After the euphoria resulting from Owen Coyle’s appointment and the excitement generated by the spirited displays against Arsenal, this game was a disappointment. In fact, at half time I thought the recent management changes had all been a cruel dream, for, as mist drifted round the Reebok, the first period was distinctly Megsonesque. Things improved a little in the second half but the Promised Land seemed ever such a long way off. There were, however, several saving graces; we recorded the first victory of OC’s tenure, we will be in the draw for the Fifth Round of the F.A. Cup, and we kept a clean sheet.

The first indication that we might not be in for a feast of football came with news of the starting eleven. I knew that Gardner and McCann were not available but I was still surprised. The names that came over the airwaves as we struggled through the motorway mist were Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Samuel, Ricketts, Muamba, Cohen, Chung-Yong, Davies and Klasnic. No matter how I tried to configure them, it could only mean that a defender was playing in midfield. Once the game began it became apparent that Ricketts was at left back and Samuel in front of him, in the position normally occupied by Taylor.

I’m inclined to draw a veil over the first half for, from a Bolton perspective, there was little that was positive. Our principal attacking weapon was the head of Kevin Davies, and whilst the big man won most of his battles with the Sheffield centre backs, nothing resulted. Our best opportunity came when Chung-Yong sent Samuel clear in the opposing penalty area. One more accustomed to the situation might have shot but Jlloyd chose to try and beat the same man repeatedly until he lost the ball, in much the same way that he is inclined to do when venturing down the wing from full back. Sheffield whilst fairly limited, were the better team. They might have scored when the quick thinking Camara chipped the ball over Jussi as the Bolton keeper rushed from his line but fortunately his effort cleared the bar. They should have scored after Knight headed a ball he could have left, straight to two of the opposing players. In the Premier League the error would have been punished with a goal. The Sheffield men were not so predatory; they dillied and dallied and the chance was lost.

I don’t know whether OC is the cup throwing type in the dressing room, but Wanderers certainly began the second half more brightly. For a time we passed the ball around in style and within minutes we took the lead, and what a good goal it was. Chung-Yong picked out Davies with a first time pass and Super Kev played the ball inside the full back for Steinsson to run onto. He looked up as if seeking a white shirt but instead he lashed the ball between the keeper and the near post. We sat back ready for a repeat of the four goal second half in the previous round, but it wasn’t to be. The standard dropped and again there was little of note although Bolton were now the better team with Cahill and Knight looking composed at the heart of the defence. Interest centred on the touchline to see how soon OC would put Samuel out of his misery but the first man to leave was Klasnic. His replacement was Elmander who was given seventeen minutes to justify the nice things the manager had been saying about him in the preceding week. And with just five minutes remaining the Swedish international did just that. Davies and Chung-Yong were again the providers, the latter’s pass exposing a square defence and giving Elmander the opportunity to shoot past Bunn. Basham and Riga were given a few minutes to stretch their legs without doing anything of note but the game was to all intents over when Elmander scored.

So, mission accomplished but I can’t see OC really being happy with the performance. Presumably we won’t see Samuel in midfield again. He doesn’t have the necessary attacking qualities to fill the role and was often too deep, leaving the left wing void. I don’t think the other experiment, playing Ricketts at left back, could be called a success either, although it is a move that I have advocated in the past. I still think it could work but, apart from one exciting scamper down the touchline, he didn’t move forward as much as he does when playing on the other flank. The other defenders did well enough apart from Knight’s crazy header and Steinsson, in particular had a decent game. However, there was a tendency to play the ball forward in the air, a tactic that bore little fruit.

The hero of the previous week, Chung-Yong Lee, was not quite on song. He was involved in both the goals and a few other good moments but, whereas against Arsenal he hardly put a foot wrong, in this game he made an unusual number of errors. It is possible, of course, that he was tired. Still a rookie in the Premier League, he had played two hard games in the preceding week.

Of the strikers, Davies was much the better. In the first half he won everything in the air. After half time he was less successful but he remained prominent. Klasnic was much less so and lacked his usual sharpness in front of goal. I was delighted when Elmander scored, not only because his goal secured the game but also because he took the chance like a ten million pound striker. Hopefully it will boost his confidence and with OC’s positive approach he might still come good.

The main problem with the team was the central midfield pairing of Muamba and Cohen. The performance of the former was fuel to the cause of his detractors. He was penalised several times in the opening minutes for clumsy challenges and perhaps the thought of a yellow card affected his performance but, whatever the reason, he did little that was right. His best position is the defensive midfield role, in front of the back four, when he is facing the ball and breaking up play. Even at his best he is limited as a box to box player and if we stick with a 4-4-2 formation he is hardly adequate. Cohen just doesn’t do enough. Earlier in the season he appeared to have found the knack of scoring goals but this has deserted him. Whilst there is nothing on the club web site, rumours abound that OC has secured the loan services of two midfield players, Vladimir Weiss from Manchester City and Stuart Holden from the USA club, Houston Dynamo. Just where these two will fit into the plans remains to be seen, but hopefully they will go some way to boosting our capabilities in this area.

As I have been writing this, news came through that Stoke had beaten Arsenal. That means the United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs are out of the Cup. It is, perhaps, too soon to look forward to the kind of F.A. Cup glory that we experienced when OC was here as a player. But one thing his appointment has done is to allow us to dream again, and surely they won’t all turn into nightmares.