Just a wee push needed.
Date: Friday 30th March 2012
"Great Expectaions" wasnt’ the book choice of most Bolton fans mid-week, when the lads returned to finish off the business still very much highlighted by the harrowing previous encounter, that left Fabrice Muamba critically ill from his collapse. With the lad hopefully on the way to a miracle recovery, few expected a win at White Hart Lane and it transpired thus. Goodbye F.A.Cup for this year. Time for thoughts to turn back to the relegation battle and a visit to Molineux and dancing with Wolves. "Just a wee push", the term made famous -or infamous depending how you see it- by one John McGinlay,has a certain relevance again, this time the push being upwards in the league. Super John’s antics and Lofty’s pie-throwing etc, are happy memories but of little consequence right now. One of my own happy memories involves us giving the gold boys a 5-1 tonking, some years back. With Wolves doing a strong-man act and propping up the whole of the Premiership, the word "vital" never had greater meaning when applied to a win being needed. With just three points separating the bottom four clubs and Blackburn, just two points ahead, and playing United this Saturday, a win for the Super Whites would be a bonus indeed. Wigan play Stoke and Q.P.R have Arsenal. If both should lose and we win then the mood amongst the Bolton faithful could take an upward surge indeed. Not much is favouring us on the injuries front and Fabrice Muamba’s loss was further highlighted on Tuesday when the oft-maligned Darren Pratley was written off in the short term . Who will take his place and what formation/selection OC will make is only partly predictable. Shouts for Josh Vela might be a bit premature due to Premiership experience, then again the " if you’re good enough, you’re old enough" maxim may apply., who knows? We could almost turn out a team of "if only" players: Holden, Lee, Davies, Mears, Fabrice and now Pratley. Mears and Sean Davies would need names on their shirts in red so Bolton supporters could actually recognise them. Bolton-Wolves battles are the stuff of legend and little love is ever lost between us. Right now, none of that matters in the light of sheer survival, and we really need to win this one any which way we can. Unfortunately, Wolves are equally as aware and desperate to do the same. It won’t be pretty and it won’t be easy, and they have the home advantage. All we can hope is that our leader gets it right and the lads perform. Against Tottenham we were outplayed and out-classed. The again, this isn’t Tottenham and you can bet Super John’s licking his lips somewhere and willing us on. I’m opting for 3-1 to us with their goal being from the inevitable corner mishap. Hope I’m wrong in the last bit.
