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Cahill says Whites can survive
9:05am Monday 3rd March 2008
Comments (44)GARY Cahill is refusing to waver in his belief that Wanderers have what it takes to survive in the Premiership.
The talented young centre-back came to the Reebok from Aston Villa in January because he believed it was the best place to further his career. And, although he finds himself in the thick of a tense relegation battle, he remains convinced he made the right decision.
"I said when I first came here that we are more than capable of staying up in this league, and I still believe that," he said.
"It's crunch time down there and a lot of teams are involved. Five or six teams have been sucked into it now, even the likes of Newcastle, and I think it will go to the wire. But I also think we've got enough to stay clear of it."
Yesterday's 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool left Wanderers just above third bottom Reading on goal difference.
In the end it was comfortable victory for the Reds with Ryan Babel and Fabio Aurelio scoring in the 59th and 75th minutes before Tamir Cohen headed a 78th minute consolation for Wanderers.
But Gary Megson was left to rue missed chances at key moments - Cahill being one of the main culprits missing a golden opportunity to level the scores in the 35th minute after Jussi Jaaskelainen's bizarre own goal had gifted Livgerpool a 10th minute lead. El-Hadji Diouf hit the bar with a free kick in the fourth minute and Pepe Reina made a superb save from Kevin Davies.
"I should have scored with the header, which was disappointing," Cahill said.
"The chances aren't going in for us at the moment and we have to pay the price for that.
"I'm not moaning about the luck, but we could have been 1-0 up when we hit the crossbar.
"Nothing's going right for us at the moment. If we'd gone 1-0 up you don't know what would have happened. Their goalkeeper's beaten all ends up and the ball just pitched off the grass and hit the bar. It was just unfortunate.
"It's difficult at the moment but it's important we don't let our heads go down.
"We've got 10 games left. We know we'll lose some of those 10 but, hopefully, we'll win some too.
"It's important for us to regroup and get that win that we need."
Meanwhile, Tamir Cohen preferred to leave the celebrations to his family after scoring his first Premiership goal.
The Israeli midfielder headed a 78th minute consolation for Wanderers, to the delight of his father Avi, the former Anfield favourite, who was watching from the stands.
But Tamir, a half-time substitute for Kevin Nolan, admitted: "It would have been better if I hadn't scored and we had won the game."
Avi, who played 23 games for Liverpool between 1979-81, was a proud father and a happy ex-Red. Preparing to celebrate his son's 24th birthday tomorrow, he said: "This is a big present for me and his mother.
"My team is always Liverpool and if my team wins and my son scores, I am very pleased."
Cohen Jnr added: "The situation is not so good in the table but we don't feel big pressure yet."
Your Say YourThe Bolton News
Nik, London says...
9:44am Mon 3 Mar 08
Hierro, UK says...
10:16am Mon 3 Mar 08
orangeman, to the west says...
10:21am Mon 3 Mar 08
This is dire straits time! And the sooner everyone acknowledges that then we might have a chance of digging ourselves out of the sh*t.
March and April are the two months that are 'make or break' for any Club's season - whether pushing for honours or trying to avoid the drop. String a few good results together now and we'll still be up there next season. If not....
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
10:24am Mon 3 Mar 08
A shambolic 2nd half from the Whites, leaves me very fearful for the rest of the season. Pies away is now absolutely vital.
Hierro, UK says...
10:32am Mon 3 Mar 08
Nik, London says...
10:33am Mon 3 Mar 08
orangeman wrote:Don't get me wrong - I think we will be incredibly fortunate to stay up and we are a club in potentially terminal decline. I just think that experience of having been there before and our record against those around us should be good enough to scrape it. The problem to my mind is that we haven't (as fans) done enough to really worry the board. I think that Julie said on another thread its impossible to know what a constructive way to put fear if God up them is. Boycott and you upset the players, protest and you upset Megson (whos a decent character lumped with an unsolvable problem - though whether he is as good a manager as a club with our recent record should aspire to have on board is quite something else).
I am getting sick and tired of people saying "We can survive", "Bolton are too good to go down", "There are worse teams than Bolton in the Premiership" and "We're unlucky"! This is dire straits time! And the sooner everyone acknowledges that then we might have a chance of digging ourselves out of the sh*t. March and April are the two months that are 'make or break' for any Club's season - whether pushing for honours or trying to avoid the drop. String a few good results together now and we'll still be up there next season. If not....
Mate I fear we are screwed but I also think we should have just enough to survive this season.
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
10:36am Mon 3 Mar 08
Mate I fear we are screwed but I also think we should have just enough to survive this season
How does that work?
Nik, London says...
10:42am Mon 3 Mar 08
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD wrote:Long term (as in next season and beyond) if they continue to run the club as it is now then we will plummet and we won't be back any time soon. In the next couple of months I suspect we will have just enough to get through inspite of rather than because of the people running the club. That explain it?
Mate I fear we are screwed but I also think we should have just enough to survive this seasonHow does that work?
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
10:58am Mon 3 Mar 08
Relegation will destroy us, but if that happens I'll still go to the games.
Reevsey n Philliskirk, stood ont burnden terrace (Bread Isle at ASDA now) says...
11:16am Mon 3 Mar 08
All the doom mongereing isnt helping anyone, yes were in the mire but put it in to context we got beat of Liverpool who are despite what you think are a good side.
If this time in two weeks we are moaning cos The Pies have hammered us the so be it.It coud be worse we could be in Fulham and Derby's situaion here.
Weve got a HUGE game on thursday ok itsnot people priority but it's these nights that being afan is about. With highs come lows thats football. I for one am enjoying the ride.
jpl, bangkok says...
11:19am Mon 3 Mar 08
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
11:26am Mon 3 Mar 08
Pedro, Bolton says...
11:31am Mon 3 Mar 08
Cahill refuses to waver but we want you all to wave your scarves on Thursday!!
This from BWFC official site:
UEFA Cup Scarf Giveaway
Posted on: Mon 03 Mar 2008
Fans attending Wanderers UEFA cup tie against Sporting Clube De Portugal on Thursday 6th March, will be able to show their support with a free scarf giveaway.
Commercial Director Gareth Moores said "We have a limited number of scarves available and so the give away will be on a first come first served basis for a selected period of time pre - match. They will be handed out on entry to the Reebok Stadium and we are advising anyone who wants the scarf to get to the ground in good time."
He added "We want to make sure it is another special European night for everyone, the atmosphere against Atletico was fantastic and along with the singing section in the Debt Matters North Stand we are sure that it will be just as good once again."
Come on you Whites!!
gazz_ball - Supera Moras!, bolton says...
11:38am Mon 3 Mar 08
The 17-year-old has spent the last week on trial at The Reebok Stadium and is understood to have impressed Bolton's coaching staff.
Benfica are also closely following Vaz who looks set to leave Montijo - who are in the Portuguese fourth division.
"We know how good Helio Vaz is," said Montijo's vice-president Pedro Louro.
"A report went to Bolton and they showed an interest in seeing him and he spent that last week training with their first team.
"And from what we have heard he will be heading back to Bolton at the end of the season so they can see him again."
Set to leave
Despite Bolton's strong interest, Louro admitted Vaz's future was yet to be decided.
"It is inevitable that Montijo and Helio will part company at the end of the season, despite the fact we do not have an agreement with any club," he said.
"Benfica have also shown an interest and he will possibly go and train with them next week."
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
11:42am Mon 3 Mar 08
Themojorityspeaks, Real World says...
12:35pm Mon 3 Mar 08
gazz_ball - Supera Moras! wrote:not talked to vaz te yet then has he.
Portuguese club Montijo admit that Bolton target Helio Vaz will leave their club at the end of the season. The 17-year-old has spent the last week on trial at The Reebok Stadium and is understood to have impressed Bolton's coaching staff. Benfica are also closely following Vaz who looks set to leave Montijo - who are in the Portuguese fourth division. "We know how good Helio Vaz is," said Montijo's vice-president Pedro Louro. "A report went to Bolton and they showed an interest in seeing him and he spent that last week training with their first team. "And from what we have heard he will be heading back to Bolton at the end of the season so they can see him again." Set to leave Despite Bolton's strong interest, Louro admitted Vaz's future was yet to be decided. "It is inevitable that Montijo and Helio will part company at the end of the season, despite the fact we do not have an agreement with any club," he said. "Benfica have also shown an interest and he will possibly go and train with them next week."
apple, says...
12:49pm Mon 3 Mar 08
King Kong, Bolton says...
1:06pm Mon 3 Mar 08
We have been spoilt by the likes of Okocha, Youri, Hierro, Campo, Anelka, Stelios and so on.
The look of the whole club, from top to bottom, is poor. Poor Chairman, poor manager, poor backroom staff, poor attendances, poor atmosphere and more shockingly - too many poor players.
We are meant to be a Premiership team. We cannot fill the stadium (myself included)because of the sky high prices, we are making absolute shocking moves in the transfer market (Southampton reserve) and we don't have a striker who can score.
Smegson is not good enough to shines Big Sams shoes. If we are still around at the end of the season, for gods sake, bring back Big Sam.
Perhaps we need a season or two in the Championship to re group and get our house in order.
Chris Manning, Gotham City PD, says...
1:26pm Mon 3 Mar 08
It'd be
Habsi
Hunt
Samuel
A.O.B.
Fojut
Nolan
A.N. Other
A.N. Other
A.N. Other
Vaz
Davies
the hangman, end of the noose says...
1:48pm Mon 3 Mar 08
CHAMPIONSHIP LEAGUE HERE WE COME
LETS HANG FAT FACE GARTSIDE
breezeblock, Manchester says...
2:01pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Sorry, just thought I should mention that to all the knee-jerkers who think the world has ended because we're in a relegation scrap.
We've been here before, it's no problem. We haven't been in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup before though...I think it's only me that's excited by that.
Praiadareebok, Bolton/Praia Da Luz says...
2:09pm Mon 3 Mar 08
But what on earth happened at half time. For the first twenty minutes of the second half we played like we'd just turned up for a kick about at the local park and never been introduced to one another before and it didn't get much better after that.
Where was the effect of the manager's "motivational" pep talk and, forgive me for asking as I didn't think to look, but who assumed the captain's role and what was he doing when all around him was chaos.
There was absolutely nothing in midfield for the whole of the second half, giving Liverpool the freedom of the park, and I don't think Guthrie or Nolan are the answer to that one.
The table tells us that the manager's policy of sticking with the same old team and the same old formation is just not working but is he big enough or does he have the guts to make the big decisions that are needed - I think not.
apple, says...
2:15pm Mon 3 Mar 08
quarefootball.net/ar
ticle/article.asp?ai
d=5424 see what you think?
Reevsey n Philliskirk, stood ont burnden terrace (Bread Isle at ASDA now) says...
2:27pm Mon 3 Mar 08
breezeblock wrote:Exactly well said Breeze.
We're playing Sporting Lisbon on Thursday. Sorry, just thought I should mention that to all the knee-jerkers who think the world has ended because we're in a relegation scrap. We've been here before, it's no problem. We haven't been in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup before though...I think it's only me that's excited by that.
King Kong, Bolton says...
3:57pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Mike, Sao Paulo says...
4:23pm Mon 3 Mar 08
I don't blame Megson, I personally think that he was not warned about this, until a day or two before he was sold. Admittedly he still had nearly a month to find someone. However, our so called scouts should have been told back in Novemeber to start earning their money and find decent replacements. I am sure that if Megson had been handed a list of replacements at the same time Gartside popped his smug head round the door, with "Oh I thought you might be interested to know I have sold the only player who knows where the net is", then we could have bought one in for a decent price before every club in Europe doubled their prices.
This is not rocket science. "Anyone who knows anything about football" knows this!
Previously the only bright side I could manage to see of us going down was that the board would be sacked. However, I have a very bad feeling that if we do go down we will be stuck with Gartside. Does anyone beleive that Gartside will have the grace to stand down and admit this is all of his doing?
Ian H, Bolton says...
4:39pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Trotter, Bolton says...
4:51pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Keep the Faith
Devon Whites, Torquay says...
5:09pm Mon 3 Mar 08
He couldn't be bothered to spend any money replacing Big Sam, hence Sammy Lee trying to put his Mark on the club. Little Sam did indeed put is mark on the club. and boy ain't we still paying for that little gem!
If gartside had offered Allardyce money to strengthen the squad two years back, He would still be with us. We would be challenging at the top still and this whole sorry episode would not of happened.
I don't expect every one to agree with me, but i feel we will fall away from the top division for many years to come, just like we did in the 80s. We had morons in charge then, we have morons in charge now. Pessimistic? maybe, seen it all before? Without a doubt!
Ok, we have got the Uefa cup, but much as i'd love to win it, it won't pay the bills like the bread and butter of the Premier League.
Before some of you jump down my throat, it is my opinion, not necessarily yours and i really do hope i am wrong. Only time will tell.
BWFC 4 LYF, ROCHDALE says...
5:11pm Mon 3 Mar 08
gk:jaaskelainen
rb:steinsson
cb:a o'brien
cb:cahill
lb:gardner
rm:stelios
cm:nolan
lm:taylor
fw:helguson
cf:davies
fw:diouf
breezeblock, Manchester says...
5:39pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Sorry, just thought I should mention that to all the knee-jerkers who think the world has ended because we're in a relegation scrap.
We've been here before, it's no problem. We haven't been in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup before though...I think it's only me that's excited by that.
Sorry, thought it was worth posting...can't believe some people on here are close to killing themselves.
Andy L, rugby says...
6:08pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Trotter wrote:I think that this is fair comment re how games are woin and lost. We have both had our sixpenn'orth on JJ too on this or other threads.
Given that everybody is picking bones about our latest defeat, then may I add that games are won and lost sometimes on a freak mistake or by a wrong refereeing decision, the fact that Jussi cost us another goal and then later Pepe Reina made a cracking save from Kevin Davies was enough to win the game for LFC, what I was disapointed about was the fact that when we came out in the 2nd half we played like a team without direction and that we had accepted that we were going to be relegated, the team, especially our 2 key players Campo & Diouf were left wanting themselves never mind those who look up to them, so my hope for future games are that we roll up our sleeves and start wanting to believe we will win a match and do something to get the crowd excited, never known the Reebok as quiet yesterday which is terrible.
Keep the Faith
I do think though that it's a bit harsh and maybe incorrect to infer that players on the day accepted they were going to be relegated. I'm sure they accepted that they were going to be defeated by Liverpool and I wish manager and players had somehow risen above this. My fear is that they haven't yet cottoned on the fact that we are likely relegation candidates- if they had maybe there would be more abandon in the play and less submission.
For my part I do think that we still have the potential to get more points than some of our rivals..but we will have to make inspired selections and have some luck especially v Wigan, Middlesbro and Sunderland. I bemoan our lack of adventure against Newcastle ( and others) more than the Liverpool defeat.
Reevsey n Philliskirk, stood ont burnden terrace (Bread Isle at ASDA now) says...
6:58pm Mon 3 Mar 08
breezeblock wrote:Once again I agree with that
We're playing Sporting Lisbon on Thursday. Sorry, just thought I should mention that to all the knee-jerkers who think the world has ended because we're in a relegation scrap. We've been here before, it's no problem. We haven't been in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup before though...I think it's only me that's excited by that. Sorry, thought it was worth posting...can't believe some people on here are close to killing themselves.
bibendum, Rotherham says...
7:59pm Mon 3 Mar 08
honda, rossendale says...
8:21pm Mon 3 Mar 08
hendee1, corby, northants says...
8:25pm Mon 3 Mar 08
les537, united kingdom says...
8:33pm Mon 3 Mar 08
bibendum wrote:(You need quality up front we just aint got it)
Well for all the enthusiasm of the defenders it's soul destriying when you see so many things go against you like Dioufy hitting the bar, Davies's header saved and in recent weeks Matty Taylors glaring miss, the last gasp goals,including offsides against Rovers and Portsmouth and just about everything else going against us.I have to say I feel really sorry for the guys, they have played some great stuff recently but had no return for it. Hopefully lady luck will smile before it's too late but if not you'd have to say the biggest fault, whoevers it is,was not replacing Anelka with at least one capable striker. Bad mistake and coming back to haunt us I'm afraid. You can't expect to muddle though in the Prem, you need quality and we just aint got it up front.
Gone are the days of our guttsy strikers.money is the motivation and as long asthere are greedy mercinary forwards out there ,Bolton WFC will have no chance of there services.(unless its from has beens who need to make a killing at our expence)
breezeblock, Manchester says...
9:16pm Mon 3 Mar 08
.when we qualified for Europe? Did we go down prior to Anelka arriving - because I seem to think we were doing OK.
Rob, Worsley says...
10:33pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Gatecrasher, Canada says...
1:13am Tue 4 Mar 08
bibendum, Rotherham says...
7:59am Tue 4 Mar 08
les537 wrote:Don't totally disagree les537 but there are a few out there who we could have brought in that could have done a job without breaking the bank. Sure we might have paid high wages but for the right guy so what, we did the same with Youri, Hierro and Campo and you can't say they weren't tryers and it didn't work. Just depends on how hard you look and where your ambitions lie and I think we know the answer to both of those with the current owners and board!!!
bibendum wrote: Well for all the enthusiasm of the defenders it's soul destriying when you see so many things go against you like Dioufy hitting the bar, Davies's header saved and in recent weeks Matty Taylors glaring miss, the last gasp goals,including offsides against Rovers and Portsmouth and just about everything else going against us.I have to say I feel really sorry for the guys, they have played some great stuff recently but had no return for it. Hopefully lady luck will smile before it's too late but if not you'd have to say the biggest fault, whoevers it is,was not replacing Anelka with at least one capable striker. Bad mistake and coming back to haunt us I'm afraid. You can't expect to muddle though in the Prem, you need quality and we just aint got it up front.(You need quality up front we just aint got it) Gone are the days of our guttsy strikers.money is the motivation and as long asthere are greedy mercinary forwards out there ,Bolton WFC will have no chance of there services.(unless its from has beens who need to make a killing at our expence)
Joe Neill, Lagos says...
8:44am Tue 4 Mar 08
Joe Neill, Lagos says...
8:46am Tue 4 Mar 08
In this section
- Davis grabs number 23 shirt
- Lancs can bounce back, says Moores
- Kotelnik warns 'arrogant' khan
- Wanderers to resume Cahill talks
- Chnages for Association
- Megson targets six of the best
- Barber proves a cut above in Bolton win
- Jonathan Greening slipping off Whites radar
- Wanderers close-in on Cahill talks
- Wanderers will not be rushed into signings
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Pedro, Bolton says...
9:42am Mon 3 Mar 08