Bolton Wanderers: 5 Things We Learned from the Trotters' Game Versus Liverpool

On Saturday, Bolton Wanderers and Liverpool faced each other in what was previewed as a must-watch match. Both teams were high in the standings after two matches and were playing confidently. Unfortunately, this game was somewhat disappointing. It wasn't one of those disappointing matches that ends goalless or finishes with a massive fight. Instead, it was because only one team was awake for the 90 minutes. Liverpool were superb throughout while Bolton were depressingly bad. It's still a mystery to me how this game was only 3-1 for the Reds.

There's a lot that Owen Coyle will be thinking about in the upcoming days, especially as the transfer window comes to a close. Here's a list of five things, both positives and negatives, we learned from Bolton's performance against Liverpool:

I have always considered Gary Cahill to be one of the best young center-backs out there, but his performance against Liverpool makes me uncertain. He had some momentary lapses in concentration, though he didn't have a horrible game.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said about Zat Knight. The 31-year-old was completely off his game and was fortunate that the referee chose not to award even one penalty to the Reds. Knight was at least somewhat responsible for the three Liverpool goals (and very much at fault for Skrtel's header). In addition to this, there were a few times where Knight clearly fouled a Merseyside player in the penalty area.

Six goals conceded by Bolton in two EPL matches is pretty bad. Yes, the games were against high-scoring Manchester City and Liverpool. However, this should still be an indication to Owen Coyle that a new center-back is needed. Despite a lackluster performance by Cahill, there's no way the English defender won't start for the Wanderers. However, Bolton should try to purchase a new center-back in the next few days, one who will compete with Zat Knight.

Unfortunately, at the moment, Bolton Wanderers aren't good enough to finish in the top 10. They were tied for first place on week one after a great away win at QPR. Bolton also worked hard against Manchester City, a game which they narrowly lost 3-2. But this all changed for the Liverpool match in which Bolton barely showed up. Liverpool should have scored way more than three goals against a Trotters side that lacked energy and creativity. 

It may be premature to write off Bolton for a top 10 finish this season after just three games. However, if we also use the end of last season as a guideline, then it should be said that the Wanderers are lacking some quality that will keep them in the top half.

If Bolton can deal with their injuries better than they did last season, then a top 10 finish may not be far-fetched. They hovered just above the top for much of the campaign but it was those last months that wrecked the Trotters' season.

I have started this slideshow with some negative thoughts about Bolton Wanderers but that'll change now. In the Manchester City and the Liverpool matches, Mark Davies was used as a substitute for Fabrice Muamba. After the English midfielder came on the field, it was clear that Bolton were more attack-minded and had more creativity.

Owen Coyle certainly has a good reason for starting with Reo-Coker and Muamba in the center midfield positions (probably because it's better defensively). However, Davies would be a wise choice for Coyle, as the 23-year-old provides more attacking play from the middle while still defending well.

We will see how Bolton line-up against Manchester United this weekend and hopefully Mark Davies will start. It would be hard to choose whether to drop Muamba or Reo-Coker though.

Before the beginning of this season, nobody would have expected Ivan Klasnic to have scored in each of the opening three matches. He has never been an integral part of Bolton's squad, as he in fact didn't start any EPL matches last season. But now, with the departure of Johan Elmander and more confidence, Klasnic has found his scoring touch, which was especially visible with his goal against Manchester City. The Croatian and Kevin Davies should be able to form a superb partnership up front.

Bolton may have lost their top-scoring striker Elmander to Galatasaray, but Klasnic's early season success should thoroughly cover the loss of the Swede.  

Stuart Holden was superb for Bolton last season after joining from Houston Dynamo in early 2010. When the Wanderers faced Manchester United at Old Trafford in March 2011, Bolton were in a remarkable 7th place in the league and had secured a semi-final spot in the FA Cup.

But this game against United certainly hurt Bolton dramatically. Holden was the victim of a poor challenge from Jonny Evans, who received a straight red card for the tackle. The American midfielder was ruled out for six months after doctors revealed that he had injured his anterior cruciate ligament. 

The absence of Holden was felt by Bolton as they dropped from 7th place to 14th as the Premier League season came to a close. They were also humiliated by Stoke City in a 5-0 FA Cup semi-final. It's clear that the American's injury certainly affected the team mentally as well as physically. 

Now, as Holden's return to first-team action looms, it looks like Bolton will be regaining the energy and creativity that they lost in March. Hopefully we can see Lee Chung-Yong, who is said to be out until next year, come back as soon as possible.