By: Chris C
Soccer City FC
It’s not an uncommon sight at all for the Bolton Faithful to be waiting and wondering what’s going to happen next during the summer transfer window. With the transfer funds seemingly in a perpetual void and the better players being linked with moves to teams that have the cash to splash, most Trotters’ fans typically spend their summers wondering who we’ll lose next, or what virtually unknown player will be suiting up in the White Hot colours next year. It’s a routine that is as old as Bolton’s Premier League stay itself. It’s just something that one has to adapt to as a part of life supporting the Wanderers.
This year; however, things seem to be different. It started with the much-maligned releasing of Stelios Giannakopoulos, Andranik Teymourian and Ivan Campo. Naturally, the average Bolton fan would be thinking one of two things – “Here we go again, another bargain building transfer window” or “Finally! Campo’s gone, though why ditch Stelios and Andranik?” So, ultimately, the standard ins-and-outs of a Premier League team. Then, something happened that shifted the focus somewhat. Bolton picked up Fabrice Muamba from Birmingham for £5 Million, which led to the common perception of “Well, I suppose we won’t have our new Anelka this time, either.” This perspective coming, obviously, from the usual lack of transfer funds splashed around during the transfer windows. So, life went on and Bolton were linked with increasingly higher-profile players such as Anthony Annan, James Harper, Riki, Carlos Tenorio, Milan Baros, and Nikola Zigic. Fair enough, this is the typical rumor mill that stirs up this time of the year. Nothing new or exciting to get anxious about, and with multiple teams looking at each player, they all seemed like an outlandish link.
Then it happened. A name surfaced that had been on the Bolton radar before, and was close to a move to the Reebok but for the price. Johan Elmander’s name was tossed into the mix, and suddenly he was ready for a move away from his club, Toulouse. Could this be the Anelka replacement we were promised? A few more days passed and a story surfaced citing Bolton Chairman Phil Gartside as being ready to break the transfer record to capture a striker, and the Bolton eye shifted once again to the name that had surfaced only days before. Within a few days of this announcement, the link with Milan Baros grew stronger; however, with a valuation of only £4.3 Million, he couldn’t have been the one that would break the record. At last, after what seemed like months of delay, the day came and an “Undisclosed Fee” plus Daniel Braaten was offered to Toulouse, and long-time target Johan Elmander became the newest Bolton Wanderer. Trotters fans breathed a sigh of relief at this news, but it was the news that followed that was even more exciting from a fan’s perspective. One very simple phrase that was echoed by Chairman and Manager alike: “We’re still looking.”
It’s only one phrase, but the impact of that phrase has left an impact on the Trotters faithful, and with each passing day in this transfer window, speculation surfaces and we finally have reason to get our hopes up that just maybe this will be the year Bolton get themselves into the true financial aspects of the Premier League. No longer the poor Lancashire team, Bolton were really ready to play with the big boys on the pitch and in the transfer market. It’s true, there are still no rumors linking players the caliber of Cristiano Ronaldo to the Reebok; however, that’s just fine, because for the first time in quite some time, Trotters fans can look longingly at the Transfer speculation and hold a genuine interest that perhaps that player linked with the Reebok may actually wind up there. That is the impact that one little phrase can make.
So it’s a good time to be a Wanderers fan, for the first time in a long time. We have our Anelka replacement, as promised. We’ve signed a decent quality midfielder to strengthen the squad, and Jussi Jaaskelainen re-signed despite links to some of the top clubs in the world. So, what is it that will have the Wanderers faithful wondering, you ask? Well, it’s simply the meaning of that phrase, and the depth they’re willing to go. Will we be picking up any more multi-million pound players? Will we be signing Ricardo Gardner and Danny Guthrie? At last, we can feel giddy like the rest of the Premier League teams as each day dawns and the list of potential new players surfaces. It would appear that manager Gary Megson has earned the trust of the Bolton brass, as he’s certainly getting the financial backing this time around that took Big Sam 8 years to gain. Could it be, the new White Hot era at last?
Image details: UEFA Champions League Qualifier: Liverpool v Toulouse served by picapp.com
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