Bolton Wanderers: Expectations

Evening everyone. I come to you late in the day, not just because I have been busy (work/Christmas/everything), but because I was really hoping for some sort of news to appear for me to comment on. Yes, I`ve seen the pictures of Fabrice Muamba on Strictly, but I`m here to talk football.

Dougie says we`re getting there, and that we`ve started to look a like a team that can pick up the points required for promotion. Great Douglas. I think we all thought that we would be in that place in August (thanks Owen), but mid December will have to do. And I agree, at least with the pick up points bit. Promotion, I`m not so sure.

Even if we continue our improvement between now and the end of the season, we can`t guarantee sneaking into those playoff places; and we cannot guarantee that if we did, we would be able to get to Wembley and win the thing. Points per game has improved, but the longer the season goes and we aren`t hitting two a game, the more we`ll need to get into sixth.

One thing that still hasn`t hit expectations is the form of a certain South Korean right-winger. Chungy has now been back from injury since May, almost as long as he was out for after that horror challenge from that nobody Newport player. It appeared after Owen Coyle`s sacking that the gaffer`s laissez-faire approach to fitness training may have stunted the midfielder`s return. However, two months into Dougie`s reign and his exercise hell, I cannot see the old magic returning to his legs.

He looks scared to run past a player. I haven`t seen him take anyone on at all since his return, and have recently been taking extra attention of all his play, just in case I`m missing anything. He seems to be playing very narrow and very deep; never in the position you would like him to be in when a counter-attacking chance reveals itself.

When he does receive the ball, he doesn`t appear to have the pace that he had when he burst onto the scene only three years ago. Play doesn`t seem to progress until another player makes it easy for him to make a five yard pass either. I`m worried, and I`m also saddened by what could have been a great career for the lad, ruined by one rash tackle in a game he should never have been involved in. Still, we can probably make a decent bit of cash if we were to sell him in January. His reputation is an asset in itself.

Lets just hope that Holden comes back as he was, and not as a shadow. Lets worry about that another day, anyway. See you all on Thursday.