Chelsea's return to form in the Premier League last night with a 4-0 win at Bolton Wanderers might just have the teams above them twitching.
The Blues (41 points) are now seven points behind leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand - an away game at Blackpool this evening. Between these two sit Arsenal (same games as Chelsea) with 46 points and Manchester City (one more game) with 45 points.
Chelsea's imperious march through last night's game (at a venue where they always win and never concede) appeared to be proof that they have come through their bad patch - their last away win being in October. Goals from Drogba, Malouda, Anelka and a first from Ramires saw them cruising on a night when Bolton had wanted to celebrate the life of recently-died Nat Lofthouse with a win. The impeccably observed minute's silence before the game was a true mark of respect to the great man.
Manchester United will want to start winning away games (they have drawn eight of ten away to date) as, in the end, the dropping of two points in so many away games could prove crucial. SO tonight's game at Bloomfield Road takes on added significance.
Suddenly, Chelsea appear not to be out of the title race.
Showing posts with label Bolton Wanderers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolton Wanderers. Show all posts
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
Fourteen teams in relegation battle!
I cannot recall a season when so many teams in the Premier League have the potential to be relegated. I don't mean that they're all not very good - I mean that the lower half (and more) of the division is so tight.
Just TEN POINTS cover the teams from bottom (West Ham United with 20 points) all the way up to Bolton Wanderers in seventh place with 30 points.
Forty points is usually taken as the number you need to be safe after 38 games. Only once have more points been needed. That could happen again this seasonas points are being shared around liberally between all teams.
No team among the 14 in that ten-point zone will consider themselves safe until they are comfortably past the 40-mark point.
Let's look at a few examples:
At the bottom West Ham have 20 points from 23. They need at least another 20 from 15 games. That's seven wins from 15; they've only won four so far. Ouch.
In 17th place are Aston Villa with 22 points from 22. If they carried on at a point a game, they'd get 38 points. Not enough. So they need a couple of back-to-back wins to ease their discomfort.
Everton and Liverpool are 12th and 13th respectively, both with 26 points from 22 games. Another 14 each from 16 games looks within their compass (three wins, 2 draws), but a bad run oif a few games without a win would trouble them.
In 7th Bolton Wanderers should be secure, but even they won't rest easy until they bag another 10 points from their remaining 15 games. If they were to lose three or four in a row and slip into the bottom half the board and fans would soon get nervous.
In a season when the top teams are stumbling and not shining as brightly as in recent seasons, the battle to stay in the Premier League should keep our interest until the very last day.
Just TEN POINTS cover the teams from bottom (West Ham United with 20 points) all the way up to Bolton Wanderers in seventh place with 30 points.
Forty points is usually taken as the number you need to be safe after 38 games. Only once have more points been needed. That could happen again this seasonas points are being shared around liberally between all teams.
No team among the 14 in that ten-point zone will consider themselves safe until they are comfortably past the 40-mark point.
Let's look at a few examples:
At the bottom West Ham have 20 points from 23. They need at least another 20 from 15 games. That's seven wins from 15; they've only won four so far. Ouch.
In 17th place are Aston Villa with 22 points from 22. If they carried on at a point a game, they'd get 38 points. Not enough. So they need a couple of back-to-back wins to ease their discomfort.
Everton and Liverpool are 12th and 13th respectively, both with 26 points from 22 games. Another 14 each from 16 games looks within their compass (three wins, 2 draws), but a bad run oif a few games without a win would trouble them.
In 7th Bolton Wanderers should be secure, but even they won't rest easy until they bag another 10 points from their remaining 15 games. If they were to lose three or four in a row and slip into the bottom half the board and fans would soon get nervous.
In a season when the top teams are stumbling and not shining as brightly as in recent seasons, the battle to stay in the Premier League should keep our interest until the very last day.
Monday, 13 December 2010
Bolton inspired by sending off
I've never quite understood why fans cheer a player of their side who's just been sent off.
It happened yesterday when Bolton's Mark Davies was sent off for a second yellow card, having elbowed Blackburn's Phil Jones in a heading challenge. Davies was cheered and applauded as he (eventually) left the field, despite having just left his team one man short and with an uphill battle for the rest of the game.
The fact that Bolton did go on to win the game is not relevant. If it was a good idea to play one man short, every team would start with only ten!
Having cheered their own dismissed man from the field, the Bolton fans then booed victim Phil Jones's every touch. Incredible.
Amazingly, Bolton did seem to be inspired by the sending off! They took the lead, and then, when Blackburn equalised, they re-took the lead within 10 seconds of the re-start, and hung on ro win 2-1. Bolton now find themselves in the dizzyingly high position of sixth, only six points behind the leaders!
It happened yesterday when Bolton's Mark Davies was sent off for a second yellow card, having elbowed Blackburn's Phil Jones in a heading challenge. Davies was cheered and applauded as he (eventually) left the field, despite having just left his team one man short and with an uphill battle for the rest of the game.
The fact that Bolton did go on to win the game is not relevant. If it was a good idea to play one man short, every team would start with only ten!
Having cheered their own dismissed man from the field, the Bolton fans then booed victim Phil Jones's every touch. Incredible.
Amazingly, Bolton did seem to be inspired by the sending off! They took the lead, and then, when Blackburn equalised, they re-took the lead within 10 seconds of the re-start, and hung on ro win 2-1. Bolton now find themselves in the dizzyingly high position of sixth, only six points behind the leaders!
Monday, 22 November 2010
Title contenders: is the balance of power shifting?
Chelsea lost - again.
Arsenal lost at home - again.
Manchester United gained ground on Chelsea with a 2-0 win against Wigan Athletic, but were unconvincing, and have drawn half their league games this season.
Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in places 4th to 7th, all won.
Is the balance of power beginning to change?
The fact is that the top three remain as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. The chasers have yet to break in among them. Even Liverpool, who had a terrible start, are only three points behind Tottenham, who boss Harry Redknapp claims are in title contention. Fulham boss and ex-City boss Mark Hughes saw his team whipped 4-1 by the Mancunian Blues and declared them to be contenders.
The problem is that, despite the reduced consistency of the regular challengers, the chasing pack are even more inconsistent. Unless they can improve that, then the big three (as they are now) will gradually pull away and be the three in the tussle for the title come the business end of the season.
Chelsea astound. They have now lost three games in of the last four, scoring only one goal in the four games, have sacked Ray Wilkins as coach, and seem to have a thin squad after injuries have struck. One apparent piece of good news on Saturday was the return of Alex, but they lost all the same.
Has Roman Abramovich interfered once too often?
Arsenal lost at home - again.
Manchester United gained ground on Chelsea with a 2-0 win against Wigan Athletic, but were unconvincing, and have drawn half their league games this season.
Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in places 4th to 7th, all won.
Is the balance of power beginning to change?
The fact is that the top three remain as Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal. The chasers have yet to break in among them. Even Liverpool, who had a terrible start, are only three points behind Tottenham, who boss Harry Redknapp claims are in title contention. Fulham boss and ex-City boss Mark Hughes saw his team whipped 4-1 by the Mancunian Blues and declared them to be contenders.
The problem is that, despite the reduced consistency of the regular challengers, the chasing pack are even more inconsistent. Unless they can improve that, then the big three (as they are now) will gradually pull away and be the three in the tussle for the title come the business end of the season.
Chelsea astound. They have now lost three games in of the last four, scoring only one goal in the four games, have sacked Ray Wilkins as coach, and seem to have a thin squad after injuries have struck. One apparent piece of good news on Saturday was the return of Alex, but they lost all the same.
Has Roman Abramovich interfered once too often?
Tuesday, 12 January 2010
Fans don't understand as Coyle leaves Burnley
ew Bolton Wanderers boss Owen Coyle cannot be surprised at the 'Judas' and 'betrayal' accusations coming from Burnley fans after he left their club to move less than 20 miles south to the Reebok.
Coyle said he could understand that people would be hurt and disappointed, as it's an emotional game.
Coyle said he could understand that people would be hurt and disappointed, as it's an emotional game.
No fan can understand why anyone would want to leave their club. The beast that is so dear to them should - in their minds - be just as dear to anyone else who has ever been part of their club.
So it doesn't matter that Coyle previously turned down boyhood heroes, Celtic, or that he played for Bolton in the '90s. He should turn down Celtic, and his time with Bolton is irrelevant to the fans.
Coyle says Bolton are five to 10 years ahead of Burnley, but they are currently two points and four places behind them.
The Burnley fans will be thumbing the fixture list for the next game against Bolton. Ha, ha, of course, it's not far away. 26th January: Bolton v Burnley at the Reebok.The shouts from the away fans will be loud and vociferous.
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