Chances with Wolves

Merson: saw two toothless teams

Mick McCarthy will be pulling his hair out because they've done nothing wrong in an Even Steven game.

Paul Merson
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• Bolton Wanderers
• Wolverhampton

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Bolton 1-0 Wolves
Soccer Saturday analysis

Zat Knight's close-range strike settled an even game at the Reebok Stadium with the result easing the relegation pressure on Bolton while, edging Mick McCarthy's side closer to the drop zone.

However, Merson said although Wolves struggled to create clear chances for lone striker Kevin Doyle, they didn't deserve to come away with nothing.

"I bet Mick McCarthy's pulling his hair out," Merson told Soccer Saturday.

"They've gone away from home, they haven't been embarrassed one bit, there was nothing in the teams and they've lost 1-0.

"They've hit the post twice - the inside of the post - and he'll be absolutely gutted. For the goal Adlene Guedioura got beat so easily and Bolton scored.

"Mick McCarthy will be pulling his hair out because they've done nothing wrong in an Even Steven game.

"Kevin Doyle never had a chance to score today. He played up front on his own and he never looked like scoring in a month of Sundays.

"But the other players in midfield like Foley, Jarvis, Henry and Jones were all pushing forward and it's so hard to explain how they lost.

"It happens every week with them and that's the problem. They had chances to score against Chelsea last week and they lost the game. They had chances today and lost the game.

"You can't keep on losing."

Nervous

Bolton had not scored in the league for more than nine hours when Knight prodded home their winner, but Merson says a goal from a centre-half has not really solved their problems up front.

And he says that while both teams looked toothless in front of goal, some decent defending can provide grounds for optimism.

"They looked quite nervous, being at home," Merson said of Bolton.

"It's easier to play away when you're struggling because the players want the ball more. Wolves were pushing forward and started very well, while Bolton are struggling to score goals.

"The consolation for both teams is that they're not really bad at the back - or they didn't seem that bad today. If they keep on defending well they might get the odd goal.

"But you can't see these two teams scoring two goals in a game, which is a worry.

"When Bolton did look like scoring it was only through Wolves' bad defending... they never really opened Wolves up."