Bolton Wanderers - fan's 2008/09 Premier League preview
Wednesday, 06 Aug 2008 15:44
Bolton Wanderers - fan's 2008/09 Premier League preview and predictions
A supporter's views and expectations for the 2008/09 season.
Last season
Premier League: 1st - P 38 W 9 D 10 L 19 GF 36 GA 54 GD -18 PTS 37
Uefa Cup: Round of 16 (lost to Sporting Lisbon)
FA Cup: Third Round - lost 1-0 to Sheffield United
League Cup: Fourth round - lost 1-0 to Manchester City
The manager
Gary Megson will still have an air of popularity surrounding him after he guided Bolton to safety on the back of a solid unbeaten run at the end of last season.
How will he do this season? It depends if he can expand upon the often stultifying defensive tactics without compromising the results.
He will be relying heavily on record signing Johan Elmander to provide both the creativity and the goals, while Kevin Nolan will need to rekindle some of the form he was showing a few seasons ago.
Chances of managerial change?
If Megson can't ride the wave of last season into the beginning of this then there is every chance his reign at Bolton will be a short one.
The players
Exits
Losing Stelios Giannakopoulos, El-Hadji Diouf and Ivan Campo all at once will obviously hurt Bolton, though Diouf is perhaps the only one who would still be challenging for regular first-team football.
New arrivals
Johan Elmander is the key to Bolton's season. The record signing for the club, Elmander will have to deliver on years of promise, taking the responsibility of leading the club to safety.
If he fails, Bolton will be in serious danger of relegation – although perhaps the biggest thing in the club's favour is the likelihood of at least two of the promoted clubs going straight back down.
Needs
The loss of the experienced trio of Diouf, Campo and Stelios will be tricky to replace on the field. Bolton, it could be argued, need strengthening in every position.
There is no player, other than Elmander potentially, who is indispensable, so Megson at least doesn't have to worry about one particular area. Instead, he just has to worry about all of them.
First and foremost, though, would be a forward who can chip in with ten league goals at least.
The fanbase
The fans are still just happy to be in the Premier League, so Megson knows he has at least a small safety cushion.
Continued bad results will swiftly change this situation and a continuation of the grindingly dull defensive football of old could lead to even lower attendance figures.
The fans will be hoping Elmander doesn't prove to be an expensive flop – but if he does then the knives could be out before you can say 'Swedish meatballs'.
Prediction for 2008/09
Bolton will most likely struggle this season. At the very best, Megson could steer the club to a midtable finish but in all honesty, avoiding relegation in 15th to 17th place is far more likely.
The signing of a ten-goal striker, coupled with a dazzling season for Elmander, should see them to safety, but if the promoted sides can get their acts together quickly, who knows what Bolton will be looking up at come Christmas.
It all comes down to Elmander, basically.
David Brown