OPPOSITION INSIGHT: Bolton Wanderers

Swindon welcome Bolton to the County Ground for the first time since 1999 on Saturday and Total Sport found out what is going on with the Wanderers when we spoke to Dan Murphy, the editor Lion of Vienna Suite, a Bolton Wanderers online fanzine nominated for the Football Blogging Awards.

Bolton won their first four league games of the season, but have failed to pick up a domestic victory since. What has gone wrong?

"It is a really strange predicament. New manager Phil Parkinson came into the club and, for the first time in years, the team played with vigour and intensity.

"We were not exactly playing well in any of the games but we were being resilient, were hard to break down and grinding out the victories.

"In the weeks since, we have lost Mark Davies for the season, and the likes of Gary Madine, Zach Clough, Darren Pratley, Mark Beevers and a few more have all been picking up knocks.

"Bolton really missed Madine as a target man but since Davies injured his cruciate ligament, Bolton have not won a game. His creativity and ability to carry the ball is being sorely missed.

"I also believe there is an issue with the diamond formation that Parkinson likes to implement, as it leaves us too narrow, but it now seems we are veering away from it."

The club have been struggling with finances for a few years now, which of course culminated in them being relegated from the Championship last season, how are they now in terms of that? Are they close to getting debt-free or are money issues still plaguing Bolton?

"It is difficult to say. New owners Ken Anderson and Dean Holdsworth came in to save the club from abyss of liquidation back in February, and since then Bolton have been able to bring in some new signings despite technically still being under some sort of embargo and we did pay some degree of compensation for our manager.

"However, doubts still linger heavy in the air. The club are still yet to submit their records to Companies House, which was due on March 31.

"The previous record for the late submission was August 21, 2001. The reason for delay that is being given as the club looking for cheaper auditors, but it is still a worrying cloud over a club who suffered so much over the past year."

Could you do a near-impossible job for us and try and breakdown how Bolton got into the dire financial state they have found themselves in?"

"It has been an issue that has been building for years and, really, it is a miracle we did not implode a lot sooner than we did.

"Under the heydays of Sam Allardyce's reign Wanderers may have been spending a lot on wages, but the consistent top ten Premier League finishes and European tours (Bolton once played Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup), meant the level of football justified it.

"Then 'Big Sam' left and, one positive season in 2010 aside, Bolton have been heading nowhere but down ever since. 

"Overspending on mediocre players (£4 million on David N'Gog, need I say more?) and long-term, high-wage contracts for ageing players will no sell-on value meant we were stuck, and still are stuck, with an incredibly high wage bill. 

"Without Premier League money that just is not sustainable and our collapse was inevitable."

Back to on-the-pitch matters. Rightly or wrongly, Bolton have been percieved as a compact outfit whose main tactic has been long ball and 'ugly' football. Have there been any signs of that changing under new boss Phil Parkinson? And/or was that whole perception a myth in the first place?

"It is strange, because that 'ugly' long ball football has not been good at Bolton since Allardyce's departure and it has not been here at all since Gary Megson was sacked.

"Our previous three managers (Owen Coyle, Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon) all wanted to play attractive, passing football, which never really happened on a consistent basis.

"As a result the team lost their spine and their toughness. Now, under Parkinson, we have a manager who openly admits to playing a similar, direct, compact style and it is what Bolton fans have been wanting to see for years - a team who are strong and grind out results.

"Now, obviously, it is not pretty and when you are not winning it is even worse but I do believe a return to the style that served us so well, and is a massive part to the club's identity, is needed."

Keshi Anderson was linked with a loan move to Swindon in the summer but opted for Bolton instead. How has he been getting on at the Macron?

"He looked promising on his debut, scoring a fortunate goal in the process, and he is clearly a talented player, but he is not performing all that well as of yet.

"However, I do not think it is entirely his fault. While he is not afraid to do the hard graft needed in lower-league football, he is a pacy, skillful player who needs the ball played along the ground to him, instead he is only being given long, hopeless balls to chase at the moment.

"It seems like the management and players do not know how to utilise his strengths yet, and that is something that really needs to change soon."

As discussed, Bolton's style of play has traditionally been compact so how do they fare against teams that like to play possession-based football, such as Swindon?

"It is hard to say at the moment as we are in such a poor run of form, but I actually think we may prefer to play against possession-based sides. 

"As we have been playing in the diamond this season, we are an incredibly narrow team, coupled with a lack of movement and creativity the Whites have found it incredibly hard to break teams down, meaning Bolton having more of the ball is useless.

"However, we are quite solid ourselves so against a team who will keep the ball I believe we will actually be more dangerous by winning it back and attacking quickly on the counter."

And finally, what key players should Swindon fans be concerned about going into Saturday's match?

"We have not scored in four games so there is not really any player with attacking prowess to write home about, but at the other end of the pitch our two players of the season so far may prove troublesome for Swindon.

"Mark Beevers has proved to be a brilliant signing by Parkinson, as he is a dominant centre back who I have not seen put a foot wrong yet.

"Then there is Jay Spearing who put in a dogged and determined performances in this season and is so good at winning the ball back and getting attacks underway."

Dan Murphy is the Editor of Lion of Vienna Suite, which is nominated for the Best Football 'Club' Blog at this year's Football Blogging Awards. You can vote for them by tweeting "I am voting in @TheFBAs for @LionofViennaSte as the best Football #Club Blog"