Bolton Wanderers 1-1 Wimbledon - Five Talking Points

I didn't enjoy that.

Never mind Plan B, Plan A needs work

We are all quick to criticise Parkinson for his now-famous lack of a Plan B. However, I'm getting more concerned with Plan A.

The long punt to Gary Madine is as predictable as it is often unsuccessful, but Tuesday saw us play that way to Chris Long. Today we played the same way to Madine, who was back from his ban for refusing to play last weekend, but we also did the same to Adam Le Fondre. It's infuriating.

Setting up with two defensive midfielders at home is a very negative way to approach a game that we should be taking by the scruff of the neck, but that's the way Parkinson is and he isn't going to change any time soon.

Lack of Depth Costing Us Points

We needed pace and we needed creativity today. We had neither.

Chris Long's stupid red card on Tuesday cost us that option from the bench, but the quality just isn't there from the reserve ranks.

We brought on James Henry today, who has, bar one goal, failed to spark his Bolton career into life. There was literally nobody else worth bringing on.

I didn't even feel bad for internet icon and kettle-wanging expert Conor Wilkinson who was summarily ignored by Phil Parkinson despite being the only remaining attacking option.

Parkinson Unable to Affect Games From the Bench?

I've just written about our lack of depth, but does that dictate how the manager can influence games with his changes? It probably does, but at the same time it's time that he started making the best of what he has.

Bringing on James Henry for Tom Thorpe was an obvious change, does anyone really think, looking back, that if affected the game in any way, shape or form? I don't.

In fact, on the the subject of Henry it was probably the Scunthorpe United game at home where he last affected the game via his substitutions.

3-5-2 might be alright for Chelsea, but we aren't Chelsea

Marcos Alonso (I know) and Victor Moses are responsible for making 3-5-2 a fashionable formation in the English game.

The trouble with copying Chelsea is that we aren't Chelsea. Alonso and Moses don't have Tom Thorpe and Derik Osede doing their dirty work for them, in the same way that Philip Morris and Andy Taylor don't have Nemanja Matic and N'Golo Kanté filling in beside them.

Parkinson's obsession with playing two defensive midfielders at home is infuriating.

I would much rather we played a variation on 4-4-2, and use the midfield to our advantage.

A Dysfunctional Striking Partnership

We all know about Gary Madine and what he does well. However, does this mean that Adam Le Fondre becomes an afterthought?

The partnership is nonexistent, there is nothing there. Our forwards stifle one another and have no idea how to read or work out the others' patterns of movement. This makes for a very disjointed attack, which isn't working to the benefit of either.

Madine scored a fine header, whereas ALF had but one one tame shot in the second half despite having more of the ball than late.

It's really concerning, and the main concern is that we have nobody else.

We need to get this working and quick if we still fancy ourselves as promotion worthy. Fleetwood away will tricky but fingers crossed for a win.