Bolton Wanderers: Cesspool

Good afternoon everyone. Just a couple hours until 3pm, so why not help build up to the big game with a little Vital preview, eh?

Dougie has had as good a start to his Bolton managerial reign as we can really have hoped for. Four points against two of the big promotion contenders is truly great, and a far cry from my expectations just weeks ago. We can now look forward to today, and really push on with the expectation that three points are there for the taking. It is now, and only now, that we can begin to treat every game as winnable. We have the finest squad in the league, and coupled with the newfound belief amongst the squad, and the tactical awareness brought in by the new coaching set up, we must look towards promotion. We need to get out of 17th place first. Lets go!

Dougie`s confident too. Doesn`t talk up the opponents like he wants to take them back to a hotel post-match either. I like it. "But instead of us looking at them, I like to spin things around. I like to think 'I wonder what Blackpool are thinking about Bolton coming to town?` I wonder what Blackpool are thinking about playing against certain players in our team that are very good? When you think like that, it builds confidence within this group, so I`ve really just concentrated on what we are about, our structure and what we need to do. If we prepare properly and go into the game with the right attitude then I believe it`s very much a winnable game for us. We are a team that are showing a bit of determination and grit right now."

The above statement is what makes Dougie Freedman a winner. That`s the sort of thinking that instead of finding excuse after excuse for your flaws, gets you off the ground and makes you what you want to be. And that is why I am so excited for the rest of the season.

Ian Evatt could return for The Tangerines in Michael Appleton`s first game in charge, and Kevin Phillips is most likely to miss the game. Shame it`s not this guy.

This boy is gooood. Whilst Tom Ince gets many of the plaudits, his teammate on the other wing is just as good if not better. I have seen him play live a couple of times and have not understood why a Premier League team hasn`t snapped him up already. Pacy, tricky, direct and with a good eye for goal; Matt Phillips will be a real test to our improving defensive unit.

Injury-wise, we are where we were. David 'Hollywood` N`Gog is back from the suspension that kept him out of Tuesday`s game, and I imagine that he will start the game today in place of our beloved captain. Jacob Butterfield also makes the squad.

It will be interesting to see how Mavies/Sparky plays today. His new role as a deep-lying playmaker has allowed him to focus on the parts of his game that he excels in, and rids him of the pressure to score. It`s a position that I think that he will flourish in over the new few years.

This will be Kevin Davies` 600th career appearance. Impressive. Let`s hope there`s still some gas in the 'never fast to begin with` tank.

I`m going to be really optimistic and say we will win, and get a clean sheet. 2-0.

Baaarnsley next Saturday at home. COME ON YOU WHITE MEN!!!!!

Vital F1 Prediction League - Join now for Monaco