Bolton Wanderers are back in the big time. Back in the Premier League, and we can start to dream about replicating Sir Alex.
We have 25 seasons to win the following:
Since the last season ended we have been busy. Busy being rejected by players…
Scott Sellars retired. Dean Holdsworth left. Paul Barrett joined Spurs – from Arsenal! Arthur Stratford joins Barrett at Spurs for £975k – he’ll be a star. Cam Burke has gone to Newcastle for £1.9m.
But it doesn’t matter as long as we can replace them all with better players… ahem..
Schoolboys Marlon Warner (Centre Mid) and Spencer Hewlett (Right Back) sign on the dotted line, we also acquired Mahaddine Emam from an Algerian “local team” for 5k. He’ll be another FGN player but is cheap and looks like he might have something about him. I’ve said that line a few times now and still waiting for it to bear some fruit.
Our squad is being picked apart and nobody wants to join us. This should be a fun season.
Right before we kicked off we agreed to sign Sol Campbell from Man United for £2.9m – my record transfer but not the clubs. He’s been a bit part player at Old Trafford so will welcome some first team football without having to move house.
We only have 2 Centre Midfielders, one has never played a game of senior football before.
A depressingly familiar feel to the performance. We are still on 1st Division time.
It was better. But we gave away a poor penalty and never recovered from it.
A result that shows what is possible. A lot of pressure soaked up BUT we managed to see it out and get some important goals. Rankin’s just after the penalty miss was huge.
We’ve gone back to back. At this level for the first time in a heck of a long time. Alex Notman and Alan Thompson both have their shooting boots on at the moment.
Leeds act out the alamo in this one. But we stand firm and take a point. The Own Goal was comical by all accounts.
Barnsley are simply much better than us. Osorio and Thompson both on the injury list and it showed. Tom Youngs gives us a glimmer which is destroyed seconds later.
West Ham released Samassi Abou (who always scored against us) last year. More fool them. Both Notman and Rankin make them pay. A complete performance, only tempered by 50% of our Centre Midfielders getting injured – at least it was the lesser of the two.
Made the decision to rotate for the cup. Backfired a little.
Izzy Rankin and the Sol Man banish memories of QPR. Whisper it very quietly but we appear to be able to compete at this level. 2 more schoolboys join the fold – Graham Babb (DMC from Ireland) and Phil Charlton (MC from England) – anyone with any sort of reputation just says no.
Dennis Bergkamp goes off injured, a goal in each half and every Trotter is a happy man/woman/child. I’m not sure why anyone would want to leave, but Andrew Welsh, our Scottish International, decides that Middlesbrough is a bigger club. Another £1m in the bank.
3 goal deficit. “One goal and they will panic” was the cry… and they did… for a few minutes but once they scored it was game over.
No rest for the wicked. Away at Chelsea, 3 days later. When Robbie Keane scored late on, our hearts sank. But our want-away Chilean pounced even later. We deserved that.
Our best result against the real deal. Apart from a 20 minute spell in the first half we matched our bigger Lancashire rivals.
The Sheffield United manager (Brian Little) screams about VAR – I just stand there and tell him he’s 20 years too early.. The Blades have one chalked off that would make it 2-1 to them, before our Chilean pops up again.
A frustrating end to the episode. Arsenal are clinical, even with 10 men. Issy Rankin gets one against his former club. That’s 65 goals in 86 games for our boy.
The cliché… I would have bitten your hand off for 8th after 13 games. 12 points clear of the danger zone. It’s ours to throw away.
I can almost feel the eyes going to the top of the screen, rather than always looking down. Early days, until next time.
Maybe just maybe. There is something starting to come together.