Bolton Wanderers

With Nicolas Anelka—arguably Bolton's only world-class player—having walked out, £15 million has walked right back in and the Wanderers seem to be at a crossroads yet again. 

Anelka's exit was doubtless, but his leaving now puts the Bolton Wanderers in a bad position, unless the money made on his transfer is put to good use.  But to what use?

The midfield and forward lines are stacked with players high on perspiration but completely bereft of inspiration, creativity, or any semblance of fearsome attack.  The backline is nothing if not porous, coupled with a ‘keeper who will be on his way out by the end of the season—if not sooner—to FC Barcelona or Tottenham Hotspur. 

Further complicating matters, Gary Megson is not only short on gravitas and experience with big name players, but there is no guarantee that he will be around past the end of this season. 

Gary Speed has also departed and Ivan Campo is not likely to be at the Reebok at the end of next summer.  Stelios is not himself and may never be again as Father Time marches on.  Plus, it is now clear that Ricardo Vaz Te will never live up to the potential he has shown in years past; he often is fatally unsure when presented with the chances he craves. 

So would it be correct to classify Bolton as a club in crisis?  Probably.  It seems the club requires a broad and deep and thorough cleaning.  The momentum gained under the stewardship of recently sacked Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce must be restored, as standing still is akin to reversion in the Premiership. 

But, with all of the above in mind, where to spend the Anelka money? 

It should be noted that Sammy Lee was not able to spend all available funds this summer, and now an extra £15 million has just come into the coffers.  A £6 million bid for Djibril Cisse was rejected and reabsorbed, and the sale of Faye to Newcastle for £2.5 million came on the last day of the transfer window and was, consequently, never spent.  To be pedantic you might also add the £250K that came in as Gary Speed departed, taking the total potential transfer kitty to a respectable £23.75 million. 

So where does Bolton really suffer?  How should this money be spent?  As has been reported widely and as the keen observers of any successful side can attest, the spine of the team is most important. 

With Jaaskelainen certain to move, a gamble may need to be made on Ali Al Habsi. His performance against Bayern Munich is still fresh in some minds and so the replacement may already be seriously considered.  As a ‘keeper similar to Jussi, the transition would be seamless for the Omani who is rated as the best in Asia.  

An interesting alternative may be to make a shrewd move to place a swap bid for the Tottenham and England glove man Paul Robinson.  If the former England number one can regain his confidence it may prove to be a very strong maneuver.  More to the point, Juande Ramos would love to see the back of the player who has cost his team so many points, and along with Rijkaard he has shown interest in Jaaskelainen.  

The defensive line is weak across all four positions.  There were howls of derision when Andy O’Brien was purchased from Portsmouth but he has proven to be the best defender on the books.  Michalik, for all his elevation, is too slow for the Premiership.  Nicky Hunt and the converted Joey O’Brien and Ricardo Gardner join Jloyd Samuel as fit for the Premiership, but only in spurts as poor concentration, hapless positioning, and careless distribution make them unsuited to the top flight.  

Complicating the issue of defenders is their adaptation to positions from midfield, certainly stunting the development of Joey O’Brien and demonstrating that Gardner was no longer the club's first choice left sided midfielder. 

So should Gardner be shown to the door and Joey reinstated to the holding role?  The decision is still open to debate, and surely Megson is in discussions with Assistant Manager Archie Knox. 

Even if the underrated Andy O’Brien remains in the back four and Meite comes back from the African Cup of Nations unscathed, the duo are the central pairing to have conceded far too many goals this season.  Add to that the Frenchman Cid who has not settled well at all and who is rumored to be headed back to France, and it may be argued that at least four new defenders are needed just to keep Bolton in the top flight.

But this move is less likely to occur in this window than by the end of the summer transfer window, Premiership status pending of course.  Players who provide a no frills delivery of their trade should be the order of the day and Tottenham has one such man in Paul Stalteri.  The Canadian can play on the left and the right full back positions and so should be at the top of Bolton’s list, unwanted as he is by Juande Ramos at Spurs.  He will cost no more than £1.5 million, a true bargain.

Another player who may just be able to be snared is the much maligned Phillipe Senderos at Arsenal whose time at a big club is surely at an end as he still wants for pace. 

At least one central defender needs to be purchased and preferably one who can lead the line.  O’Brien and Meite are both secondary defenders not as adept at organizing the defense as their positions in the Bolton line up suggest.  The decline in Meite’s game since Faye departed has been alarming and he is clearly not ready to be the defensive rock that Bolton craves, so a replacement is urgent here.  Plus, the midfield has been creaking under the strain of so many aging holding midfield players.

In an attempt to give width to the side Sammy Lee brought in Daniel Braaten and Christian Wilhelmsson, but neither has really demonstrated their worth to the club. On-loan midfielder Mikel Alonso and Wilhelmsson are both expected to be sent back when their loan deals expire. 

When given his chance, Andranik Teymourian proves his value, but has been largely  ignored so far this term, to the exasperation of many fans.  Kevin Nolan has been given the opposite treatment: despite his poor performances he plays week in and week out.  If Newcastle is still willing to sanction his purchase for £5 million then  Bolton would be foolish not to try and be rid of him in as fast as is possible without  offending the club captain. 

So creativity is clearly needed and the young Swiss midfielder Blerim Dzemaili may provide it once back from injury, though he has yet been untested.  Width may also remain a problem, though with Megson’s aversion to playing anything but direct and simple football, this may not be an area that needs to be urgently addressed.  Good distribution is needed as Campo is sure to depart and McCann is often injured and, more disturbingly, dreadfully slow.  Cristiano Ronaldo, Joe Cole, Cesc Fabregas, Jermaine Jenas, Nico Krancjar, and Xabi Alonso all provide the spark in midfield for their clubs and it is this spark that is clearly missing from the Bolton line up.

One player who does provide energy and guile is Guthrie, but his performances have shown Liverpool that they may be in possession of the natural successor to Gerrard, out on loan.  He is still raw, but at such a tender age he does have plenty of years to improve.  It is unlikely that Guthrie will stay at the Reebok, but he should be sounded out to make his loan from Liverpool a permanent move.

 
If Guthrie is not available then the under-utilised Steve Sidwell at Chelsea should be an ideal candidate, as should Tom Huddlestone at Spurs, to revamp the holding midfield role.  The left side of midfield, and possibly defense on occasion, appears to be Matty Taylor at Portsmouth who, along with Pedro Mendes, may be solid purchases providing better options than what is available currently. 

Potential loanees may also include Gilberto (if he is not sold to Juventus), and Denilson and Diarra from Arsenal who are both young, talented, and not getting enough game time.  Australian Jason Culina at PSV Eindhoven has been searching for a Premiership club for some time and, before his exile to the base of the midfield, was an efficient playmaker who scored goals on occasion. 

Bolton’s striking options are severely lacking in goals and all are victims to the parsimonious service from the stale midfield.  While Anelka is sure to thrive at Chelsea where he will be given the support to take his season tally well over 20 goals, the Bolton striking options would be lucky to score another 20 goals combined before the end of the season.  

Pre-Anelka, the Bolton team was very good at sharing goals and it had been quite some time since a striker scored more than 10 goals.  The midfield in Nolan, before his form collapse, and Campo and Speed has always contributed heavily to the Bolton cause.  Former defenders in Jaidi and N’Gotty also scored their fair share. 

It has been the reliance on Anelka to score that has papered over the cracks at the Reebok. 

Elmander and Zigic have both recently been mentioned, as has the scorer of the winner for Blackburn, Jason Roberts.  Roberts, as the cheapest player of the trio, is the most likely, and Elmander is rumored to have been valued by his club in recent days at an obscene £22 million.  Old boy Eidur Gudjonsson has been desperate to put his Spanish adventure behind him and a possibility for a loan should not be out of the question. West Ham has made their interest in him known and the rumor mill has put Henrik Larsson firmly back in position for another loan move, similar to his stint at Manchester United last season.                

After covering the five bottom teams last time around, it is now time for the next set of five teams.

While none of these teams face immediate threat of relegation, neither are they in serious contention of the UEFA Cup.

15. Bolton

Bolton has gone through a lot this season.

Losing Big Sam in the close season was damaging enough.  Of course 'Small Sam' Sammy Lee stepped up, but he could not produce the results that the board expected, and so was replaced with current boss Gary Megson.

They sit now at 15th place, and although they seem quite safe from the drop zone, they are actually, points-wise, level with the three teams below them: Birmingham, Wigan, and Sunderland.

With Nicolas Anelka making the big money move to Chelsea, Megson and his team must utilize that cash flow to fill in the attacking void.  Recent tabloids have suggested the former Liverpool Djibril Cisse as a possible replacement.  I hope Bolton can pull off better performances in their remaining 16 games, and rebuild their squad next season.

14. Middlesbrough

It's Gareth Southgate's second season in charge, and making mid-table ranks is not too bad for Boro.  Last weekend they joined a host of teams to force Liverpool, unexpectedly, to drop two points.  If it were not for Fernando Torres's dazzling equalizer, Boro would be on to their winning ways.

Their recent form suggests they are a team with potential, but potential is not always enough.  With experienced players such as skipper George Boateng, keeper Mark Schwarzer, and Luke Young, combined with pacy left winger Stewart Downing, they have quite a complete squad in all three departments.

Middlesbrough will be looking at a top-half finish and maybe a glimpse at qualifying for Europe.  But they should not be too ambitious yet, as they still must secure the 40-point safety mark.

13. Reading

Reading's match of this season so far would be defeating Liverpool 3-1 at home, marking the first victory at one of the Big Four clubs.  Apart from this fantastic performance, however, the team provides little news worth writing home about.

Reading fared well as debutants last season and finished at a promising eighth, one point and one place shy of qualification for the UEFA cup.

Their current squad does not boast any big names, but my personal favorite would be Nicky Shorey who, based on his performances, deserves to be at a bigger club.

Their sophomore season has not shown great improvement in form, but they would be pushing for another top-half finish.  Relegation should not worry them much.

If they want to match last season's performance, they have to drastically improve their away form by bagging their first win.

12.  Tottenham Hotspur

The Spurs had a bad start to the season, but new boss Juande Ramos is turning things around for the team.  

After Martin Jol's departure, the team is slowly climbing back up to where they should be.  However, in the last two seasons they have finished 5th and there is a lot to do in the remaining 16 games in order to push for a place in Europe.

Needless to say, the attacking partnership between in-form Robbie Keane and star hitman Dimitar Berbatov is terrorizing for defenders.  They have combined to score 18 of Spurs's 30 goals, proving they are of great value.

Their recent draw with North London rival Arsenal was evidence that they can only get better.

If they continue to improve their form, this team has the potential to make a push for Europe.

11. Newcastle United

Newcastle is in deep trouble.  With Big Sam gone packing, the new caretaker manager Nigel Pearson has not pleased the board—they were given a six goal hammering by league leaders Manchester United.

The Newcastle defense was in pieces—the summer recruit from Lyon, Claudio Cacapa, has been very disappointing.  Michael Owen has just recovered from an injury and Obafemi Martins is representing his country.  The squad is in pieces.

So what is next for the Toons?

Mike Ashley better find a permanent manager soon.  Clubs like Chelsea and Bolton have suffered drawbacks as their managers have left mid-season.  This affects the morale of the players, fans, and everyone connected with the club.

There's no denying that the Magpies have one of the best squads outside the Big Four, but good players won't necessarily bring in good results.  It is about teamwork, chemistry—and they are lacking in these areas.

There is promise for Newcastle, but whether promise turns to improvement is another matter.

This is my take on the current situation of these five teams.  Whether you agree or disagree, voice your opinions.

Tomorrow I will present the third article in this mini-series, which will deal with the next 5 teams in the Premiership.  Don't miss out!

You can look back at my first article here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6281-Birmingham_City-Derby_County-Fulham-Sunderland-Premiership_Predictions_I_A_Peek_at_the_Relegation_Fighters-110108

Nicolas Anelka has been the subject of transfer speculation and has been constantly linked with a move away from Bolton. 

After Chelsea's bid of £11m pounds was initially rejected, the club revealed Anelka was signed for a sum of £15m on a 4 and a half year contract.  The 28-year old French hitman is no stranger to the Premier League.  Having played for the top clubs like Arsenal, on loan at Liverpool and now at Chelsea; he also had stints at Manchester City and most recently, Bolton Wanderers.

Anelka will be seen a crucial cover in the attacking line, and will have probably make his debut at the home game against the Spurs.  He will be a direct replacement for Didier Drogba, who has left the squad to join up with the Ivory Coast National Team in preparations for the upcoming African Nation's Cup.  With Shevchenko injured, Anelka will look to partner Claudio Pizzaro for the upcoming games.

Enough description said.  Why has Anelka made the move?

The reasons are very simple.  Anelka wants to move his career up to a new level, and that new level will be Chelsea.  With Champions League football as the biggest lure, and with higher wages, many players would like to move to the Premiership's biggest clubs. 

However, along with his new striker partner Claudio Pizarro, they will not be guaranteed regular playing time.  When Pizarro made Bosman from Bayern Munich in the summer, he knew he would not get any more play time than he did in Munich, but Chelsea was a far more attractive outfit, in my opinion.  Anelka has proven his worth in Bolton, but to surpass the Drogba and Shevchenko in the starting line up, will take sometime.

With Drogba highly tipped to making the exit this summer, Anelka will hope to advance in the pecking order. 

As for Bolton, although they profited a sum of £7m from this transaction, their attacking force will be largely diminished.  The club has depended on Anelka in terms of scoring for the past one and a half seasons, scoring the most crucial goals at times.  As a Manchester United fan, we cannot forget his winning goal that brought down the Red Devils earlier this season.  In my opinion, the Trotters will need to find a new striker partner to Kevin Davies if they want to guarantee a top-half finish.  

It will be interesting how Nicolas Anelka will develop in his new club.  Best of luck to him.

Please feel free to express your thoughts on this high profile transfer. 

After their defeat by Liverpool, back in October, Everton have become one of the best in-form teams in the Premiership.

They have secured a draw, away at Portsmouth.

They have beaten the Russian champions, Zenit St Petersburg, in the UEFA Cup.

They have found victory over Fulham—albeit after an awful first half.

They have taken advantage of two consecutive trips to Upton Park to beat West Ham United—once in the league and once in the Carling Cup, for which Everton’s reward is a semi-final tie against Chelsea.

And finally, they have tallied another win in the UEFA Cup, this time against the Dutch team AZ Alkmaar.

In all, Everton had not been beaten in 13 games. But that run came to a shuddering halt as the Toffees travailed to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

Everton hadn’t won there since 1993, and it looked like that record would continue as Cristiano Ronaldo scored a screamer after 20 minutes.

But yet again (and for the umpteenth time this season), Tim Cahill was in the right spot to pull Everton level just five minutes later.

The game looked to heading for a draw, until Steven Pienaar had a moment of madness three minutes from full time.

Man Utd’s Ryan Giggs was forced away from goal by Pienaar, then cut in behind him to attempt a cross.

Maybe it was a rush of blood to his head, or maybe it was inexperience, or maybe he just can’t tackle. What ever it was, Pienaar dropped a clanger.

With Giggs behind him, Pienaar stuck out a leg, presumably to knock the ball away.

Now I’m not saying Giggs took a dive—far from it. But Giggs has been at the top of his profession for over ten years, and like any other footballer, if you give him the chance to win a penalty for his team, he’ll take it.

But I’m glad I can still remember the days when a player would attempt to avoid a challenge to create a goal scoring opportunity, then go down under a nothing tackle to win their team a penalty.

But with so much money in football these days, football players like that have long since gone.

Over Giggs went, and Ronaldo scored from the spot to give Man Utd a late win.

Everton will feel they deserved at least a point from the game, no matter what Man Utd assistant manager Carlos Queiroz says.

But they had to get over their disappointment quickly, as they faced free-scoring Bolton Wanderers at home. 

In their last three league games, Bolton had scored nine goals. Everton’s defence needed to be water-tight if they were to overcome a Bolton team trying to put as much distance between themselves and the relegation zone as possible.

Bolton are a big, hard, physical team, and Everton would find it hard going with their lightweight midfield.

Traditionally the Boxing Day game is a dire affair. Everybody is still trying to get over their Christmas dinner, it’s cold, and there are one or two hangovers to contend with—and that’s just the players!

So it’s safe to say we weren’t going to see the best performance of the season. And judging by the first 15 minutes, it looked like we weren’t going to see Everton perform at all.

Bolton were all over the pitch, harassing the Everton players every time they got the ball and producing some good passing play on the floor.

Bolton looked quicker and much more determined, and there was a sense around the ground that it could be a long afternoon.

I can’t tell you why the pattern of the game changed, but suddenly Everton began to play.

Their passes started to find blue shirts, their off-the-ball running began to create space. All of a sudden, Everton realised they were in a game.

And Everton started to have a few shots at goal from distance. But the shots that weren’t blocked were well wide of the target. In fact, the Bolton goalkeeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen, didn’t have to make a save in the entire first half.

Then a shot from outside the box was turned towards goal by Yakubu. In it went, and everyone began to celebrate—only for the linesman to rule it offside.

Yakubu hadn’t been offside but Cahill was, even though he was not interfering with play. So the goal was disallowed.

With all the possession, all the good passing, and all the territory gained by their opponents, it was obvious Everton were going to need a huge piece of luck to break down a resilient Bolton.

That piece of luck came five minutes into the second half.

After starting the half brightly, Everton captain Phil Neville found himself just inside the Bolton half.

With not much happening in front of him, Neville attempted a deep cross towards goal.

As the ball dropped towards the penalty spot, both Jaaskelainen and Cahill jumped for the ball, both managed to miss it, and the ball bounced untouched into the bottom of the goal.

1-0  Everton.

While the rest of the Everton players ran to celebrate, Neville began the long walk back to his right back position, only to be mobbed by the entire team. He hadn’t realized he had scored, thinking someone had got a touch on it.

The crowd took great joy in screaming "Shoot!" every time Neville came any where near the ball.

After Everton had taken the lead, Bolton began to attack more. Nicolas Anelka was a constant threat, and it took some good tackling by Phil Jagielka to keep him from scoring. In fact, Jagielka would be the Man of the Match for his defensive performance.

With 20 minutes left in the game, Lescott got himself down the left wing and crossed in the ball, which fell to Cahill in the edge of the box. Cahill took a right-footed shot that rifled into the top of the net.

2-0  Everton. 

Although down by two, Bolton still attempted to push forward. And with Howard not looking like his usual assured self, you felt that if Bolton could get one goal, they would go on to draw the game.

With time ticking away, Bolton began to lose heart. Though they never stopped trying, they couldn’t break down Everton’s well-drilled defence. And with Pienaar and substitute Andy Johnson threatening to break away at the other end, Bolton couldn’t afford to commit too many men forward.

After three minutes of injury time, referee Rob Styles blew the final whistle.

Conclusions

Everton played well, but it was their defence that had won the game. If not for a great game from Jagielka, and an acrobatic goal line clearance by Lescott, Bolton could have got something out of this match.

Gary Megson has got Bolton playing the same way they did under Sam Allardyce—a hard-tackling team who are dangerous from set pieces. If Bolton carry on like this, they won’t be at the bottom end of the league for long.

Everton will have to produce a similar defensive performance if they are to get anything from their next game against Arsenal.

It will be interesting to see if Everton try to attempt a free-flowing passing game or stick to a more counter attack-based plan.

Manchester United traveled down the road Saturday to meet Bolton Wanderers.

With several players coming off international duty, there were a few changes in United's lineup—the most notable being the exclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Vidic from the squad. The starting goaltenders were Jussi Jaaskelainen and Edwin Van der Sar.

The first chance of the game came in the fifth minute, when Michael Carrick ran on to a loose ball but missed his shot and looped the ball into Jaaskelainen. United came close a minute later as a great pass outside from Tevez to Nani set up a cross into the box that eluded everyone.

Bolton had their first chance in the eighth minute, when a long ball released Nicolas Anelka. His cut back pass found Kevin Nolan at the top of the box, but his shot was blocked by Carrick.

Bolton continued the pressure and Guthrie was tackled harshly by Evra. Campo took the free kick, and his looping pass into the box eluded United defender Gerard Pique and found the foot of Anelka, who turned and picked the far corner on Van der Sar.

1-0 Bolton in the 11th minute.

United and Bolton continued to exchange the ball for the next few minutes. United got another chance in the 15th minute, as Louis Saha took a shot that again was mis-hit into Jaaskelainen. Bolton came back with some good ball possession and won the first corner of the game in the 17th minute, but they were unable to generate anything from it.

I was quite impressed with Bolton and their defensive coverage up to this point. They were spot-on with their tackles, and didn’t allow United any free room.

The game got a bit chippy when Patrice Evra and Kevin Davies did a little shoving in the Bolton zone, and both players were warned by referee Clattenburg. Two minutes after the warning, Davies again decided to leave his feet in an ill-advised tackle on Evra, which earned him his fourth yellow card of the season.

Shortly after that play, Diouf flew in to tackle Nani. Nani went down injured, but somehow Diouf escaped a yellow card.

In the 29th minute, United got some good passing going, resulting in a shot from Carlos Tevez that deflected off Andy O’Brien and looped into Jaaskelainen. The 32nd minute again saw Davies clatter into Evra, and he was taken aside by the referee and given a strong talking-to. I imagined that would be the final straw for Davies, and any further problems would result in him being red-carded.

In the 34th minute, Bolton again came close to scoring, as some good ball movement set up Guthrie at the top of the box and his blast deflected just wide of the post. The corner again gave Pique some problems, as his clearance fell right to Hunt and his drive deflected off Ferdinand for another corner. United finally cleared the ensuing kick.

United got some good movement in the 39th minute, as Nani was sent clear down the right side. His cross came to Tevez, who dropped the ball to Owen Hargreaves 20 yards out, but Hargreaves' shot was high and wide of the net. The 44th minute saw a revenge tackle by Evra on Davies, which earned him the wrath of the referee. Clattenburg gave Evra a second chance as he had done with Davies.

The first minute of extra time saw another mistake by Pique lead to a Bolton chance that Ferdinand had to clear to safety. The first half ended with the score still 1-0, Bolton.

Bolton played the first half the way they wanted, giving United very little room to move and flying tackles all over the place.

United couldn't get anything going. Their normally non-stop movement was not there, as they seemed to be just standing, waiting the passes. The first half may have been the worst half Pique has ever played, and if Vidic was playing the score would have been zero.

Oh, to be a fly on the wall of the United locker room at the half!

The second half started with word that Sir Alex Ferguson has been banished from the United bench as the result of some words he had with the referee at the end of the first half.

United started the half with some good ball possession that led to a cross into the box which gave the Bolton defenders and Jaaskelainen some trouble. Bolton came back in the 48th minute with some great passing, leading to a shot by Anelka from 25 yards out that went high and wide.

With 52 minutes gone, United continued to be outmanned at every opportunity. The 53rd minute saw Guthrie tripped just outside the United box by Carrick. The free kick from Anelka hit the wall and flew out for a corner that amounted to nothing.

In the 56th minute, United had one of their best spells of passing in the game but the chance was wasted by a weak effort by Carrick. Bolton came right back, and a cross from the right side again eluded Pique and Van der Sar was forced to collect the ball. Bolton came back again and a cross flashed across the front of the United goal.

United made their first substitution in the 59th minute, with Pique making way for Anderson. With the change, Wes Brown moved inside to replace Pique and Hargreaves dropped back to right back. The 61st minute saw a long ball into Giggs, which hit his arm and ended the play.

United appeared to have turned their game up a notch. However, Bolton came right back and shoddy play by Brown and Ferdinand almost allowed Anelka another free shot at the net.

United were pushing forward again in the 64th minute, with Anderson sending Evra away. He was pulled down by Nolan, earning the Bolton captain a yellow card. The free kick from 25 yards was taken by Hargreaves, and he beat the wall and forced Jaaskelainen into a great diving save. Another free kick was earned, and this time Giggs took the kick and earned a corner as the ball bounced off the wall.

In the 67th minute, Tevez sent a nice cross into the center of the Bolton box that just escaped the control of Saha and rolled to safety. Nani's cross from the left side was intercepted just before it found Giggs. Nani then had a drive that was just a yard wide of the net.

In the 70th minute, Bolton made their first change, as Gary Speed replaced Davies.

Evra then beat a defender out right, and his cross found Tevez behind everyone—but his deflection went wide from three yards out. How do you miss the net from three yards?

The stamina of Bolton was tested in the second half, and they appeared to tire. In the 75th minute, Bolton made their second change as Guthrie was replaced by Wilhelmsson.

Bolton then has a short period of possession that troubled the United defense but nothing came of it. United came right back with more pressure that resulted in a corner. Giggs sent the kick in and an overhead kick by Nani went way wide. It looked impressive—but it needed to be on target.

Bolton took their time with the throws and free kicks, trying to waste as much of the clock as possible. The 81st minute saw a great chance for United as Tevez sent Saha in but Jaaskelainen was out to collect before Saha could catch up to the ball. Spot-on goalkeeping there.

The 83rd minute gave us the most questionable call—or non-call of the game, as a cross by Nani into the box struck the arm of the Bolton defender, but referee Clattenburg decided there was no infraction.

United came close in the 85th minute, as a corner from Giggs found the head of Ferdinand and his header deflected off a Bolton defender over the net—however, a goal kick was given. Bolton came back down into the United half and wasted 30 seconds waiting to take a throw, earning Hunt a yellow card. United made another change, and replaced Brown with O’Shea.

The 89th minute saw another wasted chance by United, as Hargreaves took a shot from 25 yards that went well wide. Bolton did a great job of countering in the closing minutes, forcing United to defend.

Four minutes of extra time added to the drama of the game. United earned a corner in the second minute of extra time that saw Van der Sar join the fray. Bolton cleared and Evra was loose on the right side.Hhe decided to go for glory, but put his shot high over the net—a totally wasted effort with Saha wide open.

In the fourth minute of extra time, Diouf took down Evra, which gave United one last free kick. Hargreaves took the kic,k and it beat the wall and hit the top of the netting. That was the last effort for United as the whistle blew to end the game.

The game was very reminescent of the first couple of games United played this season when they had Rooney out injured and Ronaldo out suspended. They started the season horribly when those two players were missing and did no better today.

To make things worse, United’s best defender Vidic was also left out of the squad. I think Sir Alex made a mistake by not respecting Bolton. If United miss the title this season this will be a game that will be looked back on as the possible reason.
 

The UEFA Champions League may be Europe's most prestigious tournament, but the UEFA Cup is still regarded as one of Europe's top prizes.

Blackburn, Bolton, Everton, and Tottenham will all look for glory as they head into the second leg of the first round on Thursday night.

Blackburn Rovers

Despite getting off to a flying start in England’s top flight, Blackburn will be looking to recover from their first defeat since April 15th after a shocking 2-0 loss at the hands of Greek side Larissa in the first leg.

Providing a relatively poor performance, the Rovers failed to sustain an offensive presence throughout the whole match.

"Up until now we have shown quality and energy, but they were missing tonight. We have left ourselves a lot to do,” said a frustrated Mark Hughes when asked about his club’s performance in Greece.

If Blackburn is to stay in the UEFA Cup, Hughes will need to rally his troops when they welcome Larissa to Ewood Park on Thursday night for their second leg encounter.

Player to Watch:

Roque Santa Cruz, Striker

Paraguay international Roque Santa Cruz will to be a key figure in Blackburn’s bid to keep their European campaign alive. Santa Cruz will need to establish himself as a constant thorn in the Larissa defense as the Rovers look to close the gap.

Bottom Line:

Blackburn will be in for quite a scare when they set foot on the pitch at Ewood. While a 2-0 deficit will be very difficult to overcome, the Rovers have the firepower up front to make up for their lackluster first leg.

Bolton Wanderers

Samie Lee’s side has gotten off to a poor start in both their European and English campaigns.

Under pressure to make up for the loss of the departed Sam Allardyce, Lee will need to ensure Bolton supporters that the club is in good hands.

With that being said, Bolton will need to put their troubles behind them when they play at the RBK Stadium Thursday night against FYR Macedonian side Rabotnicki after a 1-1 first leg draw.

Player to Watch:

Nicolas Anelka, Striker

Relying on French talisman Nicolas Anelka, Bolton will need to find a way to provide him opportunities to get shots on target. Blessed with uncanny pace and accuracy, Anelka has become one of the most feared strikers in the Barclays English Premier League.

 
Bottom Line:

Replacing a man of Sam Allardyce’s stature is never easy. Samie Lee is finding it out the hard way. If he doesn’t find a way to overcome Rabotnicki, it could mean a quick pink slip at the end of the season.

Everton

Suffering an embarrassing 1-1 tie in front of the Everton faithful, Everton will need to forget about their first leg result. Failing to convert on two penalty opportunities, the Toffees will have to perform away from Goodison Park if they are to make it through to the next round.

Player to Watch:

Mikel Arteta, Midfielder

The return of Spanish maestro Mikel Arteta will significantly boost Everton’s offensive attack when they make a trip out to the Ukraine to visit Metalist. Blessed with amazing technical skill and vision, Arteta will be relied on to pick out £11 million hitman Yakubu.

 
Bottom Line:

David Moyes’ boys should be looking more confident and composed when they take on Metalist. The Toffees will be without striker Andy Johnson but the overall talent of Everton should be enough to overpower a weak Ukrainian side in Metalist.

Tottenham Hotspur

To say the least, it hasn’t been a great start for Spurs manager Martin Jol. With speculation of Sevilla manager Juande Ramos replacing him as Tottenham manager, Jol has been a target of major scrutiny from the English press. Following a poor defensive effort against Aston Villa, Jol will be sure to stress the importance of defending to his players.

For now at least, the team is still under Jol’s control as they head into Cyprus to take on Anorthosis Famagusta FC after a first leg 6-1 thrashing.

Player to Watch:

Robbie Keane, Striker

If playing, Tottenham captain Robbie Keane will be a constant headache for the Anorthosis back four. Being Tottenham’s most consistent player thus far, it’s hard not to envision the Ireland international not coming away with a goal or two. 

Bottom Line:

The pressure will be off Martin Jol for the time being after establishing a comfortable first leg victory over Anorthosis Famagusta FC. Look for Tottenham to play reserves and younger players, as they will be looking for European experience.