VIEW FROM BOLTON

[terryr]

I've been away for most of October ( hence the absence of "View From" posts) but have time this week
This so far.......

"Next up is the away trip to Craven Cottage against a Fulham side who are "totally unpredictable" according to my Fulham-supporting mate.
He reckons they tend to dominate possession, play decent stuff but are capable of giving away stupid goals. Tim Ream is still there and they have some quality players however if we up our game and pressure them high up the pitch they can get turned over.
I reckon it will be a draw if - and only if - we play at the top of our game.
1 - 1"

" We always lose at Fulham."

" Remember seeing us win 2-0 down there in 1968.
Freddie Hill and John Hulme scoring the goals.
We nearly got our heads kicked in on the way back to the coach."

"I was there in 1992 when we won 4-1. Think it's the last time we won a league game there. Andy Walker and David Lee scored if I remember correctly."

"  It's going to be difficult. I'd take a draw. 3pts would be wonderland."

" This is a graveyard usually. 2-0 seems the norm so hope the lads prove me wrong."

" A point isn't out of the question."

" Fulham 2-0 Bolton."

" Negative tactics 0 v flowing football 3"

" We're the away team in this equation Martin. Our only chance of flowing football is if there's a thunderstorm and the pitch floods."

" Massive win.  3 points and we will score 4 or 5."

" Think we have turned a corner tbh, bad patch out the way we will grind out a 1-0 won"

" Going back 12 months there were threads going back weeks before the away games; being bottom of the league has obviously had a big effect on WW posters.
Anyway I wont be in my undies following the game on Bolton News moaning on here; I will be there.
Who's going?
As for the game itself its going to be tough but with the right set up I feel we can get something from this game"

" I'm in. Be delighted if we get anything at all but we've got them high hopes. 1-4, Ameobi and Vela 2 each "

"Not performing as some people expected Fulham, may well get a draw "

" I'm in, and am expecting us to be tonked, 3:0. I'm not expecting to see much of the game"

" Unbeaten run continues
2-1 "

" Looking forward to it, more so the day out really "

" In. Flum are supposed to be struggling a bit at home so maybe.......................but probably not."

" Not expecting anything from the game but should be a decent weekend. "

" Wonder how many days its been since we last won away in this league.
This could be the day!! "

" My personal record at Fulham is won 2 drew 3 lost 1, the only defeat was after they started getting bankrolled. And that defeat at Loftus Road for Jay Jay's debut is the last time I went.What a w*** days football that was, the only good thing about it really was that making the effort guaranteed a ticket for the next away match..a glory glory night at Man Utd.
Wonder how long it will before you have to travel to Fulham to get a voucher for the next away game..."

" Think we might nick something down there. "

" 800 sold already. Fair play Wanderers fans. "

" Personally I've got an awful record against this lot going right back to the 70s. I can only think of 1 win (3-1 at the Reebok in the early days of Sam). Still the finest away performance I've ever seen when they annihilated us 2-0 in our promotion year.
Any road, I'll be there so expecting a draw at best. 1-1 "

" 4 more Sleeps "

" Victoria for a good slurp then underground to Putney Bridge is looking favourite. It's a bit of a crap drink near the ground"

" Crabtree nice gaff"

Not bad for mid week
I'll check back and update as and when


Updated Below


" Buoyant Bolton or Wallowing Wanderers? Fulham v Bolton 28/10/2017

We face our second West London opponents in a row on Saturday. This time it is us making the 220 mile journey, as we play Fulham at Craven Cottage, a ground so close to the banks of the Thames that a hearty Wheater clearance could easily result in a watery ending. Slavisa Jokanovic's outfit certainly made a few waves last season, as they stylishly played their way to the play offs, doing the double over champions Newcastle in the process, before unluckily losing to Reading in the two legged semi final, with ex whites keeper Ali Al Habsi earning the motm award for Reading in the second leg. They were expected to lose stars Tom Cairney and Ryan Sessegnon in the summer, but unexpectedly both signed new contracts and after spending lots of money on strikers Rui Fonte, Aboubakar Kamara and Ibrahima Cisse they were expected to be challenging again this season. They currently sit 10th on 18 points from 13 games, and are finding it difficult to win at home with just one win all season.
So can we end our run of five successive non-scoring away defeats? There have been signs of improvement in the last two games when we have finally had all our best players available. It seems the best way to make things hard for Fulham is to press them, with Preston snatching a draw from the jaws of victory in Fulham's last home game due to a goalkeeping calamity in the 96th minute. Jokanovic described that game as the division's "best team without the ball" against the "best team with the ball". With Vela back pressing is perhaps an area of the game we are pretty competent at, so maybe we can sneak something?
The same team to sneak a 1-1 is my prediction, possibly with an element of heart ruling head.

" We'll get smashed 3-0. If we're lucky."

" Not sure why you bother getting out of bed mate. You're either the world's greatest pessimist or the or a total wind-up merchant. Try a smile and a bit of positivity; it works occasionally."

" I'm a positive person. I can't see us getting anything out of this game. But I won't let it ruin my day.
However, I take issue with wind up merchant. I have opinions and will argue them. I don't deliberately try and wind anyone up. If I disagree then I'll say so and why."

" Watched Arsenal-Norwich the other day. The gulf between the "haves" in this league, and us, is huge.
Comfortable home win, I fear."

" I'm about 83.5% sure I'm going; obviously, The Legendary Flanners is. Last time he and I went to a game together, the Postman delivered into the top corner right in front of us. By Saturday that will be 11 weeks ago, and Bolton haven't scored a road goal since. The fans have gone to Birmingham, Hull, Ipswich, West Ham, Bristol City and Aston Villa without seeing the net bulge in our favour. That's just shy of 2,000 miles; add in the return from Millwall and the trip to Fulham and there'll be some folks who've done nigh on 2,500 miles waiting for Wanderers to score, let alone win. I hope they - we – get that pleasure at the Cottage."

" My experience of Craven Cottage is that we play shite and lose. One notable exception was a wintery mid week affair that was so bad and so cold I was willing anyone to score to avoid extra time. Extra time ensued and we bored ourselves to victory. District Line was up the spout. I'm fairly sure we lost in the next round anyway.
So based on my experience it'll be poo and we'll lose by 1 or 2 goals :("

" Everything points to defeat apart from our recent mild upturn in form.
2-0 win and the Mackems start sweating"

" Last few league visits to Craven Cottage, per 11v11.com:
07.05.16 L 0-1
01.10.14 L 0-4
17.12.11 L 0-2
27.04.11 L 0-3
28.11.09 D 1-1
13.09.08 L 1-2
15.08.07 L 1-2
23.08.06 D 1-1
27.11.05 L 2-1
21.08.04 L 0-2
06.12.03 L 1-2
17.08.02 L 1-4
23.04.02 L 0-3
04.03.01 D 1-1
23.11.99 D 1-1
21.11.92 W 4-1

Last time we won there, Josh Vela wasn't born. Neither were more than half of the latest England squad: Jesse Lingard, Michael Keane, Harry Maguire, Jack Butland, Harry Kane, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Eric Dier, Jordan Pickford, John Stones, Raheem Sterling, Harry Winks, Dele Alli and Marcus Rashford. John Major and Bill Cinton had just won their first elections, there'd just been a fire at Windsor Castle, Ford were about to unveil the Ford Mondeo to replace the Sierra, the IRA were about to bomb the Manchester Arndale and I'd just gone off to uni..................... Christ."

" 1000 sold now top notch that
Pay on day but £30 "

" add 3 to that im pay on day"

" Darren Pratley senses belief around Bolton that the club will soon start climbing the Championship table.
Wanderers have two tough away trips on the horizon, starting at Fulham's Craven Cottage this Saturday and moving on to a Halloween showdown with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
But while those road trips may have inspired a feeling of dread a few weeks ago, the club skipper reckons positive results against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR have put a whole new perspective on them.
"I'm not on social media so I don't read into all that sort of stuff but I can only sense on a match-day what fans are feeling," he told The Bolton News. "When we beat Sheffield Wednesday you could sense people picked up and even walking around the town people were saying 'good win' and normally in the Championship when you've won one game in 11 or 12 you just wouldn't get that.
"It seems to be a much more positive place at the moment. Fans know what the score will be this season, they know it's going to be hard work."
This weekend's opponents Fulham were among the favourites for promotion from the Championship before a ball was kicked but things have not gone entirely to plan for Slavisa Jokanovic's men.
Defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday left them 10th in the table and former Fulham trainee Pratley sees no reason why Wanderers cannot upset the odds.
"In this league you can't guess results," he said. "We'll lose some, we'll draw some but so long as we stick together and keep our heads, we'll be fine."
Meanwhile, Wanderers plan to take a closer look at Belgian teenager Che Krabbendam on trial.
The young midfielder was once on the books of Anderlecht and has been trying to secure an English club, trialling with the likes of West Ham United and Brighton.
The chase is continuing for Victor Adeboyejo, who is currently playing in Chelsea's youth team.
The Whites are looking to land the former Leyton Orient striker ahead of a cluster of other clubs in the Championship and League One, including Barnsley and Portsmouth.
Adeboyejo featured for the Chelsea development squad against West Ham on Sunday, playing 67 minutes. "

" We'll lose some, we'll draw some, what about f*cking winning some you numpty? typical unambitious comment."

"Phil Parkinson reckons the arrival of Karl Henry has helped him get the best out of skipper Darren Pratley once again.
The experienced pair have formed a useful midfield partnership in recent weeks, as Wanderers took four points from their last two games against Sheffield Wednesday and QPR.
Pratley has come under fire from fans at various stages of his Bolton career and struggled to replicate the form he found at the end of last season following his return from long-term injury.
But Parkinson believes the signing of ex-Wolves and QPR ball-winner Henry has had a positive effect and means the 32-year-old can now concentrate on what the manager says are the strongest aspects of his game.
"Darren worked tirelessly again all game, as he always does, and he's got the physicality which we need," the manager said of his performance against QPR.
"He's back doing what we want him to do – winning headers, winning tackles, getting up to people and stopping them playing, then playing the ball simple when he gets it.
"I think Karl is a very good communicator, there's no doubt about that, he's good at getting the best out of people.
"You have got two big, strong powerful lads in the middle of the pitch and sometimes the onus is on Darren to organise and speak to people but that onus on Karl at the moment.
"Darren has got to concentrate on what he has got to do in the team.
"He claimed an assist in the own goal last week and this week did well to stick the ball away after a great header from Gary Madine. I'm really pleased for him."
Wanderers scored a fair percentage of their goals in League One from set pieces last season but Parkinson has voiced his concern the quality of delivery and threat has not always been there over the last few months.
The Whites boss says this too has improved since the international break.
"I think Josh's delivery from the corner was excellent," he said. "We do work hard on set pieces and making sure we are organised in there.
"But often, as we saw last season, it can be about how you react to that second phase and that's how Darren's goal came about."

" As Storm Brian began to batter us, we took refuge in the Harvester for our Doombar deliberations.
Most of us had been on cloud nine since our first league win against Sheffield Wednesday last week and we couldn't wait to follow it up with another win and embark on a decent run of results at last to begin the fightback to stay in the Championship.
At the Bolton Wanderers Supporters Association on Thursday night, Karl Henry and Sammy Ameobi talked about the spirit within the squad and the determination and confidence to get off the bottom and rise up this league.
We got a further boost as Phil Parkinson was able to name an unchanged team for the first time this season.
As the game started, QPR proved they were not going to be pushovers and dominated the opening 20 minutes.
But against the run of play and with something as rare as hens' teeth, captain Darren Pratley put us in front with a header.
This seemed to knock QPR's confidence and we were the better team for the rest of the first half.
As the storm really kicked in, the conditions and the football rapidly deteriorated in the second half to levels not seen since the infamous water polo match against Zenit St Petersburg in November 2005.
Even spectators had no hiding place as the wind was blowing rain to the back of the stands.
It wasn't fit to take a dog out, never mind try to play football. However, QPR, to their credit, coped with the conditions much better than we did and nobody could deny them their equaliser.
They were the better synchronised swimming team. To be honest, we did well to come away with a point in the end.
It's difficult to glean anything from this match, so we must dry out and continue the battle at Fulham next week.
Each match is assuming more significance as it is imperative we make up the gap between us and the rest.
Our injury list is shortening but we have still to get Will Buckley, Stephen Darby, Dorian Devite, Jem Karacan and Derik Osede back into the fray.
There is news about some potential investment in the club and talk of bringing players in during January. I am detecting positive vibes that things might just be about to get better. "

Geoff Eltringham will referee Saturday's Sky Bet Championship fixture between Fulham and Bolton at Craven Cottage.

Wanderers go into the game on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Queens Park Rangers last Saturday, while Fulham were beaten 2-1 at Aston Villa on the same afternoon.

Eltringham, who will take charge of the game, has officiated 12 matches so far this season - issuing 40 yellow cards and no red.
His most recent outing was on October 13, when he was the man in the middle for Birmingham City's 1-0 victory over Cardiff City at St Andrew's. The County Durham official produced three yellow cards in that game, two of which went to members of the home side.
Eltringham's last match in charge of Bolton was on September 9, when they were beaten 3-0 by Middlesbrough in a Championship clash at Macron Stadium. Two cautions were issued that afternoon, including one to Wanderers midfielder Jem Karacan.
The last time he refereed a Fulham fixture was on April 8, as they ran out 3-1 winners over Ipswich Town in a Championship encounter at Craven Cottage. Four players entered the book that day, including Whites trio Scott Malone, Kevin McDonald and Tim Ream.
Below is the full set of officials for Saturday's game between Fulham and Bolton:
Referee: Geoff Eltringham
Assistant Referees: Mark Pottage and Shaun Hudson
Fourth Official: Keith Stroud"

[Twig]

"It's a bit of a crap drink near the ground".  What a know nothing. We have some of the best pubs near a football ground that I have come across in all my years of travelling to matches throughout the country. Including Bolton!

[filham]

Note, Fulham's problem at the moment is not unpredictability, in fact all visiting managers and players know exactly what to expect of us , short passing out from the back, no shooting on target from outside the box, no clean sheets and rather weak in the air and physically.

[JoelH5]

"It's a bit of a crap drink near the ground".  What a know nothing. We have some of the best pubs near a football ground that I have come across in all my years of travelling to matches throughout the country. Including Bolton!

Bolton is far and away the worst place I've been in the UK. The people were aggressive, there were countless abandoned factories and the night life was terrible. Never again

[Chesh]

"It's a bit of a crap drink near the ground".  What a know nothing. We have some of the best pubs near a football ground that I have come across in all my years of travelling to matches throughout the country. Including Bolton!

Depends how you define near Twig. Its a 20 minute walk to either Hammersmith or Putney for the nearest decent pub nowadays...

[Whitesideup]

Note, Fulham's problem at the moment is not unpredictability, in fact all visiting managers and players know exactly what to expect of us , short passing out from the back, no shooting on target from outside the box, no clean sheets and rather weak in the air and physically.

Or good, progressive football that is just falling short of the required standard because finishing is not quite good enough.

[hovewhite]

"It's a bit of a crap drink near the ground".  What a know nothing. We have some of the best pubs near a football ground that I have come across in all my years of travelling to matches throughout the country. Including Bolton!

Depends how you define near Twig. Its a 20 minute walk to either Hammersmith or Putney for the nearest decent pub nowadays...

Spot on about pubs

[mullers]

By definition though, as an away fan you're probably not going to get into the best pubs near the ground.

[Milo]

I read this thread on their forum and honestly it was largely about organising where/when to drink...

[terryr]

updated

[RaySmith]

I hate Bolton - very aggressive  stewarding there, about the most aggressive I've found.

Not many  away pubs near the ground - one not very good one. Poor atmosphere.

Thanks Terry.

[_Putney_]

I'm going to the game.

[FulhamKC]

We have quite a good record against them at the Cottage since 1992. I hope we can keep that going!

[SP]

Interesting reading their boards this evening.  I can't see how they can possibly avoid relegation.  They can't understand how there was so much time added on at the end, try this:

The goalkeeper constantly time wasting;
Their players constantly rolling around the ground;
The referee stopping the game because their player had a sore ankle?!?!;
Numerous substitutions.

A poor day at the office indeed.