also though McDonald had a very good game today. Not rated him before but hes a ratter - you can see why Evans likes him. Shame he hasnt got the legs he probably once had.

I also thought the front two had a decent first half - got a bit ragged into the latter parts of the game. I would like to see JCH in this formation alongside either Nombe or Wilks. I know the majority on here seem to have written him off but I still think he will finish the season off stronger. Hes got more strength than the other two and I think if we slot him into this formation the goals with flow. He should have been on for the last 20 mins today.

Final word for Humphries - outstanding. He clearly needed the kick up the arse. However, there is no chance we are keeping him beyond this season. He is far too good for this league. I wont stress either way - if he leaves in the next few weeks we will take the coin. If he leaves at the end of the season we will get to see a few more of those sublime performances. I will say this now - after just 3 or 4 performances in that position, he is the BEST midfielder in the league by a mile.

We must show some ambition and keep Cam and Hacks,otherwise we take a token fee,grossly underselling two players and totally lose the momentum that we are now creating.These next few weeks will show all fans how serious this club is, about going forward.

[Jimmy Badfellow]

Another great performance and it seems we may have turned a corner. It all changed when SE decided to play Humphreys in the holding position in front of the defence. Is this genius or has he stumbled across a solution because it's not that long ago Humphreys wasn't in the squad and he was on his way out of the club.

[Timbertop]

We simply dare not sell Humphreys but we know how our club operates. The first ?500k (for a ?2 milllion player) offer will be snatched at. Contrast the anonymous midfielder that Bolton have just paid ?1.25 million for.

[MILLERSTALE]

We simply dare not sell Humphreys but we know how our club operates. The first ?500k (for a ?2 milllion player) offer will be snatched at. Contrast the anonymous midfielder that Bolton have just paid ?1.25 million for.

Out of contract in the summer I would be delighted to get 500K for Cam ! but I would much rather sign him up on a new three year contract, exactly the same for Hacks. We aren’t going to get anybody as good and definitely not anybody better ? So if they go we have to start again from scratch ?
We need to offload McWilliams, Hughill, JCH, and Dawson and we can move forward at a pace with some new blood ! I appreciate it won’t be easy but, we have to try !