BOLTON need a team of Amir Khans to keep them in the Premier League.
No punch in attack, and no steel in defence, Wanderers stumbled to defeat as quickly as local hero and Bolton fan Khan's latest opponent, Dane Martin Kristjansen.
Once, when six or seven teams felt twitchy about falling through the top flight trap door, Bolton were well placed to avoid the drop.
But as defender Andy O'Brien conceded after this Villa Park debacle: "It's a two-horse race now in my eyes." And the former Irish international knows Birmingham are better placed to complete a great escape than his own club.
With Yorkshire pragmatism O'Brien added: "Unless we start winning games we are down.
"In the position we are in now it's not a case of looking to see what other teams do.
"It's very simple to understand.
"We're four points adrift and Birmingham have a better goal difference.
Tunnel
"So, as it stands, we need two wins.
"The only light at the end of the tunnel was Birmingham losing to Wigan.
"We have to put this defeat it to the back of our minds now.
"We're still not relegated but we have four points to make up." Next up are West Ham on Saturday, the penultimate home game of the campaign.
"It's the biggest match of our season."
Wanderers boss Megson added: "I don't think anyone is giving up and I would be disappointed if that was the case.
"We can close the gap but now we have a huge home game against West Ham.
"People go on about must-win games and that is as near as you can get to that."
Will Bolton survive? Have your say.
Comments
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I do hope the rumours sbout Big Sam taking over turn out to be true. Gartside and Megson are "not fit for purpose".
To mis-manage and bring down a club in 8 months after 8 fantastic years is unforgiveable. Selling Anelka without an equivalent replacement, when it was being organised 2 months before the January window was the major crime. I could go on!
The Bolton News should also be held accountable for collusion. Since 9pm on Saturday night they have stopped us making comments on the website after a flood of criticism against the Board, Chairman and Manager. What about freedom of speech? Disgraceful for a "Newspaper" to act like this.
Aufwiedersehen...
THINK THE PIES HAVE COME. !
I totally agree with regards to Bolton (evening) News surpressing comments from the Bolton fans...
This is what I posted JUST before it was closed down and wanted to show what a catastrophe Gartside and co has been since November 2006 to bring about our downfall.
Have you ever seen a grown man cry? I did today, in a mirror. It was me!
WHY?
The sorry state in which Bolton Wanderers are free-falling into the Championship and possibly lower.
I saw the match on Sport Een Extra (Dutch cable channel) yesterday and just could not believe how rubbish we were. It is no wonder we lost 4-0.
Yes there are some players who are not bothered just as long as they get their money week in week out - that is normal for any club in any division. BUT I do blame the management and the chairman.
GARTSIDE
- as you all know my views about this person but in short:-
Nov'06 to Mar'07
- the argument with Big Sam Allradyce that eventually saw the Big Man leave for pastures new. This also menat that the team did not receive the money required to strengthen the team in the January window.
Mar'07
- no sooner had the Big Man left and then you appoint LSL ONLY 1 DAY LATER - a person with no management skills whatsoever, although he was once a good coach. You stated that LSL was actually the man that had brough success to the club and not Big Sam (an overspill of the argument) - but if I remember correctly wasn't it the partnership of Big Sam and Sunbed Brown which was the MOST successful in the clubs history!!!
Summer '07
- Money not spent in January plus PLENTY extra used to bring in 12 players which LSL wanted. Many of which have turned out not to be of Premiership quality (did you not do your homework???). Had a good run in the Peace Cup and only losing in the finals but the friendlies were a disaster!!!
October '07
Due to a very bad run LSL is sacked (at least 4 weeks later than it should have happened to many fans and critics at the time!) Knox takes control of the team temporarily and we actually draw with Bayern Munchen!!
October '07
Megson is signed. The most useless (after LSL) manager ever to grace a football field. His CV shows that he takes clubs down no matter what!!! Fans do not want him, critics cannot undertsnad the appointment and fellow managers think April Fools has come early. Also to rub salt into the wounds, Wanderers pay Leicester for Megson, although he was not contracted to Leicester - but boy, oh boy, Leicester fans are happy to see the back of him!!!! That took less than 2 weeks (the average for a Prem team this season has been between 4 and 5) and yet here in Amsterdam even after 5 months Ajax are still looking for a manager to help them with their ambition of being one of the greatest clubs in the world, again!
February/March '08 -
reseves and youth for UEFA Cup instead of a full strength side - devaluing the cup and getting other Nations FA's up in arms in wanting UEFA to take action against the club. Then to lose against Wigan with the "rested" players. PATHETIC
March/April '08
announcing that Megson's job is safe - if this was any other business would you be saying that?
MEGSON
It has all been said before at West Brom, Notts Forest, Norwich, Leicester and now here at Bolton. That is 5 clubs fans and all critics who believe that Megson is an
incompetent manager!!! WHY WAS HE EMPLOYED???
February/March '08 - reseves and youth for UEFA Cup instead of a full strength side - devaluing the cup and getting other Nations FA's up in arms in wanting UEFA to take action against the club. Then to lose against Wigan with the "rested" players. PATHETIC
Megson is now THE worst manager ever to grace Bolton Wanderers Football Club - and yet he has still been promised his job for next season - beyond belief!!!
Finally, PLAYERS
Players leaving and saying that the trainiing was not up to scratch - WHAT - its no wonder Kevin "Roy Chubby Brown" and others are so far out of shape and are completely unfit for 95+ minutes!
Discontent in the dressing rooms - overspilling on to the Pitch. The players do not like what's happening, they seem to not like Megson and as such do not have the heart to play to their best. Again this is MEGSON'S and GARTSIDE's fault. All plpayers who have been sold and spoken against the club all saying the same thing - is this coincidence or has the Reebok spin doctors been telling lies to the press again??? Meite being the latest one - official press release saying one thing, Meite and now other players saying another (now who do I believe more????).
CAN YOU BLAME THE PLAYERS FOR WANTING TO LEAVE!!!
Funny isn't it that Derby are already relegated but they still show some pride in their game - from Chairman all the way down to the players. What are Bolton doing - freefalling with a chairman and manager who do not give two hoots and players who probably feel fed up, ashamed and in a complete quandarie!!!
Those "rumours" of a Mr S. Allardyce's imminent return to Bolton might indeed be true.