SB Nation - David Ngog

Remember when Bolton came "close" to signing Thiago Alcantara?

Mark Yesilevskiy — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:23:00 -0000

It was June 2011, the sun was (maybe) out, the birds were (likely) chirping, and Bolton Wanderers' ill-fated 2011/12 Premier League campaign was still a little ways off. The fans were highly anticipating the upcoming season, not knowing about the long, arduous, painful road that lay ahead for the Trotters. Like any summer, Bolton Wanderers made a number of signings but this piece is about the one that got away.

That summer, Bolton Wanderers were linked with a number of different targets, ultimately landing the likes of Nigel Reo-Coker, David Ngog, Dedryck Boyata, Gael Kakuta, and Tuncay Sanli. While those were all decent, OK, used incorrectly, or generally crap (in that order), Bolton Wanderers missed out on what was their most exciting and ambitious target in Barcelona's Thiago Alcantara. It was a rumor that came relatively out of nowhere and with a price tag that, with hindsight, you can only laugh about.

The rumor emerged just ahead of the 2011 UEFA U21 European Championships that Spain, with Thiago flying high in full form, went onto win. The rumored price was said to be between £5 and £7 million, depending on which outlet you look at and according to a report out of the Mirror, the Trotters were all set to pay it, having requested a meeting with the powers at be at Barcelona. Unfortunately for Bolton, the then relatively unknown starlet's stock rose a huge amount as a result of the tournament and they were ultimately priced out.

That year, Spain's U21s ended up beating Switzerland in the final 2-0 with Thiago scoring the dagger in that match. He was ultimately named to the team of the tournament, alongside the likes of David de Gea, Christian Eriksen, Juan Mata, Daniel Sturridge, and others.

What could have been, eh?

Au revoir, David Ngog? Striker says he's happy for Bolton to "cash in" on Bordeaux move

Mark Yesilevskiy — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:29:31 -0000

Everyone always seems to forget that David Ngog is just 24 years old, only two years older than Marvin Sordell. Perhaps it is because he made his move to Liverpool at just 19 years old and it feels like he's been part of the English football landscape for just about forever. There is definitely an argument to be made for keeping David Ngog around as the odds are he has not yet reached his peak. That said, it's looking increasingly likely that Bolton Wanderers fans will not see that day.

Apparently, French side Bordeaux have been tracking Ngog since January and the Bolton striker sounds like a return to his home country is right up his alley. In an interview (by way of Sky Sports), David Ngog stated what appears to be his intentions:

"I have a contract until 2014 with Bolton. If there is an opportunity for them to cash in on me and for me to play at the top level again, it will be fantastic.

"To return in France in Ligue 1 could be fantastic for me and my career. I have enjoyed my time in England so far and I can deliver at the top level."

David Ngog seemed to find some footing in the Bolton team this year with his performances quickly appealing to the fans. He moved from Liverpool to Bolton in the summer of 2012 for a reported fee of £4 million and failed to kick on with the Trotters right away. Over the course of the 2012/13 campaign, he scored eight times (tied for Bolton's second-top scorer) and assisted five others in 31 league matches. The striker was injured at the start of the season, missing most of the summer and the first few matches before getting hurt again, just ahead of the season's final few matches.

What do you think? Would you like David Ngog to stay or be happy to sell him? At what price point would you be comfortable with letting him go?

What Bolton need is a diamond in the rough

Mark Yesilevskiy — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 18:56:53 -0000

The talk of Boton's need for a 20-goal-per-season striker extends far beyond this for summer for Wanderers fans. As the Bolton News said earlier in the day, the Trotters have not had any one player score 20+ goals since Michael Ricketts did it in the 2000/01 season. Since 2002, the highest total for a single player has been 12 goals, a feat achieved on six separate occasions by six different players: Kevin Nolan, Stelios Giannakopoulos, Nicolas Anelka, Kevin Davies, Ivan Klasnic, and Chris Eagles.

Wanderers have been able to get goals from just about everyone in the team for as long as most fans can remember. That said, no one player has been able to really push Bolton over the edge in terms of scoring capacity. For the sake of comparison, Bolton's top four scorers in the league last season (Chris Eagles, David Ngog, Mark Davies and Kevin Davies) combined for 32 goals. Crystal Palace's leading scorer, Glenn Murray, had 30 on his own while Burnley's Charlie Austin scored 24 times.

What Bolton fans wouldn't give for a forward putting up those kinds of figures.

The problem lies in the funds (or lack thereof) that Wanderers are making available for transfers. Dougie Freedman has already said on multiple occasions that he won't risk the club's future by overspending. Due to that, we can rule out any big name moves that would demand either high wages or high transfer fees.

What Bolton Wanderers need is a diamond in the rough.

The two players mentioned above, Murray and Austin, are specific examples of that. Glenn Murray joined Crystal Palace in the summer ahead of the 2011/12 season on a free transfer after rejecting Brighton & Hove Albion's final contract offer. Charlie Austin moved to Burnley from Swindon Town in the winter of the 2011/12 season following the failure of a move that would have taken him to Ipswich Town. The fee for his move to Burnley was officially undisclosed but likely in the neighborhood of the £1.5 million that Ipswich Town were reportedly willing to pay.

We know that Dougie Freedman is looking for striking options for Bolton Wanderers this sumer with Jermaine Beckford the one that had previously been in talks. Bolton also have a few in-house options already but the questions about their scoring potential remains. Under Dougie, David Ngog really began to find his form both in terms of scoring and providing. Similar things can be said about Craig Davies, who had a knack of positively contributing when coming on as a late-game substitute. Davies only managed to score four times for Bolton but was unlucky not to bang a few more in, hitting the post on a few occasions.

The fans are still patiently waiting for Marvin Sordell's game in a Bolton shirt to really click but some remain hopeful that he'll come good and soon. Then, there's young Tom Eaves, who finally made his Bolton debut late in the season, following successful loan spells at Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town. The tall forward failed to score for Bolton in his three short substitute appearances but the desire was certainly there.

Still, it seems that Dougie will continue the search to add another striking option to the Trotters. The defense has already been tightened up with a pair of signings at the back and now the emphasis is on the front men. Freedman will likely have to dig deep to unearth a hidden gem that can kick-start Wanderers' offensive production.

Life in the Championship: A season review, Part Two

Michael Murray — Sat, 25 May 2013 01:00:05 -0000

I do think the club needs to be praised in the way it handled appointing Dougie Freedman. Rather than going for a knee jerk appointment when Owen Coyle was relieved, they took their time, identified their target and made sure that they were bringing in the right person to take the club forward. You only have to look at the farce that's been occurring up the A666 to see how not to do this as proof that the Whites took a calm, careful, considered approach to what, for the future of our club was a monumental decision.

After the victory over Bristol it would have been easy to give Jimmy Phillips the job and I think that this decision would have been very popular amongst the fans. I do think that the board had learnt from its previous mistake which was approaching and appointing Owen Coyle swelled by a wave of popular fan opinion after the negativity of his predecessor. I believe that giving the job to Jimmy would have been a similar error of judgement on their part. After a difficult start for the new man at the helm, I believe and I am sure most of you will agree that this measured approach appears to have started to pay dividends.

Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

It did start oh so well for the new man. After a lacklustre first half display against table topping Cardiff, the team which emerged from the sheds for the second half bore some resemblance to the team which, during pre-season, was predicted to do very well. The introduction of David Ngog from the bench was game changing, firstly he won the penalty from which Martin Petrov equalised and then scored the winner. This gave the first sign that Dougie, further aided by his assistants Lenny Lawrence and Curtis Fleming was capable of making a substitution or tactical switch during a game which could yield results. This was a major criticism of Owen Coyle, the lack of a plan B.

Unfortunately Bolton were not able to capitalise on this result and drew the next 4 games before making the trip to neighbours Blackburn Rovers for the Lancashire Derby at the end of November. I've still not seen Kevin Davies' goal yet, after missing it because we thought there was enough time to sneak an extra pint in at the pub. But the 2-1 victory sufficed which gave Freedman a start of six games unbeaten, but only two victories. There were some green shoots of recovery evident but the supporters and the man himself would have wanted more.

After a drab December which consisted of two wins, uninspiring against Charlton Athletic and rampantly against Birmingham City in one of the best team performances of the season, a draw away at Huddersfield and defeats to Ipswich Town, Sheffield Wednesday, and Peterborough United, many became resigned to the knowledge that any lingering hopes of automatic promotion and the playoffs were over and that we would be party to a second season outside the top flight. Defeat away at Leeds on New Year's Day would only reaffirm that view point.

January brought the welcome distraction of the FA Cup a spirited 2-2 home draw against Premier League opposition, the massive, loyally supported by 23 million fans at home every week, Sunderland AFC. Victory in the replay would bring Everton to the Reebok in the fourth round but a late John Heitinga strike knocked Bolton out of the competition in a brave 2-1 reverse. Two draws in the league followed by defeat at high flying Watford at the start of February left Bolton perilously close to the Championship trap door and even sounded the possibility of a second successive relegation.

Michael Steele/Getty Images

It was at approximately 4.18pm on Saturday 9^th February 2013 that Bolton overcame any nagging doubts within me about the capabilities of the new manager. 1-0 down at home to local rivals Burnley after a David Edgar goal not long after half time, the manager handed the fourth official whatever it is they hand them to advise of impending substitutions. When the numbers of Steve De Ridder and Marvin Sordell were lofted, the patrons at the Reebok were in uproar. Incessant booing and chants of ‘You don't know what you're doing' were directed towards Dougie as he replaced the aforementioned players with David Ngog and Craig Davies.

35 minutes later the man was a genius as both players scored and Bolton won the game 2-1. This result started a dramatic assent up the Championship table. It included a run of eight consecutive home victories and just two defeats from the final sixteen games, away at Charlton Athletic after being 2-0 up and away at Leicester City, a result which would prove pivotal at 2.45pm on May 4^th. Bolton came within a bug's widge of making the top six despite their very slow start but it wasn't to be, so we get the fun of the Championship fair again next season. In all honesty, I can't wait.

Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough: Five Things

chris.manning.33886 — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:32:44 -0000

1) DOUGIE IS A GOODIE

As the season has developed, we have seen the wisdom in the Chairman's appointment of the relatively unproven Dougie Freedman back in October 2012. He has tinkered and changed things, he has bruised egos and he has taken Bolton Wanderers forward, undoubtedly so.

After his arrival and after the first few weeks of the season there were numerous doubters. They were unconvinced by the changes as the new manager learned about his charges. The football at times was uninspired and perhaps backed up some negative reports from fans of his former club Crystal Palace, and results were hard to come by.

In the initial period following his appointment it seemed like the club had taken one step forward in sacking Owen Coyle, but two back in appointment somebody who had less experience that Coyle - someone who had been criticised for his lack of experience in the final days of his tenure at the Reebok Stadium.

Freedman however brought experience with him, something with Coyle failed to recognise. The appointment of the much travelled and widely experienced Lennie Lawrence as Assistant Manager allowed Freedman to have an older and wiser head alongside his own. You often see Lawrence, Freedman and Curtis Fleming in a huddle on the sideline as they debate their next move. It's this nod to experience and to opinions other than his own that puts Freedman apart as he is prepared to take on advice rather than plough on convinced that his way is the right way, which again is a much-levelled criticism of his predecessor.

As we welcomed Middlesbrough to the Reebok Stadium we expected changes. We knew that the injury to David Ngog especially would force a change in the front line, along with the now-regular inclusions of promising young attacker Chris Lester on the substitutes bench - someone whom I am excited to see play, considering his rapid progression through the youth and reserve ranks.

Freedman plays games. He knows who to keep in and to keep out. He plays the media, he tells fibs to journalists as to who is available and who isn't. He dropped Chris Eagles when his form dropped, despite him being arguably one of our most important players this season - he is not afraid to make the tough choices. His intervention in the Marvin Sordell issue earlier in the season is reaping rewards now as the player has gone from a sidelined afterthought to a regular starter in the first team. His handling of sensitive matters such as the Stuart Holden loan and return has shown a maturity missing amongst his contemporaries.

He could do with a holiday, as that Scottish pallor isn't very appealing, but other than that it's hard to find fault with him. There can be few doubters still remaining, as Freedman has shown that he has the ability to get us up, whether that is something which happens sooner rather than later.

Ben Hoskins/Getty Images

2) WE MISS JAY SPEARING, BUT....

When we signed Jay Spearing from Liverpool in the summer I wasn't expecting fireworks, and to be fair to him I don't think he has delivered any, either. Instead what we have found is a solid if unspectacular midfielder, who can deliver laser-accurate passes as well as good old-fashioned tackles adding bite to a somewhat soft midfield. Therefore it was with some trepidation that news of his season-ending toe injury came about.

Since his injury we have been well covered in central midfield, with the performances of Medo Kamara being an absolute highlight, meaning that whilst we have missed Jay Spearing we have perhaps not missed him as much as had we not made the January signing in his position.

Comfortable on the ball, accurate with it and tenacious without he's the complete modern midfielder and I think we've got a gem. To think that we spent £6m on Fabrice Muamba, and £700,000 on Medo Kamara is a sobering thought. I don't know about you but I know which of the two is a better footballer.

Against Middlesbrough this past Saturday, Medo Kamara was the hub of the Bolton Wanderers side. Whilst the opposition started brightly, with 'next big thing' Chelsea loanee Josh McEachran being a thorn in our side, it only took 20 minutes or so for the experienced Medo to dominate, so much so that the lightweight and ineffective McEachran was then substituted shortly into the second half. His physicality and on-the-ball skill was such that the England u21 mdfielder was rendered useless.

As the game developed he was allowed the move further forward and was unlucky not to score with a difficult 25 yard volley with his right foot. It forced a great save from Steele in the Middlesbrough goal but showed the range of Medo's talents, which are not restricted to just tough tackling. I think we've found a gem and he is perhaps the only central midfielder on our books who is a Premiership footballer in waiting. I like him a lot.

3) STRIKERS

Marvin Sordell and David Ngog, Craig Davies and Marvin Sordell, and everything in between. All are permutations attempted by Dougie Freedman as he tries to find the magic formula to get his strikers firing. We've tried one up top, we've tried two central strikers and we've tried playing one alone with another in 'the hole' but still we see tinkering whenever a team is named.

Obviously with the injuries suffered by Ngog and the as yet unexplained but much-gossiped about absence of Kevin Davies then the Middlesbrough game was always likely to be met with Sordell and Craig Davies - caused more by the enforced absences of other men than the achievements of either selected striker.

I have spoken before about how I have changed my opinion of Sordell, as he changed from a bit of a moper to an effective Championship striker, but the game on Saturday unfortunately saw a return to the player he was back before Christmas and before the arrival of Dougie Freedman. His body language was poor and his involvement was minimal. I will admit to a moment of panic when I saw that he was picking the ball up after Lee-Chung Yong was tripped by Jonathan Woodgate for the Bolton penalty. However he scored a goal and we got three points, so that's good enough.

Craig Davies is more of an enigma. I can absolutely see why Dougie Freedman brought him to Bolton Wanderers. He is not short of skill, nor strength, and yet at no time do I feel like he's a serious goal threat to the opposition. Granted, he started the Middlesbrough game well, and tested their goalkeeper with a rasping drive early on, but after that I thought he faded and was deservedly substituted in the second half. He is clearly a good footballer at this level, but I remain unconvinced in terms of his larger game. It's still early days in his Bolton career, and it will take for him to find his feet but considering his performance I wouldn't be surprised to see him return to the substitutes bench for the upcoming game away at Cardiff City this coming Saturday.

Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images

4) I WAS SAYING BOO-TERFIELD

Now I've spoken previously about the antics of our supporters in terms of their treatment of certain players. From the top of my head this season we have collectively been responsible for having a pop at Marvin Sordell, Chris Eagles, Adam Bogdan, Zat Knight, Kevin Davies and now Danny Butterfield. We have seen cheers at substitutions, dismay at missed catches and outrage at defensive calamity but this latest addition to the Hall of Shame means that we have reached a new low.

Danny Butterfield has been brought in on a temporary loan deal from Southampton in order to aid our defence in this most testing of times. He is a former colleague of the Bolton manager Dougie Freedman and this knowledge of his game had led to Freedman trusting him at a time when he must have absolute trust in his players, especially defenders.

Now don't get me wrong - fans pay their money and are entitled to hold an opinion, just as I am to hold the opinion that their attitude towards Butterfield is wrong. I freely admit in my younger years to have been a booer - I'm sure Nicky Summerbee would attest to the strength of my feelings when as a teen I saw him lumbering up the right wing like he was pulling an anchor through treacle, but since then I've come to realise that that approach isn't right.

Against Middlesbrough, the manager saw fit to bring Butterfield on in the 87th minute, replacing Marvin Sordell as Bolton attempted to see the game out. He was immediately brought onto the right hand side in order to help the struggling Sam Ricketts, who was having a poor game against the lively Gambian winger Mustapha Carayol. Butterfield took his position and whilst relatively uninvolved will no doubt look back upon the events that welcomed him to the pitch with sadness.

As the announcement of his introduction was made, the applause for the departing Marvin Sordell was accompanied by loud boos from section of the home support. Sordell, considering his experiences this season, could have been forgiven for thinking that the Bolton Wanderers supporters were yet again hounding a below-par performance, but this time their ire was reserved for the on-loan Southampton man. It was a completely unnecessary and frankly ridiculous way to act towards someone who was coming on to do his utmost to aid the Bolton Wanderers cause.

We should have more respect towards the player, firstly, and secondly more respect towards the judgement of the manager who has earned that right over the course of his short time at the club. If we are bringing somebody on in a tight game such as the Middlesbrough one then it is because Dougie Freedman truly believes that it is the right thing to do, and we should back that decision.

I apologise to Danny Butterfield on behalf of the right-minded Bolton Wanderers supporters, and would also comment that the behaviour of those booing was countered by those in the crowd challenging the booers - asking them 'why?', which was pleasing.

5) FIRST LOOK AT TOM EAVES

Tom Eaves signed for Bolton Wanderers from Oldham Athletic as an 18-year-old in 2010, for a fee believed to be in the region of £300,000. Since then a combination of injury and loan moves to lower league sides have meant that followers of the first team have been denied a sight of the 6ft 5in centre forward.

His performances on loan at Bristol Rovers and Shrewsbury Town, combined with a goal return of 13 in 26 appearances led to his recall to the Reebok Stadium, and following a short cameo against Leicester City last Tuesday we finally got to see the player make his home debut with 18 minutes remaining against Middlesbrough, replacing the ineffective Craig Davies.

I had seen Eaves play several times for the reserves, and will freely confess to having doubts about where this lad could go. However, you cannot argue with the goals that he has scored both for the reserves and for his loan clubs this season and therefore he does indeed deserve his chance.

Eaves arrived onto the pitch and immediately took up position against the experienced Cameroonian defender Andre Bikey. Using his strength and touch he gave the defender a tougher ride than Craig Davies had, and he showed one or two neat touches and got in some decent positions.

So on this short showing it appears that he has benefitted from exposure to regular and competitive first team games. His game has come on in leaps and bounds from the awkward teen who was a regular in the reserves for Owen Coyle and the club can certainly benefit from it.

One slight downside, and perhaps one that we should have foreseen was that his arrival prompted one or two longer balls being played out of defence towards his head, something that has been missing from our play in Kevin Davies' absence. With the captains' impending departure then there is a slot for Eaves to fill, and from what we saw on Saturday he is certainly looking like being capable.

Match Preview: Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough

Dennis Chase — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 19:36:07 -0000

Control is an elusive thing. We all strive for it. Some are desperate for it. As we have learned in this past week, in life, control is often an illusion. Nobody knows what is going to happen next. That said, football is not life. It is a pastime, a game we play, watch, even become obsessed with, in order to bring some joy and happiness into our unpredictable lives. That joy has been largely absent from the experience of Bolton Wanderers' supporters during the last few years. However, it may finally be within reach. It is not, unfortunately, in control.

Going into Tuesday's match, Bolton's fate was in Bolton's control. Win the last four matches of the season, and Bolton would make the playoffs. An early goal had the Trotters feeling good, and their supporters feeling great. It all fell apart though, and now, with three matches left to play, Bolton are on the outside looking in. They sit in seventh place, one spot and one point removed from the final playoff position. So we need help. Somewhere over the next three matches Leicester City need to drop points, and the Whites need to run the table.

Given recent form and overall talent level, three wins on the trot (two at home) does not appear outlandish. But we are Bolton, and we never do anything the easy way.

Middlesbrough make their trip to the Reebok this weekend having done Bolton a favor during the week by defeating Nottingham Forest 1-0. Forest are level with Wanderers on points, and only sit below them in the table due to goal difference. Previous to that, Boro had not won a match since the second of March, a run that saw them draw one while losing six. Before that collapse, manager Tony Mowbray would have fancied his own side's chances to make the playoffs. As it stands now, Boro are still mathematically alive, but in a very poor position. They are six points behind Leicester City, who currently occupy sixth, with three matches to go. Boro also would have to leapfrog four other clubs to win the coveted sixth spot. It's just not going to happen.

The home side, of course, only have to pass one other club to get back into the playoff spots, and thus, regain control of their fate. Bolton's form at the Reebok has been outstanding. Goals, clean sheets, and wins as far as the eye can see. This will need to continue. And as stated above, we won't make it easy on ourselves. When Bolton defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 on March 9th it was our fifth win on the trot, and eighth straight without a loss. It was that run that got Wanderers back into the playoff chase. Two of the players that featured that day, Jay Spearing and David Ngog, will miss the rest of the season with injury. A third, defensive stalwart Craig Dawson, will return to his parent club next week. They are all huge losses.

Early on in his managerial reign, Dougie Freedman chopped and changed the side from week-to-week. I, for one, think this was necessary in order for him to find the right combinations which enabled the current run we are on. In recent weeks he has been fairly consistent, in formation and personnel. But between the injuries and player form, we are again in some doubt as to what team he will put out this weekend.

There is a good chance Spearing will win Bolton's Player of the Year award, yet he is probably the easier to replace. Medo Kamara and Darren Pratley are both in good form, Josh Vela is back to match fitness, and Stu Holden is waiting in the wings. The bigger issue is replacing Ngog.

Marvin Sordell has pace. Craig Davies has size. Kevin Davies has strength. And Tom Eaves has the ability to finish (maybe). But Ngog was our best all-around forward. He was a combination of all these skills. I don't think Freedman trusts any of our strikers to play on his own now that the Frenchman has gone. That means a return to 4-4-2, most likely in the form of Sordell and Craig Davies.

There is one other likely change, this one because of performance. It takes quite a disaster for Freedman to make a tactical substitution in his back four. And Danny Butterfield was an unqualified disaster on Tuesday. He was so bad that Sam Ricketts, our third choice right back when everyone is fit, had to come on to save the day. He failed. But it is just about certain that Ricketts will get the start at the Reebok on Saturday.

Defense has been the key to Bolton's great form at home. A clean sheet Saturday would go a long way towards getting Wanderers back into the playoff spots. And back in control.

Poll

What will the result be at the Reebok Saturday?

Bolton win

30 votes

Draw

4 votes

Boro win

0 votes

34 votes | Poll has closed

Super Kev in contention for lineup return

Mark Yesilevskiy — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:43:49 -0000

After David Ngog was stretchered off the field on Tuesday night following a dislocated shoulder against Leicester City, Bolton Wanderers' squad numbers dwindled. Bolton are already without Jay Spearing, Keith Andrews, Tyrone Mears, Joe Riley, and Mark Davies for the next three weeks (with the majority facing injury layoffs far longer than that) and have just added Ngog to that list. As Dougie put it: "We're running out of games and we're running out of players."

Tuesday night saw Kevin Davies completely excluded from the matchday 18 and freshly-recalled Tom Eaves in his place. Ngog's late injury allowed Tom Eaves to enter the game with just a few minutes to play and earn his senior debut for Bolton Wanderers. That said, Ngog's injury leaves Bolton Wanderers with just a few options up front. Marvin Sordell and Craig Davies will likely start against Middlesbrough at the weekend while Tom Eaves should be on the bench. Kevin Davies could very well make his return to the side after not having been involved in Bolton's last five matches.

Dougie Freedman explained the situation to the Bolton News:

"Some players who have not been playing will now need to step up.

"We are short on numbers but to be fair to the lads who have come into the team, they have done well.

"We had Matt Mills and young Chris Lester at the (Leicester) game and we're a group of players who want to move forward together. I have to make decisions now.

"I've said I'm trying to get younger players in. Josh Vela came in (against Leicester) and did fantastic - Tom Eaves came on at the end because I feel we've got to go with the unknown a little bit. Tom could be a surprise package for us and we've just got to get him on the pitch as often as we can to move things forward.

"Kevin has got that experience but we'll just have to wait and see how he is, and how other players are around him."

Highlights (in gifs) of Leicester City 3-2 Bolton Wanderers

Mark Yesilevskiy — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:14:24 -0000

When all was said and done, it was an incredibly frustrating night for Bolton Wanderers. A big loss on the road coupled with a big injury all meant bad news for the Trotters. No one can say that Bolton didn't try or fight for it though as they came so close to getting a point against a strong Leicester City team.

If you were not one of the 1,501 Bolton fans that travelled to the King Power Stadium, we've got the highlights for you.

Bolton went ahead after just three minutes after Chung-Yong Lee was brought down in the box by Wes Morgan and David Ngog fired home from the penalty spot.

Leicester City would equalize through a penalty of their own, after Danny Butterfield brought Lloyd Dyer down in the box. Chris Wood took the spot kick.

The Foxes would then go ahead, this time with Lloyd Dyer hitting an absolute rocket from ten yards out.

Bolton pulled one back following a long Sam Ricketts throw in that was not cleared by Leicester City. Darren Pratley volleyed home from close range.

The Foxes would find a winner, though. The goal came after a Bolton half-clearance fell to Jeffrey Schlupp on the edge of the area and he finished well with a classy volley.

Bolton nearly equalized at the death through a close-range header from Craig Davies. If it hadn't been for a spectacular stop from Kasper Schmeichel, the Trotters would have earned themselves a point.

Leicester City 3-2 Bolton Wanderers: Trotters not yet out of it

Mark Yesilevskiy — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:46:59 -0000

It started so beautifully for Bolton Wanderers as they and 1,500 of their supporters traveled to the King Power Stadium on a Tuesday night.

It took just over a minute for the Trotters to make something happen. Chung-Yong Lee stormed into Leicester City's area and was brought down by Wes Morgan. Bolton's usual penalty-taking squad of Keith Andrews, Marvin Sordell, and Craig Davies were not in the starting lineup. David Ngog stepped up and fired right. It was a nervy split-second as Kasper Schmeichel got a hand on it and the ball hit the post before eventually bouncing into the back of the net.

Bolton Wanderers would not keep the impetus going in the first half and Leicester City would equalize with their own penalty kick on 40 minutes. Danny Butterfield (who had a largely awful game) was marking Lloyd Dyer. The midfielder tried turning Butterfield but was instead upended and the referee pointed to the spot. Chris Wood, who had not scored in nine matches, stood over it and fired home.

It only took two more minutes for the Foxes to go ahead. A long-range free kick saw Chris Wood take the ball on his chest, round Zat Knight, and find Lloyd Dyer. The man who drew the penalty scored a sumptuous goal and Leicester would go into the half a goal up.

The start of the second half was back-and-forth until Dougie Freedman took Josh Vela off and brought another striker on in Craig Davies. The big forward troubled Leicester City's Michael Keane for the whole of his stint and even rattled the crossbar from distance on the 60 minute mark.

Bolton would equalize on the 71 minute mark through Darren Pratley, after some poor defending from Leicester City. A long throw-in from the flank bounced in the box and Pratley took it with his right foot, finishing with aplomb to make it 2-2.

Leicester City weren't done though. On 79 minutes, a long-range Jeffrey Schlupp goal (that lad that Bolton tried signing on loan a few months ago) would make it 3-2. the Foxes throw in was flicked on by Chris Wood and Jeffrey Schlupp volleyed home from 20 yards, into the bottom corner of the net.

Bolton Wanderers would lose arguably their man of the match late on in David Ngog. The forward went down off the ball, holding his left leg and would have to be stretchered off while receiving oxygen. The injury meant that Dougie Freedman had to make a change and it was Tom Eaves on with only a few minutes to play.

A number of Bolton flurries, a few stonewall penalty shouts, and Bolton piling men forward could not do it for the men in white and the final whistle blew with the score at Leicester 3-2 Bolton.

Despite the loss, results went Bolton's way. The Foxes dumped Bolton out of the playoffs for the time being but the Whites remain on 63 points with Leicester City in 6th place on 64 points. Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion occupy the fifth and fourth spots, respectively, on 66 points.

The Trotters are by no means out of it.

Highlights of Bristol City 1-2 Bolton Wanderers: Craig calm from the spot

Mark Yesilevskiy — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 21:14:41 -0000

1,300 Bolton Wanderers fans made the long trek down south to see their Trotters take on bottom-of-the-table Bristol City in what was effectively a do-or-die situation for both teams. Bolton's fourth away win of the season meant that Wanderers would be in the playoff places for the first time since prior to kickoff on opening day (when they were there on alphabetical order alone).

It began very brightly for Bolton as a good bit of play between Chung-Yong Lee and Darren Pratley on Bolton's left flank saw Pratley get a cross into the box less than two minutes in. The ball wasn't dealt with by the Bristol City defenders and it was Liam Fontaine that would poke it into the back of his own net to gift Bolton the lead.

City would equalize just five minutes after the halftime break thanks to Albert Adomah's cross into the box on the right. Steve Davies ran through the center of the area, completely unmarked, before nodding home from close range. Bolton would get the winner with just over ten minutes of the match to play. David Ngog was brought down in the box and after the referee had initially waved the penalty appeals away, the linesman's persistence forced the official to point to the spot. Chris Eagles made way for Craig Davies to take it and the forward powered it high and center, into the back of the net.

Click the play button in the bottom left-hand corner to watch.

Also, a bit of a bonus video of Craig Davies' penalty, shot by a Bristol fan in the stands.