Meanwhile, rather than building a fresh team to go again, the club spent most of their time trying to hold onto Gary Cahill, a leading star who can walk away for free this summer. Arsenal were the side that seemed most interested during August but their £6 million offer was labelled derisory, although in hindsight it may have been a good deal.
Cahill is undoubtedly worth more but for a player that wants to leave the club and could now go for nothing, it was a moment of greed that could haunt them. If the offer had been accepted, it would have meant losing a great defender but the money could have been used to replace him and the other departed players to deepen the squad numbers and stop them from being caught short by injuries.
On the pitch, Coyle has tried to reinvent the club by throwing away the old, long ball tactics that worked well under Sam Allardyce in favour of an easy-to-watch style. But against Everton he resorted back to the old routine, lumping balls up toKevin Davies, who looks a shadow of his former self, and it suggests that the manager has no idea how to change it around. When he tries his own masterplan, players no longer press the opposition and have lost their bite in the tackle. Others such as Gretar Steinsson and Martin Petrov seemed to be happy to take home their huge wage packets, sauntering around the pitch and almost refusing to get involved when the club needs them most.
The midfield appears unimaginative apart from Chris Eagles, who has impressed but can’t get very far when those around him are struggling for form. They are under confident and unlike in years before, the grit and determination which would pull them through is lacking.
Owen Coyle is a fans’ favourite as a player for Bolton and was a popular choice as manager. He still has the backing of most supporters even though they are currently sat in the Premier League departure lounge. Between now and Christmas the Trotters face Aston Villa, Fulham and an all-important local derby against Blackburn Rovers. If the team doesn’t improve during those matches and pick up a healthy chunk of points it could be curtains for the boss and a not-so-merry festive period at the Reebok.
Can Coyle save Bolton from the drop? Comment below or tell me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.
Written by Joshua Robbins for FootballFanCast.com
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