Owen Coyle’s view of the F.A. Cup competition is quoted in today’s Daily Telegraph: "The FA Cup is the best cup competition in world football, with the glamour and the prestige, and if you're winning games in it, it gives everyone a lift". I can understand his feelings as Coyle’s days as a player at Bolton included some outstandingly memorable cup games. Sadly, the manager’s reverence for the competition isn’t shared by the Bolton public. Only thirteen and a half thousand turned up to support the team and many of these were from Tottenham. There are many reasons for this miserable show but the absent thousands missed an exciting cup tie with lots of good football and plenty of indications that the ‘times, they are a’changing’ at the Reebok. If we’d had just one of the strikers from OC’s playing era, the manager himself, Andy Walker, John McGinlay, surely we would have won.
As Weiss and Wilshere were cup tied, selection options were limited for the Wanderers but both managers picked their strongest available teams for the tie. We began with a 4-4-2 line up comprising Jussi; Steinsson, Knight, Ricketts, Robinson; CYL, Muamba, Gardner, Taylor; Elmander, Davies. It was good to see Ricardo in the starting eleven; I had thought he might have replaced Robinson at left back but it was Cohen that missed out.The game began in untidy fashion and Bolton’s play was initially scrappy. However after ten minutes or so, we began to settle into a rhythm, closing down Spurs efficiently and developing an attacking momentum of our own.
A crisp, first time cross by Chung led to a chance for Elmander that was blocked, and Knight had a decent shot that went straight to Gomes in the Spurs goal. For the next fifteen minutes we battered Spurs with a mix of the old and the new styles, high balls alternated with neat passing. Muamba and Gardner had control of midfield and they were at the heart of things. Up front, Chung was contributing typical touches and Elmander and Davies were combining well and winning most things in the air. We had a succession of corners and free kicks but couldn’t score, principally because most of the chances fell to the prodigal Elmander.In and amongst all this Chung was crunched, first by Huddlestone, and then by Bale, actions that probably reduced the winger’s effectiveness later.
The nearest we came to scoring was a free kick by Taylor that was heading for the bottom corner until Gomes pushed it round the post. Gradually Spurs got back into the game and although they produced little, I felt that we ought to have scored at least once whilst we were in command. I needn’t have worried for, having repelled a Tottenham attack, we scored the most sublime of goals. A passing sequence that seemed to involve the entire team culminated with a run into the box by Elmander, an exchange of passes with Chung, an accurate cross, and an excellent finish by Davies. Coming from players that couldn’t string two passes together a few weeks ago, it was a revelation.
Following the goal, Spurs began to press more. Bale was proving a threat when moving forward from left back and Chung was increasingly employed in trying to contain him but generally the visitors’ offensives were well contained.We definitely had the better of the first half, and the second period began in similar vein. Davies, Elmander and Muamba all might have scored within ten minutes of the restart. The game became ridiculously open with play switching from end to end in a manner not seen at the Reebok for a long time.
Gradually Spurs gained the initiative and we had a nasty couple of minutes when they twice struck the bar. In the first case, Crouch outstretched everyone but couldn’t direct the ball down; in the second a great run by Palacios had us at sixes and sevens causing Robinson to come close to scoring an own goal. We weren’t closing down the visitors as we did in the first half, nor were our passes as accurate. Inevitably, on the hour Spurs equalized. Bale, not for the first time, was given too much room by Chung and Steinsson. He was allowed to cut inside and feed Defoe who scored efficiently from ten yards. It looked a good goal but the TV showed that the shot was straight at Jussi and that the ball was diverted over the goalie’s head as Ricketts made a desperate attempt to block it.
Nevertheless, Tottenham were now rampant and with twenty minutes left, they won a penalty. The award was just but again fortune favoured them as the ball struck Ricketts hand rather than the other way round. All seemed lost but Jaaskelainen saved Huddlestone’s spot kick and we survived. There was a further worry when Zat Knight took a knock and was replaced by O’brien. Let’s hope the substitution was precautionary. Mark Davies also came on in place of Chung in an attempt to quell the threat from Bale. The momentum remained with Spurs and they had the best of the end game but the scores remained level. In the closing seconds we took a long throw from the right, the ball came out to Muamba who had a last chance to win the game. Unfortunately, shooting isn’t the midfielder’s strong point and he screwed the ball wide.A draw was probably a fair result but Bolton fans will think that the game should have been out of sight in the first half. Elmander, alone could have put the game to bed. Apart from his shooting, the Swede had a good game and he was the main provider for our goal but he ought to have scored at the very least twice.
The lack of goals must be an increasing worry for OC but let’s not dwell on the negative for there was so much to enjoy in this performance. Kevin Davies was the choice of the TV pundits for man of the match and I wouldn’t quarrel with that decision. He was a handful for Dawson and King throughout and took his goal well. He remains an integral part of the manager’s game plan and, though sometimes his technique let him down, at other times he showed unexpected deft touches.Muamba must have run the captain close for the champagne and if he had scored at the end there might have had to be a recount. He had another fine game showing tremendous energy, strength and ball winning ability. He isn’t elegant but he is effective and on current form, if he could shoot, he would surely be catching Capello’s eye. He is one player that seems to have benefited from the change in regime.
Another is Sam Ricketts. He is looking more assured at centre back and his speed and two footedness are welcome additions to the centre back pairing. He was unlucky to concede the penalty; he was falling backwards and raised his arms for balance. If he continues to play like this alongside an improved Zat Knight, the loss of Cahill might not prove as large a problem as it appears.The big surprise was Robinson. Playing against the much improved Bentley, he too had a fine game.
He is built like my all time favourite Bolton left back, Tommy Banks, and Robinson has the same uncompromising attitude as Banks. Unfortunately he isn’t in the same class as a footballer but he did a good job in this game.Then there was Ricardo Gardner. In the first half he was outstanding and formed a very effective ‘sword and bludgeon’ partnership with Muamba. He was a major improvement on Cohen, and though he was less effective in the second half he should always have a place in the starting eleven. Despite Robinson’s good performance I would still play Gardner at left back. When he played there regularly he was as good as any left back in the Premier League and he is Bolton’s best player in that position since Tony Dunne. Wherever he is used, he is too good a player to leave out.
Of course, our best player was actually the man who is probably our most consistent best player, Jussi Jaaskelainen. Apart from the penalty save he made several others that kept us in the game. Also he threw the ball to feet more in this game than he has done in the last two seasons, which is a very welcome change. I sometimes tend to take him for granted but no player has done more for the Wanderers over the last several years and he was well up to standard here.For the rest, they all played their part in a grand game. Sam Allardyce and Gary Megson have done much to devalue the F.A.Cup in the eyes of the Bolton public and this is probably one of the reasons that so many stayed away.
Owen Coyle obviously thinks as differently from his predecessors about the Cup as he does about how to play the game. The received wisdom is that the League is more important, and whilst not disputing this, the most important thing for me is that I enjoy the games. I certainly enjoyed this one. As for the replay, clearly Spurs will be the favourites. However I’m sure the manager remembers going to Highbury for a cup replay as a player to face George Graham’s Arsenal.
Those of you that were around in Bruce Rioch’s day will need no reminding of what happened in that game.
