Tag Archives: Bolton

Forest ready for Bolton battle

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Nottingham Forest have made a positive start to their Championship campaign and will make the trip to the Reebok Stadium on Friday confident they can get something from their clash with Bolton Wanderers (Bolton Wanderers Evens, draw 5/2, Nottingham Forest 13/5 – Match Betting).

The Reds claimed a win on the opening day of the season with a 1-0 home victory over Bristol City, followed by a hard fought 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town in West Yorkshire in midweek from which they were unlucky not to claim the three points from.

Manager Sean O’Driscoll has made his side hard to beat in their opening games and it looks like Forest (7/2 – Promotion Outright) will be in the mix for the play-offs come the end of the regular season.

Backed by their new Kuwaiti owners, Forest have been able to make some strong signings over the summer and they are likely to add to the squad at the City Ground before the window closes at the end of the month.

The signing of Simon Cox from West Brom already looks like it will pay off over the course of the season, as he found the net against the Terriers on Tuesday and looked a threat throughout.

With the likes of Lewis McGugan  and Dexter Blackstock in their ranks, Forest have some real attacking threats who are bound to get chances presented to them on Friday night against a Bolton outfit who have already shown they can be vulnerable at the back this term.

The Whites had a rude awakening to life in the Championship when they were comfortably beaten 2-0 by Lancashire rivals Burnley last weekend.

That result at Turf Moor will have been a bitter pill to swallow for Trotters boss Owen Coyle against his former employers but he will have been pleased with his side’s display in midweek when they saw off Derby County 2-0 at the Reebok.

Bolton (7/1 – Championship Outright) will be a tough proposition on home soil this term, as they have been able to keep hold of many of their key players who dropped down from the Premier League last season.

Mark and Kevin Davies form the spine of the team in the upper half of the pitch and Coyle will need to keep both those players at the club beyond the transfer window if they are to be successful in the second tier of English football.

The strong back two of Matthew Mills and Zat Knight will be tough to break down and the pair of Keith Andrews and Chris Eagles in the middle of the park will add an extra attacking threat that Forest will have to be wary of.

This certainly looks like it will be a very close game and it could go either way, depending on who can make the most of their chances.

It looks like there could well be a share of the spoils which would probably make O’Driscoll the happier of the two managers as Forest (12/1 – Championship Outright) would maintain their unbeaten record in the league this season.

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Lions to add to Bolton woes

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The FA Cup returns this weekend with a host of intriguing fifth round fixtures to look forward to. Could we finally have a couple of upsets in what has been an FA Cup where shocks have been few and far between thus far?

Chelsea v Birmingham City 12:30pm

Depending on which Blues you support you are either rather depressed or pretty optimistic about what the rest of the season could bring. For Chelsea fans you’ve seen your team win just two of the last ten in the Premier League and are perhaps considering a season without Champions League football next year.

If you are a Birmingham fan then a 13-match unbeaten run has given you hope of bouncing back at the first time of asking and maybe causing another FA Cup upset. Blues have already claimed one Premier League scalp, when defeating Wolves at Molineux, and are now setting their sights on another.

Chelsea look to be a team in turmoil, with manager Andre Villas-Boas hinting this week that not everyone is happy with his plans for the future at Stamford Bridge. A player revolt is the last thing Villas-Boas needs and as such Birmingham fans might feel as though they have chance.

Chelsea will be without John Terry, Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and Salomon Kalou, while Villas-Boas could rest some players with the midweek trip to Napoli in mind. Birmingham are without their main goal threats in Marlon King and Nikola Zigic, so one goal is about as much as they are likely to manage.

A Chelsea win is priced at 2/7, with a Birmingham upset 9/1. However, the draw looks to be as close as we will get to an upset, which is available at 9/2. No matter the result Frank Lampard has a good record against lower league opposition and can be backed at 5/1 to score first.

Millwall v Bolton 3pm

After last week’s disastrous defeat to Wigan the last thing Bolton would want is a tough FA Cup tie at the New Den. Given the Trotters current position in the bottom three, the FA Cup might be seen as something of a distraction and as such you’d expect Coyle to rotate his squad for the clash.

Millwall had found themselves in a similar position to Bolton recently, but a run of just two defeats in the last eight has seen them make steady progress away from the relegation zone. They caused something of an upset in the last round when they won at Southampton and at 7/4 are worth a punt to make it through to the quarter-finals.

Lions manager Kenny Jackett has promised to attack from the off and he will hope to have topscorer Darius Henderson fit after a number of weeks out. Over 2.5 goals at even money could also be worth a look given Bolton’s poor defensive record.

Sunderland v Arsenal 5:15pm

The Black Cats should be licking their lips at the prospect of Arsenal coming to visit on Saturday. They might have lost the Premier League encounter between these two last week but after the Gunners took a beating at AC Milan they look right for the picking.

The last few seasons for Arsenal have followed a familiar pattern, with everything going wrong in February. Last season they started February in four cup competitions and ended it with no hope of any silverware. This season could be a similar story, with Sunderland boss Martin O’Neill desperate for his team to go on a run in the FA Cup.

The Gunners once again have defensive problems with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker sidelined, meaning the unreliable Johan Djourou could get a run out. Sunderland have been boosted by the news that Lee Cattermole is fit to return and on his day he could prove to be a thorn in Arsenal’s side.

Sunderland are 15/8 to defeat Arsenal, with the Gunners 7/5 and the draw 12/5.

Elsewhere, Everton host Blackpool in what should be an intriguing clash in which the Toffees should come out on top. Everton are struggling defensively while Blackpool score for fun so over 2.5 goals at 4/5 could be worth a few quid.

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Bolton set for more misery

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Arsenal’s title charge has hit the buffers of late but they take on Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok on Sunday and are 8/11 favourites to get back on the winning trail as the Trotters (18/5 to win, 11/4 the draw) are probably still reeling from their FA Cup semi-final Wembley nightmare last weekend.

The Gunners are ‘enjoying’ a 16-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and the only side yet to be beaten this calendar year but have failed to capitalise on recent slip from leaders Manchester United, winning just three of their last nine games.

Both Chelsea and United have secured more points in 2011 and games are running out for Arsene Wenger’s men to try and claw back a six-point deficit.

It has been a disappointing week for the Gunners to be forced to settle for two points from winning positions – firstly with Dirk Kuyt’s penalty deep into injury time on Sunday before Spurs rallied from 3-1 down on Wednesday to snatch a share of the spoils.

However, those lapses will surely focus the minds of the Arsenal players and they have certainly found Bolton an easier victim of late.

There was a time not so long ago when the Trotters were a bogey side for the north London giants but the Gunners have put that to bed with eight successive Premier League wins, and nine in total since a 3-1 defeat at the Reebok in 2006.

Earlier this season, Arsenal ran out comfortable 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture at the Emirates while they won this game last term 2-0.

Goals have been common in this match and, of late in Arsenal’s favour, so if the 8/11 on the away win is not the sort of price you are looking for, the 15/8 on the Gunners to win in the handicap market (-1) is certainly worth looking at.

Bolton will somehow have to put that 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Stoke to the back of their minds but that will be easier said than done with precious little else (other than pride) to play for.

Owen Coyle has made the Reebok something of a fortress with just two defeats suffered at home all season, while they have also won the last four, three coming with clean sheets.

Daniel Sturridge is able to return to the side as he was ineligible for the FA Cup semi-final and should be considered in the goalscoring markets (15/8 Anytime), having scored six goals in eight Premier League games since arriving at Bolton.

However, Robin van Persie (4/1 First/Last Goalscorer) has been in sensational form on his travels and could set a new Premier League record by scoring in a seventh successive away match – he currently shares the record with Didier Drogba.

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Blackburn, Baggies, Blues, Bolton

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Bet on the Premier LeagueThere are only two games over Sunday and Monday in the Premier League but both ties should be interesting contests.

Blackburn host West Bromwich Albion at Ewood Park on Sunday as the Baggies look to go level on points with Rovers (Blackburn 6/5, draw 23/10, West Brom 23/10).

New Rovers signing Jermaine Jones is likely to make his debut for the club, having moved on loan from Budesliga side Schalke.

The American midfielder should give a lift to Blackburn in the middle of the park alongside David Dunn who returns from injury.

Rovers will still be without Australian midfielder Brett Emerton, who is away on international duty, whilst Youssuf Mulumbu and Graham Dorrans will miss the match for West Brom through injury.

The Baggies have not managed to win a game at Ewood Park in the last 20 years and were beaten 3-1 last time these two sides met back in December.

Blackburn, with Jones looking to get forward from midfield, will be a dangerous prospect and should win this one, with Roque Santa Cruz looking to get on the scoresheet for the first time since his return to Ewood Park.

Chelsea look like they have started to turn their fortunes around and they will want to make it three wins on the bounce when they travel to the Reebok Stadium to face Bolton on Monday (Bolton 9/2, draw 14/5, Chelsea 8/13).

The Blues will be hoping to have their captain John Terry fit for the clash in the North-West, as the former England captain is recovering from a minor back injury.

Frank Lampard is also a doubt for the defending Premier League champions with a calf strain.

These two players are vital for Chelsea and their absence could make a big difference as to who will get the three points from this one.

Bolton were unlucky not to get a point at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season when Didier Drogba was offside before Florent Malouda slotted the ball home to give the Blues a 1-0 win.

This is going to be a real test for Chelsea to see if they have put their poor Premier League form behind them.

If Lampard and Terry are absent on Monday then Bolton could make life very difficult for Carlo Ancelotti’s men, who will be hoping to close the gap between themselves and the top of the table.

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Jaaskelainen talks up Bolton

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Jussi Jaaskelainen thinks Bolton Wanderers (9/2 to be relegated this season) can finish in the top ten of the Premier League, providing they make a good start to the season and improve defensively.

Owen Coyle’s side managed a 0-0 draw with Fulham in their opening league game after an extensive pre-season that saw them travel to North America and Scotland and achieve some mixed results.

Keeper Jaaskelainen arrived at Bolton in 1997 and has seen a lot change around the club during his time in the north west.

He admits to being particularly impressed by the effect that Coyle has had on the team since he replaced Gary Megson in January.

The former Burnley manager has worked astutely in the transfer market during the summer, bringing Martin Petrov and Robbie Blake in on free transfers while also signing Marcos Alonso and teenager Tom Eaves.

Former Finland international Jaaskelainen has saved Bolton (125/1 to finish in the Premier League top four) countless points over his 13 years at the club and admits that defensive frailties hampered the side last season – which is something that needs to change this year.

Only five clean sheets in 36 games last season held the club back and the 35-year-old told the Bolton News that was the result of “loads of individual mistakes”, something that was not “good enough” for the club.

“With the manager bringing a lot more confidence to players hopefully we can show that during the season and that will result in more clean sheets,” said Jaaskelainen.

“The main thing for us is to have a good start and, in the first 10 games, we need to get around 15 points because in the last three years that is what has been letting us down.

“If we make a good start, then we can look for a top-10 finish.”

One man looking to benefit from the new confidence that Coyle has brought to the Reebok Stadium is striking misfit Johan Elmander.

The £10 million club record signing has scored only eight goals since arriving in the summer of 2008 and has been subject of cruel jibes during his time in the Premier League.

After the draw against Fulham Coyle took time to pay credit to the Swedish striker, stating he was “outstanding” during the game and “deserved a goal” – he was ultimately prevented by young goalkeeper David Stockdale, however.

Speaking about the forward, Coyle said: “I have always had belief in him. I can try and give him confidence because I have belief in him as a manager, and I’ve shown that by picking him.”

Elmander is likely to have his next chance to repay the faith from his manager when Bolton travel to east London to take on West Ham in the Premier League this weekend (West Ham 6/5 to win, Bolton 21/1, draw 9/4).

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Bolton ace’s World Cup boost

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Boss Owen Coyle is adamant star Bolton defender Gary Cahill is good enough to make the England World Cup squad (England 5/2 – Top European Team) – and he hopes the 24-year-old is still a Trotter if he makes it to South Africa this summer.

Three Lions coach Fabio Capello is set to name his preliminary squad imminently, with the Italian set to make big decisions over the likes of Spurs duo Ledley King and Michael Dawson while speculation suggests Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher could be tempted out of international retirement.

But Coyle reckons Cahill, who the Trotters snapped up from Aston Villa in January 2008, should definitely in the reckoning for South Africa 2010.

He said: “People will say I am biased but I look around and he is good enough to be in the England squad.

“For such a young age, and him being the top-scoring English centre-back in the country with pace and power, I don’t want to lose him.”

Coyle lives in the real world after cutting his managerial teeth with St Johnstone and Burnley before being chosen to succeed Gary Megson at the Reebok in January.

And while he wants to keep Cahill on board for next season’s Premier League campaign, he also knows a big-money offer would be impossible for Wanderers to turn down.

“I want Gary to help build on where we are. But I accept if someone comes in with an unbelievable £30million offer then we couldn’t stand in his way,” said the Scot.

“It would be the right thing for the club and the right thing for Gary.

“But my plan is to keep Gary here along with the rest of the ones I want at a football club and try to build a team.”

Cahill and Bolton (11/10 to win) complete their season with a home game against Birmingham (12/5) on Sunday afternoon and no doubt Capello will want a report – and not just over Cahill’s performance.

Bolton’s side could feature midfielder Stuart Holden, the USA international, who is in contention after a broken leg picked up in March.

The 24-year-old, who has won 12 caps for his country since his debut, will be desperate to prove his fitness in order to stand a chance of facing England on June 12.

Birmingham keeper Joe Hart also has hopes of making it into the England squad after winning rave reviews during his season-long loan spell at St Andrew’s from Manchester City.

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