Look where we are, Wanderers. A third of the way through the season, 19 points, a positive goal difference, in 5th place. Last season after 13 games, we were in 18th after conceding 15 goals and only scoring 1 in our last 4 games. Despite what Gary Megson may have said, we are a massively improved team. Last season all I was hoping for was to stay up, and while I'm not entertaining illusions of Europe, single digit standings are attainable. I might complain after a game like Wednesday's against Everton, but we Wanderers really need to appreciate where we are. We are in the longest top flight stay since the 60's, we have quality players, and finally, a quality manager. Take a moment and appreciate. Ok, now we can move on to the match.
I unfortunately missed it as it wasn't on TV and my internet was out, but if you did as well, here are the highlights. It seems as though we were rather lucky to come away with 2 points. Of course, it always helps to get an early goal, and while it was an own goal, I think Matty Taylor would have probably netted it if Stearman hadn't. All credit to Wolves, they certainly didn't lose heart and bossed the first hour of so by all accounts. But a certain Johan Elmander had something to say about this.
That goal. It was a show of pure individual skill on the back of a nice team move, including a perfectly placed pass by Stu Holden. Three defenders converge on Elmander, he gives them a turn, shifts his weight and hits the ball at the exact right angle to leave the keeper helpless. Give the boy a hand. I know I've said it before, but Coyle really has coached him amazingly. I don't normally put things down just to coaching, but he simply is not the same player. He now has confidence, skill, and most importantly he's scoring goals.
All of that praise is not to take away from Stu Holden's goal, which was also a beauty, and his first for Bolton. Kevin Davies, massive as always, passed the ball to Chung-Yong in the box, who teed Stu up for a sweet volley into the back of the net. Unfortunately, the joy off this was negated by conceding a nice goal only 2 minutes later. Wolves appeared to be mounting a comeback when they got a second in the 77th minute, which we really should've marked. However Bolton held out and wandered on home with 3 points.
We got 7 points from three games in 7 days, a feat I wouldn't have thought possible a year ago. Our record signing is finally scoring, our most promising midfielder bagged his first. We did let a lead slip, but we didn't throw it away. It scares me to say it, I don't want to jinx anything, but things are looking good.