Bolton - an uncomfortable truth

For a long while I have been saying that I think we are on our way to relegation and that the only thing that will save us is if three clubs do a lot worse than us.

Blackburn look like they have enough about them to pull away from us which leaves Wigan, Wolves and Bolton.

We have to hope that Wigan don't pull out their usual end of season escape act and that Wolves continue to self implode since the departure of Big Mick. That leaves Bolton and therein a rather 'eggy' problem.

Bolton now have to face a possible postponed match (not heard if this has been confirmed), and maybe another if they don't pull out of the FA cup replay with Spuds. Would this extra workload at the end of a troubled season be seen as a bad thing = fixtures too many in a short time, or a good thing = chance for the players to show support for their team mate?

I want the best of all possible worlds, QPR to stay up, Muamba to make a full and speedy recovery and Bolton to take our place in the bottom three. Does this sound harsh, fair or both?

 

That sounds ideal to me.

 

Funny you say that 'cos i've been thinking similar thoughts.
Heard this morning that they are looking at possibly postponing the Blackburn v Bolton match, so they (Bolton) will have poss 2 games in hand on us to play after Saturday night.

Does that give them an advantage knowing what they have to do to go (or stay) ahead of us to stay up , ie if only a point needed then putting out a very defensive team. It could even go down to goal difference . When do people think it's gonna be ok for Bolton to start playing again ?

 

Prob be slated for saying this but i really think Bolton should be made play this weekend. Cancelling a mid-week match is fully understandable but Bolton need to take to the pitch again this weekend. While Muamba is in all our thoughts and prayers at the moment, life has to go on.

 

Nice to see some people thawing out to reality. I have already stated that public opinion of course is firmly in the Bolton camp. We have been many many people's second club for many years based on our footballing heritage. This is shifting and shifting fast because of our money, chairman, captain and our outspoken desire to become a massive London club. The new darlings of this league are Swansea purely because they currently play the best football and have succeeded against all odds... (We love that in England) ... This season will go down as a complete ball ups iMO. Swords: I did not know Gary Speed personally and I expect you didn't either ... I stand that Suicide is a very selfish act and just goes to show how daft the new cathedral and religion that is football has become in England. Each week is a new chapter and the masses lap it up. When we go down I hope we have a look at ourselves because I have always said that if we become a brand then iMO its over

 

Must say that I have changed my opinion of Frank!! A good write old friend. That is how I have been thinking, I know it is sad but life goes on and this sadness is being dragged on !

 

Nice one Dave/Frank/symbol or whatever you are calling yourself today. I was beginning to think I was the only one in the country who thought Mr Speed's action was actually slightly less than saintly. And, while I don't want QPR to gain any advantage over Bolton based their player's illness, equally you can be damn sure that if I fall ill this coming weekend someone will take my place on Monday morning and the competitors my company faces will probably seek to up their game rather than stopping work in sympathy.

 

Agree 100%.

 

I wish Muamba a full and speedy recovery.
I wish that QPR are not relegated.
The two events are not in anyway linked.
Surely I can hope that Bolton do not win enough matches to keep them up at our expense without feeling in any way evil or guilty.

We must concentrate on what we have to do, and not worry about any other team.
End of story

 

I disagree entirely with you and Oddball. Lads get off your moral high horse, none of us know what the story was with Speed. I'm guessing though that he obviously had some serious mental problems to do something like that. Its very easy to sit back in your comfortable chair and judge all and sundry.

Good OP Grove but I think we've just got to concentrate on ourselves and try to get as many points as possible.

 

Who has the advantage depends on your results. If you win then you have the advantage because the pressure mounts on them as they fall behind you, even if they have got extra games they know they have to win. If you don't it gives them the advantage of only needing to match you and having a couple of extra games to do it.

I can't see why they shouldn't be playing this weekend. He's conscious and talking to family in hospital and has been moving his arms and legs. What's the justification for cancelling it?

 

Shouldn't have to hope other teams lose, but unfortunately that's the position we've got ourselves into. Wolves and Wigan and certs to go down for me. I can see Bolton staying up now after everything that's happened over the last couple of days. Can I see us getting more points than Blackburn? Unfortunately not

 

I wish Muamba all the best and I believe he will make a recovery, although I doubt he will play again. That apart, f*ck Bolton, Blackburn, Wigan and Wolves. All that matters is that we finish above three of them and if Bolton's season falls apart it's tough sh*t...

 

The game should go ahead as he is now up and talking which is a miracle. Unless there is a considerable worsening they should have to play at the w/e.

Although I wont mind if they cancel it if we somehow pull out a win against the scousers as ricardo says, that will put more pressure on them.

 

Our results are the key for us - IF we can get 6 points in our next 2 games, the pressure will really be on Bolton, Wolves and Wigan. What bothers me the most, perhaps more than our hard run in, is that these teams and Blackburn have been in this situation before and escaped and we haven't. Wolves do look a mess now, but perhaps they will get a new manger in who will sort them out a bit, and Wigan seem to be playing well without scoring, their luck may change too. Bolton who knows, their really hard time may get them playing better than ever.

MH has really got to start earning his money now, and take us on the kind of run he got Fulham on.

 

I think Wolves are down with us and it looks like a 3 way scrap to avoid the 3rd place and my money would be on Wigan to fail.

We deserve to go down if we cant get near the record low total thats likely to be need to stay up, we are lucky that we arent down already, any other year and wed be 10 points off safety now.

 

Agree entirely!!

 

I don't even like horses and my office chair is far from comfortable believe me. There is no judgement by me beyond thinking that the suicide of a reasonably well known footballer is not cause for a national outpouring of grief. The really warped judgement is not being made by me but by the media and over-emotional readers who seem determined to Deify the man.

 

I may have misinterpreted your post AAGH. I quite agree that the circus surrounding Speeds death was melodramatic. Glorifying the man was coarse and a tad ridiculous.

Equally, condemning him when none of us know the true story is casual and cynical.