Bolton – Lacking bite
By David, BettingExpert.com | Published
After a good enough start Coyle’s team failed to build up on their achievements and eventually tainted their season with too many mishaps on the way. The manager would have liked to do something better this season but reinforcements have been meager and on the horizon the clouds have not cleared yet.
Manager: Coyle
Tactics: 4-4-2
Players In: Eagles, Reo-Coker, Pratley, Mears, Tuncay Sanli
Players Out: Elmander, Al Habsi, Cohen, M. Taylor, O’Brien, Lloyd Samuel
Current Probable Formation: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, G. Cahill, Z. Knight, P. Robinson, Lee, M. Taylor, Holden, M. Petrov, K. Davies, Klasnic
With Sturridge back to Chelsea, Elmander sold to Galatasaray and Holden out for a while with knee ligament damage Coyle has kept insisting for offensive reinforcements. His pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears. He signed wingman Eagles from his old club Burnley, who joins present club wingers Lee and Martin Petrov. Yet Coyle is also after Manchester City’s Shaun Wright-Phillips. That way he will have a full set of players for those roles, and a good selection at that.
Strikers to lunge at those crosses from the byline will not be many though. After having sold Elmander, who was not a prolific striker for the club bar last season in which he managed double digits, and Sturridge’s loan deal expired Bolton have been left with captain Kevin Davies and Klasnic alone in attack. They may be quality players, although Klasnic can definitely do better, but the two cannot hope to carry all the weight by themselves. Coyle should have managed to get Tuncay Sanli’s signature but he is not as prolific a goalscorer as the manager would want him to be. He has great inventive though and should help make Bolton a little more dangerous upfront.
Last year midfielder Holden had contributed with a number of goals but he will not be starting the campaign until he heals from knee ligament damage. Matthew Taylor, Mark Davies, Muamba and new boy Reo-Coker may help a little less with the goals but provide for a quality midfield.
England international Cahill is the strong point of Coyle’s backline. His permanence is still a doubt though with Arsenal ready to redirect any cash which comes their way from the sale of Nasri and Fabregas onto the acquisition of a quality defender to partner Vermaelen. Liverpool are also on his tracks. That would leave Coyle with Weather, Ricketts and Zat Knight as central defenders. Steinsson and Paul Robinson are the starting full-backs. New signing Mears should also come in handy throughout the season. Jaaskelainen should be keeping his place as number one goalkeeper for the club.
Predicted finishing position: 13th
Bolton lost a lot of firepower but hopefully their quality midfield will contribute to that loss with enough goals. The wingers are their strong point but they will need to rely on a very good form from Klasnic and captain Davies which does not abate along the way if they are to get the goals required. The backline is not a good enough department and will be considerably weakened if Cahill is sold.
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