What the Trotters Still Need, and Why Johan Isn’t THE Man to Replace Anelka

By: Chris C.
Soccer City FC

It’s another interesting month in the world of football. Transfers are flying around at the typical blazing pace, players are making bigger money than even they know what to do with, and the little teams are trying their hardest to keep up. Many of the smaller teams out there have gone so far as to break their own transfer records to sign players that would previously have been relatively affordable. The big boys are still flashing the cash around, and after months of debate, some of the biggest names on the table have made their moves (or not). Ronaldinho to AC Milan, Cristiano Ronaldo supposedly staying at Manchester United and multiple flashy offers on the table for players anxious to move on.

And the Trotters? Well, the usual rumors are still about, but aside from a singular mention of a third target being lined up, there hasn’t been much in the way of actual action. So, here we are talking about what Bolton haven’t done, and what they realistically need in order to get back to their competitive standing in the Premier League. So, what is it that Bolton need, and why does that title say that Johan isn’t THE man to replace Anelka? Well, let’s take a look, shall we?

First of all, Bolton have a lot of holes to fill. So far, we’ve only lost a few players that either weren’t holding their own or weren’t in Megson’s good books (and another that is looking likely to leave, who also isn’t in Megson’s good books). If you factor in the additional losses of Danny Guthrie and Grzegorz Rasiak, one moreso than the other, and you’ve got a few holes forming. On the other side, the Wanderers have brought in Fabrice Muamba and Johan Elmander. Muamba can account for the loss of Guthrie, Andranik and Campo in some ways; however, he alone cannot play every minute of every game in the spots that they left. Elmander fills the role that Stelios sometimes filled and Rasiak plodded his way through, and he will be a good fit next to Kevin Davies; however, he also cannot play every minute of every game. We’re also on the fence as to where the service is going to be coming from. There’s still the chance that El Hadji Diouf could leave for greener pastures, which eliminates the creative and sometimes speedy winger that he fills when he’s actually playing football. So, how do we address the issue of getting service for Davo and Elmander?

This brings us to the wonderful world of what Bolton still need. When looking to address the issue of service to the front, we need a player with the skills of Diouf, but the temperament of Gary Speed to avoid the love/hate relationship that every fan of every team in the Prem currently has with Dioufy. A winger with creativity and speed, that can cross and make the run to find the strikers or otherwise create options, which our current company of players aren’t particularly known for (with the glittering exceptions of Kevin Nolan and Gretar Steinsson). Muamba might be able to take some of that weight, but it will take a crafty winger to offer the proper support. If Dioufy stays, then he might be able to provide that, if he leaves, then hopefully Bolton will have the financial ability to go out and acquire that player. Again, its contingent on Diouf moreso than it is on the financial standing of the club. Well, we’ve covered the winger, what else do they need?

I’m glad you asked, me! Bolton are also lacking any genuine fire-power in depth. As it stands now, we’ve got Davo and Elmander, with Nolan and potentially Diouf to lend a hand. Megson obviously isn’t a huge fan of Ricky Vaz Te, for whatever reason, and so he won’t see the light of day on the pitch, which leaves the options pitifully short. Bolton need, and I stress that as much as possible, at least one more decent striker to fill out the position. In Megson’s eyes, that might be in the form of another Rasiak-type loan; however, the general hope would be along the lines of Milan Baros or Djibril Cisse that have been linked with Bolton for some time now.

That does still leave the back four, but I’m content with that I see there. Steinsson has been fantastic in his time at the club, Cahill and O’Brien form a fantastic pair in the middle and Ricky’s staying on the left side, with Samuel. So, I’d say that the back four are looking in fine shape, with the only real need being for squad players to supplement the existing talent. Fill those holes, and I think Bolton could be looking like genuine contenders like they were before Big Sam walked out. That’s just one Bolton fan’s opinion as to what Bolton truly need, I may be wrong and I may be right. Feel free to let me know!

But what’s all this about Johan Elmander not being the right fit to replace Anelka, you ask? Well, I didn’t say he wasn’t the right fit, but I am saying he’s not a stride-for-stride replacement of Anelka that we all are hoping to see. He is, and I will never say otherwise, a great striker that could be just as good if not better than Nicolas Anelka was for Bolton; however, and I say this with the best of intentions, he does not bolster the same skill set that we came to appreciate from Nic. Anelka was the type to get flashy with his goal attempts and had the genuine skills to put the ball in the net along with that. Elmander is an exceptionally hard-working striker that looks to make something out of nothing. You can find examples of his drive on any video-sharing website on the internet. In particular, his free kick attempt against Lyon from, I believe, 2007.

This is why he is not THE man to replace Anelka. He will not be the flashy fanciful Frenchman; however, he will be dedicated and hard-working. He will create goals from nothing and he will never give up on a play that others might pass off as being dead. I believe that a player like this will need a supporting striker, and this is why he is not the lone man to replace Anelka. I cannot wait to see what he will do in a Bolton kit, as I am most Trotters fans will be waiting to see the newest addition to the squad. All that remains to be seen is who else will be wearing the Bolton whites come August.

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