Mattyblue

That’s zero friendlies... https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/17787015.game-oldham-athletic-cancel-bolton-wanderers-friendly/

Has to be worth a look if no new LB is coming in. No way Bell can be first choice in a team with any aspirations, just a poor player at this level and no signs of improvement from what I’ve seen.

I’m going to say... yes.

Not without serious reinforcements to that defensive unit. I foresee more thrashings away from home.

I’m talking about last season. Of course he got stick he was making errors. Many posters wanted him to have competition, a better GK coach, not to just flog him.

Not remotely true that ‘well over half the board’ wanted him shipped out. He’s gone and that’s that, but don’t re-write history.

Extremely daft. Who doesn’t appreciate it? This board is always clamouring for academy lads to be played. From Travis to Buckley to Butterworth and on it goes.

He was

‘Rule of 3’ Nothing to see here.

I wasn’t massively upset by it, but then I wasn’t expecting a young loanee as a replacement.

Being a bit disingenuous there, yes he was making mistakes, but most knew he was full of potential. Talk was about competition and replacing the GK coach more than selling Raya.

To be fair, if we can’t take on face value TM’s comments that he needed to be sold so we could bring in players, we can’t his comments that he wanted to leave either.

What a silly comment. Ive never come across a Rovers fan that doesn’t LOVE seeing young lads coming through the academy.

@footballagent on Twitter, ain’t it?

Most fans I talk to realise we won’t ever particularly go anywhere with them (does League 1 count?), but yes we are totally reliant on them. Been some 9 years, hasn’t it?

Interesting, what do you like about Parker?

Are we? Not a lot of noise apart from the young loanee from City coming in. Hope you are right, because another young keeper and a young loanee at the back is nowhere near enough to improve what is a very poor defence.

I look at evidence, in all likelihood a 23 year old keeper will be sold for £3 million and replaced with a 23 year old loanee. The club needs to balance the books, fine. But even if Raya did want to leave, that doesn’t preclude experience being brought in as a replacement Along with the expected defensive signings, extremely odd business for a club with one of the worst defences in the EFL.

How is it ‘dreaming up scenarios’? The manager literally said last night we ‘sold the goalie to help buy a forward’ As said goalie is to be replaced by a loanee, that says to me that’s exactly what’s happened. Now if it’s all a game of poker and an experienced keeper and centre half are soon to emerge, then great, but don’t you like to bring up Occam’s razor?

Is that an admission that there is no master plan for an experienced keeper and defenders to be brought in? Feel free to be optimistic, but don’t get arsey with others if it’s proven to be unfounded.

No problem, got great game management has Bradley Johnson.

Fairly obvious, as alluded to by TM, that the sale of Raya was a necessity and nothing to do with ‘wanting experience and a keeper with game management’ £3 million into the budget, and replace him with a lad of the same age on loan and a cheap, back up journeyman.

Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Ruddy... to lad from Wigan and Simon Eastwood.

On that point. Someone on Facebook posted a pic of a kids soccer school, in Chorley I think. I was first depressed as I didn’t spot a single Rovers, Bolton or PNE shirt (or Chorley FC for that matter), clubs that have always had a decent support in the town. However, what did lift my spirits is the lack of United shirts. Amazing how quickly club’s fall out of favour.

I’m well aware of the club’s model. Oh good, it is just your view on the 75 million. Thought the club had completely taken leave of their senses. You give plenty out, so don’t be so thin skinned if wild claims like 75 million for a handful of players in our fairly average second division squad is challenged.