Marc Iles

Don't miss anything - whether it's a late dart to the top two or a tilt at the dreaded P**y-O**s. ▪️£3 for three months, £31 for a whole year. ▪️ALL our Wanderers content. ▪️80 per cent less advertising. ▪️Subscriber competitions. ▪️Archive access. shorturl.at/IrLOh #bwfc

A huge thank you to @AdSwindells for very kindly donating a squad signed @OfficialBWFC shirt for me to auction off for the @as9foundation please reply or DM me with a bid, ends Tuesday 8pm. #bwfc

The Buff Podcast is out now! Tune into a round-up of the week's Wanderers headlines with me and @Henry__Hewitt, a review of the Rotherham/Doncaster draws, your emails, predictions for Port Vale, plus other stuff (I have slept since recording). theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25951549… #bwfc

Johnny Kenny asked his club and national team boss about the move to Wanderers, and whether it could keep him in the Ireland squad... 🍀 theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25951091… #bwfc

@SBBWFC Was told to look out for it. Not easy to track!

@MarcIles Pleased for Toal, Sheehan and Kenny that they will be involved in these play offs but with only 7 games remaining after the break it's a significant injury worry for us. No mention anywhere of a call up for Gale, is that happening Marc?

Johnny Kenny has made the Ireland squad to face the Czech Republic next week in their World Cup play-off semi-final. Excellent news 👏🏼 #bwfc

@Radixlecti1 He's answering my question about the pitch, and BOTH managers are quoted in the story with their respective concerns. It will affect the game, just a fact.

@MarcIles Says he is making the pitch a central issue when it is the same pitch for both teams.

Steven Schumacher believes Port Vale's pitch will be a big factor in Saturday's game. Roll up the sleeves time... theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25949553… #bwfc

@Radixlecti1 Read the story - and please highlight anything that supports that statement.

@MarcIles SS getting his excuses in early 🫠

@CMerrills22 Thought did cross my mind. Erhahon-Sheehan-Simons/Dempsey?

@MarcIles I oddly have more faith in Ibby than i do Gale, which i never thought i would say. Do you think he would consider a 433 with Kenny, Dalby and Burstow used in a similar way we used to with Diouf, SKD and Anelka? Have a more solid midfield behind them?

Can Gale/Cissoko step up to fill the void for Wanderrs with Blackett-Taylor out of commission? theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25947662… #bwfc

@liam_omeara @tksalwander Certainly expect it to be higher. How that compares elsewhere I don't know.

@MarcIles @tksalwander That wont be this season though, unless I'm mistaken?

Full time report: Won't be buying the VHS of that one from the club shop. theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25945573… #bwfc

@Blueweevils @tksalwander Yep, get that. It's a complicated argument, though. If teams sit deep, there has to be an element of patience, or to try and draw them out of shape. I'm no better, by the way! 😂

@MarcIles @tksalwander What frustrates Marc, is the number of times we could go forwards but turn about and go back. Then we start all over again and it’s so dull and frustrating. We seem so immobile at times.

@liam_omeara @tksalwander We should know fairly soon. Last year's accounts surprised me. Bolton were lower than I had expected.

@MarcIles @tksalwander We're probably third or around that in wages spent. So it's probably par

@tksalwander @Blueweevils I just wonder whether the outcome of the game, or the relative frustration felt, colours opinion?

@tksalwander @Blueweevils As you say, Doncaster did sit deep and looked to break, er go you'd expect forward passes to be harder to hit. I checked out the ratio according to Whoscored's data and compared it to Exeter, for example, where the score-line suggests Bolton had to be front foot.

@tksalwander Hey, all opinions of course. Long may that continue. But surely by virtue of the fact they are third in the table, they are doing more right than wrong, yes?

@MarcIles We see what we see, but I don’t know that they were front foot tonight. Doncaster could easily have scored from the positions we gave them. Afraid I watch this team both give up chances at the back and be wasteful in attack. Baffles me the same issues persist after 38 games

@tksalwander If nothing else, I do expect them to be front foot. They were tonight - albeit lacking in quality around the box. All stats and measures point to the team playing quickly and aggressively too. Toss of a coin whether they finish, or whether there's a defensive error.

@MarcIles Fair enough, though even with that in black and white I’d wager most fans don’t see that style with this current team. My point is that, regardless of intentions, each week I watch a different Bolton to the last and have no idea what to expect from them. It all seems reactionary

@tksalwander One of the first interviews: “What I want my teams to do, first and foremost, is to play with energy. I like to play fast and forwards, aggressive front-foot mentality type of teams. That’s what we’ve tried to do at all the clubs we’ve worked for."

@MarcIles From what I have seen he’s come over as a reactive manager like Benitez rather than one trying to implement a style on his players. Your call, of course, but I would be interested to know what key messages he sends us out with. 18 months I’m not sure what type of team we are.

The Last Word: Probably 95 per cent more entertaining than the game it is describing, even if I do say so myself. Interviews with Steven Schumacher and Jack Bonham, a drop-in from @Henry__Hewitt and stats, lots of stats. theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/25945677… #bwfc

@tksalwander Something I asked him when he first arrived. Do you think it will have changed?

@MarcIles Marc, I appreciate it may not be in your interest, but if you could ask SS point blank what his football philosophy is I would appreciate it. IE would have had an answer, even Neil Lennon and Gary Megson would too. I’m genuinely intrigued as to what he says