EPL Talk » Kevin Davies

Gary Megson Is Unloved and Unwanted

Paul Bestall — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:14:47 +0000

Well you’ve got to hand it to him, Gary Megson must have the thickest skin in professional football. I’ve seen him barracked by his own fans at 4 different clubs over the years and that’s some going, even in the fickle world of the football supporter. At a Nottingham Forest game, I saw fans come to blows trying to get to him, at Leicester I saw a fan throw his season ticket at him in his 3rd game in charge. At Bolton he famously finished last in an online poll with 1.7% of the vote behind A.N Other before being announced as manager.

It’s a weird situation when this kind of vitriol follows someone around throughout their career and he’s continually knocked noses out of joint wherever he’s been. Even as a player, whilst highly regarded, Brian Clough was disgusted with his pre-match ritual of throwing up before playing, so much so that he sold him on after only 4 months.

With the exception of the Leicester City job, out of his 8 managerial positions, he’s been sacked from 4 and resigned from 2. The two he left freely were Blackpool and Nottingham Forest, though for his own safety, I think he did well to get out of the City Ground alive. It’s the one thing that astounds me about managers, that whilst I appreciate the mangers success can only be as good as the tools at his disposal, why do so many bad managers keep getting work.

Now it may seem churlish to label Megson as a bad manager, but there is no doubting he is unpopular wherever he goes, with the exception of West Bromwich Albion. Albion were on a slippery slope when he came in and he got them in to the Premiership and they’ve been yo-yoing back and forth ever since, but good lord he plays awful football and that’s where the problem lies. My biggest criticism of him as manager of Bolton is his over reliance on the long ball game and consistently negative outlook.

The constant arguments between Megson and the Bolton fans took a new twist the other day when he said “We’re not Real Madrid”. I don’t think any Bolton fan is under the delusion that they expect the team to play as if they were, but surely Megson could try and pacify the fans rather keep coming out with statements that seem to deliberately antagonise them. With the players he has at his disposal, it’s not too far a jump for them to play football now and again.

The nucleus of a good side is there, with the likes of Matty Taylor, Sean Davis, Johan Elmander, the underrated Jussi Jaakelainen & Kevin Davies and Gary Cahill. Yet the negativity of the fans is beginning to drive a wedge between everyone at the Reebok Stadium. Did the Sam Allardyce reign give them a false level of optimism?

Some Bolton fans have never forgiven Megson for playing a reserve side in their biggest game for 50 years in the UEFA Cup. Megson’s idea was to rest the players for a Premier League game against Wigan the Sunday after, which they ironically lost. That game against Sporting Lisbon was the high point of some Wanderers fans football lives and they resent the fact he didn’t care enough.Staying up was all that mattered and to some fans, that was a bridge too far.

No doubt, the most vitrolic Bolton fans are wanting him out, in 6 League and Cup games they’ve won two, both away from home. The win against Tranmere was no surprise, they are in big trouble already. If anything Megson would have been relived to see the pressure John Barnes is under at Prenton Park. The only win in the league was at troubled Portsmouth who can’t buy any luck at present.

Yet when Megson starts a home game playing with one striker what does he expect? By playing negative football at home, he promotes the negativity in the stands. Each fuels each other, Megson is now scared to lose games, the fans expect defensive, boring football. The fans boo, he complains about lack of support. Trouble is, if Megson does go, who on earth will they bring in to replace him?

2008/09 Team Of The Season

Michael Timbury — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:47:23 +0000

Towards the end of this month, the Premiership team of the year will be announced along with the PFA players’ player of the year. In anticipation of this, I have decided to select my own best eleven of the season and invite you to do likewise. So here goes:

Goalkeeper:

Edwin Van Der Sar

It’s difficult to look beyond someone who didn’t concede a goal for over three months of the season. At the age of 38, he has defied his years, proving that he still has the ability to be considered one of the top keepers in world football and the desire to win medals. Although he does have a remarkable defence in front of him, it is partly his concentration levels that are so commendable. The fact that he spends the majority of games with nothing to do, only to be called into action late on and oblige with both routine and magnificent saves is why he is still a major attribute to Manchester United. His meticulous preparation, years of experience and composure in nervy situations provide the platform for young players like Jonny Evans to come straight into the first team and look like he’s been there for years.

Defence:

Phil Jagielka

A superb season has seen him rewarded with an England call up. Everton pride themselves on having a solid core and while others have taken the plaudits, Jagielka quietly goes about his business, keeping many a top class striker firmly at bay. His ability on the ball is infallible has been consistently good under pressure. He too has that urgency and desire to not lose a goal and in the mould of John Terry and Jamie Carragher, will throw himself in front of anything to ensure that his side do not concede.

Nemanja Vidic

Vidic has been absolutely outstanding for the majority of the season. It will be highlighted that he had a shocker against Liverpool recently but that should not take away from the fact that he has been world class yet again. He is not only vital to United in a defensive sense but his goal threat is sensational. Important ones against Chelsea and Inter Milan have seen him become very much a potent threat from set pieces while his no nonsense attitude at the back makes him a striker’s worst nightmare.

Brede Hangeland

What a find by Roy Hodgson. From leaking goals left, right and centre to being the clean sheet specialists in the Premiership, Hangeland is very much the heart and soul of Fulham’s team. They have built a solid unit around his old school style of defending as he provides a presence that the West London club severely lacked. It is likely that he will move on to a bigger club in the summer and it is clear for all to see as to why he is so coveted.

Joleon Lescott

Another consistent season for the versatile defender who still remains potent in front of goal. He has followed up on his two previous impressive seasons for the Toffees with yet another, this time being more of a feature at centre back than left back. Nonetheless, he still seems to be a key member of Everton’s team and at 26, must only be scraping the surface of his talents and has his best years ahead of him.

Midfield:

Frank Lampard

This man doesn’t know how to have a mediocre season, even when all around him are. His knack for not just scoring but doing so at crucial times never ceases to amaze. Despite the addition of yet another ‘world class’ midfielder in the form of Deco, Lampard continues to remain Chelsea’s only undroppable, unstoppable midfielder and Ballack and the aforementioned Portuguese playmaker could take a leaf out of his book. Another aspect of Lampard’s game that deserves the utmost respect is the fact that he is always available for selection, regardless of the competition. Whether it’s the league cup third round at home to a lower league side to the champions’ league final, Lampard wants to play. For me Lampard is the main reason why Chelsea are still in the title race.

Xabi Alonso

For a player who was supposedly surplus to requirements last summer, he has more than proved his importance and class. It’s no coincidence that his best form for probably two years now has coincided with Liverpool mounting their most serious title challenge for years. Alonso’s range of passing is undoubtedly breathtaking at times, while this season he has also chipped in with some vital goals, something that has been severely lacking in his game in previous campaigns. Another factor that has been impressive about Alonso is that he appears to have more resilience about him, not going missing in games that aren’t going according to plan.

Stephen Ireland

Considering all Manchester City’s money and their foreign imports, it has been Stephen Ireland who has been their most consistent performer over the season. He has responded to the influx of talent that surrounds him and puts some of them to shame with his tireless performances week in week out. Goals have been the most notable addition to his game but his overall influence on the team has been superb. At home, Man City have looked great more often than not and Ireland slots in nicely with assists and general midfield play that is easy on the eye. But it has been away from home, where City have struggled, that Ireland has come into his own.
Whereas some players have shied away from a scrap and a battle on unfamiliar turf, Ireland has dug in and led by example with a never say die attitude that is starting to look like it might pay dividends for City. His game has matured this season and he has certainly risen to the challenge of the investors that want to make City a massive club. Judging by his performances, if the good times are just around the corner, Ireland definitely wants to be a part of it.

Ashley Young

He has been one of, if not the most exciting player to watch this season. He is a breath of fresh air and doesn’t know when to quit. Take the game versus Everton just before Christmas as a perfect example. Just when it looked as though Everton had salvaged a point courtesy of a ninetieth minute equaliser, Young literally goes up the other end of the pitch and scores a crucial winner.
His pace is electric, his skills and technique are sublime and his finishing is getting better by the chance. He is also one of the top providers of goals and delivers a dangerous set piece that no defenders find easy to deal with. Villa have played with no fear this season and he has been the personification of this bold approach that Martin O’Neill has endorsed.

Forwards:

Wayne Rooney

Finally, some consistency and a solid goal return has seen Rooney take a massive stride towards becoming the player we all knew he could be. For years I believe Rooney to have been overrated but this year he has added regular goals to his game, an attribute which was sorely missing. Last year he was over shadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo (although who wasn’t?) but now Rooney is starting to show why he is most effective at the top end of the pitch, providing the kind of goal return of a striker (almost one in two in all competitions). And his desire to get in the box more hasn’t deterred his work rate defensively as he still goes chasing back seventy yards when losing the ball. Also his skill and long range passing is now proving to be more productive rather than for show. By far his best season and at 23 has much more to come.

Kevin Davies

A somewhat controversial choice but he has had his best season in front of goal and has always in my opinion been underrated. He does the same job for Bolton that Emile Heskey does but includes goals in his game as well. The only reason Davies never receives international recognition is because he has never played for a fashionable club. He has scored four times the amount of goals Heskey has this season and has been Bolton’s catalyst for years now. Davies has been this season’s highest scoring English forward in the Premiership and although he isn’t most people’s cup of tea, he is very effective.

The Relegation Rumble: Bolton Wanderers

tyduffy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:59:23 +0000

With Aston Villa’s demise the top of the league once again appears calcified, so, like Kim Kardashian crammed into a designer dress, the bulk of the tension will be at the bottom. Here is the first of a series of assessments of this season’s relegation candidates.

As wretched as Manchester City and Tottenham have been at times this season, they are nine points clear. They may not inspire much toward the end, but even if they stay static, it’s hard to see enough of the knuckle-draggers clambering up to knock them into the relegation zone. Therefore Bolton are the first to technically be considered candidates for relegation.

Form: Bolton sit in twelfth place, on 34 points, five points clear of the drop. They have a reasonable run of form in the past eight games, winning three, losing three and drawing two. The club been hit or miss this season, drawing just four of the first thirty matches, but that is an advantage. It’s easier to get to 40 points by winning twice in eight matches, than by gutting out six draws.

Schedule: Bolton have the points advantage, and they also have one of the easier schedules. They face one top four side, Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge. They have three benign home fixtures (Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Hull City) to get two wins. On current form, a date with Aston Villa could be ripe as well. Bolton could conceivably pick up a point or two away to Portsmouth, Wigan Athletic or Man City. On schedule alone, Bolton getting to safety seems probable.

Injuries: One of the advantages to having few dynamic players, is not being dependent on such creative forces. None of their injuries (Mark Davies, Vaz Te or O’Brien) has been critical to Bolton’s fortunes this season. Matty Taylor is the only midfielder to have scored a goal this season, and Kevin Davies is the only reasonably effective striker. As long as those two stay healthy, Bolton should be reasonably competitive.

Prognosis: One bad weekend could see Bolton thrust back into the race, but, at this point, they have the best position, a soft schedule and a stable squad. It would take an epic collapse, intermingled with startling runs of form from three or four other clubs to see Bolton relegated. It’s probably not going to happen.

Everton Undone by Soft, but Correct Penalty While Kevin Davies Rescues Bolton

Johnathan Starling — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:20:24 +0000

It was the last thing Everton needed to do against Manchester United, give up a penalty. But that was exactly what they did towards the end of the first half and Cristiano Ronaldo made sure they paid the price as his goal from the spot gave Manchester United a 1-0 victory.

When I first saw the penalty live, my first reaction was ‘you have to be kidding me…another United gift’. It just didn’t look like a legitimate decision. However I’ll be the first to admit the live angle wasn’t the best angle to be looking at and once I saw a better camera angle, it confirmed in my mind that it was a right decision.

Mikel Arteta has to know not to keep his foot out that close to the penalty area and he had to realize that once Michael Carrick was heading his way, the contact was going to be inevitable. While the contact looked accidental, according to the laws of the game, it’s still a penalty.

It’s decisions like this one that makes me wonder again if it’s time we get rid of using the words ’soft’, ‘harsh’ ‘and ‘tough penalty to give’ when we are discussing penalty decisions. It’s either a penalty or it isn’t, regardless of what our interpretation is in terms of severity. While from my eyes it the penalty looked soft, it was indeed a penalty and that’s all that matters.

Everton didn’t have much of a threat and only seven shots in ninety minutes isn’t going to cut it against a Manchester United side. To think if Tim Howard wasn’t on song today, this could have been a 3-0 victory earily. We know David Moyes is going in search of a forward or two on loan before the end of the transfer window, and they need it badly.

Another stand out moment was the Kevin Davies goal that gave Bolton all three points against Tottenham. It gives Bolton some temporary breathing room from the relegation zone. His header towards the end of the match was just in my mind and serves as a reminder to Harry Redknapp that regardless of who’s in the posts, it’s the people in front of him that matter just a little more.

The game should have been done and dusted when Davies made it 2-0 but defensive lapses did Bolton in inside of three minutes. But Kevin Davies was not to be denied. Off the corner kick late, Davies wasn’t afraid to get his head in the mix, and the mass of bodies between him and Cudicini did the rest to make sure it wasn’t saved.

A deserving win for Bolton, a loss that will make Harry Redknapp keep the phone companies happy over the next 2 days.

Other Thoughts From Today
* Credit to West Bromwich Albion who fought back twice after going down. However I wonder why Myhill wasn’t in goal. I am sure I probably missed something.

* Is Tony Adams fixing to be out of a job? If you’re to believe the Times, it’s highly possible. It didn’t help that Fulham just tore them apart today.

* Middlesborough and Blackburn has to qualify as one of the worst matches of the season.

* Manchester City…wow. Stoke City dared them after going 1-0 up at the end of the first half to get the equalizer and win and they simply couldn’t do it.

What were your thoughts on today’s action?

Arsenal Escape the Cold While Liverpool Left Out to Freeze

Johnathan Starling — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 07:43:01 +0000

On a day where the weather saw two Premier League ties called off, one London side will be glad their match was played while Liverpool will be wishing their tie at Stoke City was frozen off.

Whenever Arsenal and Bolton get together, you know two things are certain. The first being it will be a physical affair and the second being it will be a tight affair regardless of how well each side is doing in the league. How Kevin Davies played the first half without a yellow or even a red card is beyond my imagination. But Bolton’s style was to be expected. It almost was as expected the way Arsenal struggled to get the opener.

Until the 70th minute, I didn’t think Arsenal had a goal in them. But once the cross bar was hit, it just seemed like it was a matter of time. Clichy finding Van Persie on the run and Bendtner just getting in front of Jlloyd Samuel to keep them in distance of the top four. Doing so after a frustrating afternoon with six minutes to spare only helped those matters. After the lunchtime kickoff, it would have been another blow to have only received one point.

Special people help create those defining moment of a season, and for Arsenal Robin Van Persie has been that person for them this season. To finally put that final puzzle piece together for three points was something they needed to warm up on a bitterly cold afternoon in North London.

Liverpool on the other hand are probably wishing their tea time affair with Stoke City would have been frozen off. After nearly giving up a goal that should have never been allowed (the crossbar saved Liverpool…and the referee’s blushes twelve minutes in), Liverpool were almost left in the dust with sixteen minutes left after a Delap rocket found the head of Dave Kitson. That ball didn’t miss by much and really cemented the fact that while Stoke City didn’t have much of the ball, they were certainly more in control of the game.

Liverpool though seem to find a winner from nothing in these situations, and late in the match they had their chances. Steven Gerrard’s free kick six minutes from time probably the best chance. However the angle from which the free kick was taken, I can’t classify it as a quality chance at three points. Gerrard’s chance in the first minute of stoppage time I’d qualify as half a chance at best.

It’s embarrassing when a team that has 2/3rd of the possession only can get off 11 shots, 2 of those on target (per Soccernet). Stoke City from my eyes had the two best chances of the game and Liverpool were very lucky to get a point out of this match. Liverpool’s lack of quality chances cost them. For a side to have as much talent as they claim, they should be able to break down a side that was intent on attacking via the counter and the Delap special. It makes me also wonder if Benitez opened his mouth a little too soon?