Bolton boss Owen Coyle positive on Gary Cahill recovery
Cahill's presence could have a big impact on Bolton's survival chances
English Premier League News – BBC Sport : Bolton’s Gary Cahill is making good progress in his recovery from a blood clot, according to manager Owen Coyle.
The clot was feared to have ended the 24-year-old defender’s hopes of a place in England’s World Cup squad.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but the clot has dissolved. We’ll revisit it in two weeks and we’ll see what the picture is,” said Coyle.
“But there should be some news in two weeks and hopefully it will be of the better variety.”
Cahill was treated in hospital after being taken ill last week but is now recuperating at home.
Former England Under-21 international Cahill, a £5m signing from Aston Villa two years ago, had been one of Bolton’s most consistent players this season.
He was part of England’s squad for the World Cup qualifying victory over Kazakhstan in June 2009 but is yet to win a senior cap.
Man Utd 2-1 Bolton
English Premier League News : Man Utd 2-1 Bolton By David OrnsteinManchester United moved top of the Premier League with a nervy victory over Bolton at Old Trafford.
The champions took an early lead when Michael Owen’s header was deflected into his own net by Zat Knight.
After Antonio Valencia lashed home his first goal for United, the hosts looked to be cruising to the three points.
But Matt Taylor headed in from Kevin Davies’ cross and Bolton began to flood forward in search of an equaliser, only to be denied by some dogged defending.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s men will be mightily relieved to have secured the win, which was far from convincing but sees them go a point clear of Chelsea after the Blues were beaten at Aston Villa earlier on Saturday.
Such was their dominance, United seemed to switch off mid-way through the second half and were fortunate not to be punished as Bolton laid siege to their goal.
They will have to raise their game for the trips to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Wednesday and then Liverpool in the league four days later.
Bolton, who drop a place to 13th, will feel their late rally was worthy of a point but, in truth, they would have been out of contention far earlier had United taken a few more of their numerous chances.
A seventh straight defeat at Old Trafford looked likely for Bolton as early as the fourth minute when Owen found himself unmarked to meet Ryan Giggs’ precise cross with a glancing header.
The ball was heading wide but, unfortunately for the visitors, it struck Knight’s leg and trickled into Jussi Jaaskelainen’s net.
Owen, benefitting from Wayne Rooney’s calf injury to make only his second league start for United, was at the heart of United’s electrifying start.
The 29-year-old was one of eight changes to United’s starting line-up and caused the Bolton defence no shortage of problems in the opening exchanges.
United’s outstanding performer, however, was Giggs and the 35-year-old winger almost set up a second as his cross from the right was headed goalbound by Jonny Evans, only for Jaaskelainen to save brilliantly on to a post.
Bolton’s five-man midfield was providing little cover for their back four – but to their credit they did get forward to support lone striker Davies whenever possible.
On one such occasion, Davies escaped the attentions of Rio Ferdinand but headed wide from an unmarked position following Sam Ricketts’ centre.
Nine of Bolton’s 10 league goals this season have come from set pieces and they almost continued that sequence when Taylor drove wide after Davies had chested down Gary Cahill’s long punt forward.
But United were in a comfort zone and reasserted their authority with a second goal, Valencia playing a one-two with Gary Neville before drilling a powerful strike past Jaaskelainen.
Bolton had the first chance of the second half, Knight heading Taylor’s free-kick straight at Edwin Van der Sar, but United, and in particular, Dimitar Berbatov ensured they were soon under the cosh once more.
The Bulgarian, laid on two chances for Owen , the first of which was dragged wide and the second clipped wide under pressure from Knight, and one for Valencia, who was expertly challenged by Jlloyd Samuel.
With the match turning into what seemed like a United training session, Berbatov, on a high following the birth of his daughter, Dea, in Sofia on Thursday, had an acrobatic volley repelled by the marvellous Jaaskelainen and Valencia’s low effort was again saved by the Fin.
It took the introduction of Mark Davies to spark Bolton into life and the zest with which they attacked appeared to take Ferguson’s men completely by surprise.
After Mark Davies’ superb run, Kevin Davies crossed at the second attempt for Taylor to rise above Patrice Evra and nod powerfully past Van der Sar.
Bolton’s two other substitutes, Ivan Klasnic and Chris Basham, troubled United time and again with the former having a goal disallowed after Ricardo handled.
Klasnic and Knight both had chances to draw their team level and, deep into stoppage time, Cahill headed straight at Van der Sar, but United managed to hold on.
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson: “It was more tense than we would have liked.
“We made it hard for ourselves and we were panicking at times. But we got through it, just.
“This is a tough league. There have been some surprise results already.
“But we have had a couple ourselves, losing at Burnley and drawing at home to Sunderland.”
Bolton manager Gary Megson on Ivan Klasnic’s disallowed goal and Manchester United’s succession of narrow wins: “It was a ridiculous decision. Ricardo (Gardner) clearly got to the ball in front of (Edwin) Van der Sar.
“I didn’t think it was a free-kick at all.
“The point is words that people are using (for United) are ‘almost’, ‘nearly’ and ‘might have’.
“The fact is, they haven’t.”
Story from BBC SPORT: English Premier League News, Man Utd News, Bolton News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/8305403.st
Eddie Davies – Owner of Bolton Wanderers
Eddie Davies profile
Born in Little Lever.
Father of two.
Aged 56.
Son and daughter still live in Bolton.
Educated at Farnworth Grammar School
558th= richest man in Britain according to Sunday Times list with £60m. Shares his ranking with author Jackie Collins, motor racing guru Eddie Jordan and Cumbrian haulier Eddie Stobart.
Lives on the Isle of Man.
Awarded OBE for Services to Industry in 2000.
Underwent a heart bypass operation in 1996.
Donated £100,000 towards a new coronary care unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital.
Became a non executive director of Wanderers in 1999, the same year Sam Allardyce became manager.
Traces his support for Wanderers back to Nat Lofthouse and the FA Cup winners of 1958.
Executive chairman of the Strix Group, whose boast is that one of their products is used more than a billion times every day by approximately 20 per cent of world’s population.
The company manufactures a wide range of kettle controls, cordless interfaces, thermostats and water boiling elements. It has annual sales of £70m and employs more than 1,000 people.
Became the major shareholder of Burnden Leisure PLC in December 2003.
Source: Eddie Davies, Owner of Bolton Wanderers, a member of English Barclays Premier League Football Clubs information at manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Phil Gartside – Bolton Wanderers Chairman
Phil Gartside (born 23 August 1941 in Dublin) is an Irish businessman and the current chairman of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, a member of the English Barclays Premier League Football Clubs.
He is based in Lancashire and is Chairman of Chambers of Commerce North West. Gartside was born in the Dublin suburb of Whitehall in August 1941, to parents Margaret and Patrick. He attended Larkhill Boys School and St. Aidans C.B.S where he first donned studded boots. Gartside had a short stint as a semi-professional footballer in his youth with local side St. Kevin’s Boys F.C. and also had trials with Aberdeen and Stoke City. Although unsuccessful this was not to be the end of Gartside’s love and influence with the game of football.
Gartside studied commerce in Trinity College, Dublin throughout the early sixties and this is where he met his then girlfriend Mary-Jane Sommerfield, the fundamental reason for his relocation to England. Gartside had his first taste of Bolton Wanderers in the early seventies, when he watched them play in a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park. He was immediately captivated by the passion of the fans and when his then business partner James Connell offered him a season ticket, the Trotters became a part of his life. He bought his way onto the Wanderers board of directors in 1988 for £40,000. Eleven years later he succeeded Gordon Hargreaves as the Bolton chairman.
Under his guidance the club have consolidated in the Premier League and reached the UEFA Cup for the first time in their history. He has seen a number of high profile footballers arrive at the club including Nicolas Anelka, Youri Djorkaeff, Jay-Jay Okocha, Fernando Hierro and Iván Campo. He is affectionately known as ‘Gartslime’ to the Bolton fans; he is also a prominent football administrator and currently is a Football Association Board Member. He is also an executive director of the new Wembley Stadium.
Source: Phil Gartside, Chairman of Bolton Wanderers Football Club, a member of the English Barclays Premier League Football Clubs information at wikipedia.org
Bolton Wanderers Football Club
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional football club based in Horwich, in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester, England. They are currently in the Premier League.
Full name : Bolton Wanderers Football Club
Nickname(s) : The Trotters
Founded : 1874 (as Christ Church FC)
Ground : Reebok Stadium, Burnden Way, Horwich, Bolton, England (Capacity: 28,723[1])
Owner : Eddie Davies
Chairman : Phil Gartside
Manager : Gary Megson
League : Barclays Premier League
Founder members of the Football League, Bolton were a successful cup side in the 1920s, winning the FA Cup three times. The club won the cup a fourth time in 1958 thanks to two Nat Lofthouse goals. A leaner spell followed, reaching a nadir in 1987 when the club spent a season in the Fourth Division. The club regained top-flight status in 1995 after a 15 year absence; their current spell in the top division started in 2001. In 2005–06 they participated in European competition for the first time, reaching the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. Bolton qualified for the 2007–08 tournament by finishing 7th in the 2006–07 Premier League season and this time they managed to reach the last 16 of the competition. Bolton Wanderers moved to the Reebok Stadium in 1997. Their former home was Burnden Park.
Bolton have spent the highest number of seasons in the top flight without winning the title (69, as of 2007-08)
Source: For more information on Bolton Wanderers Football Club, The Trotters, a member of Barclays Premier League Football Clubs, visit wikipedia.org