Bolton Wanderers 0 Crystal Palace 0
Man of the Match: James Henry (Bolton Wanderers)
As homecomings go, this was underwhelming, low key and ultimately low in impact. Sam Allardyce’s return to Bolton Wanderers brought neither his first win as Crystal Palace manager nor a defeat that might have come coated in embarrassment.
He did not milk the occasion, last out of the tunnel beforehand, when he was given an ovation by the Wanderers faithful, and first back down it afterwards. He did not enjoy much of a stalemate.
“I was frustrated the way we played in the second half and disappointed we didn’t finish our chances in the first,” he said.
He faces another reunion next Tuesday. Bolton, as he readily accepted, were Palace’s equals on Saturday. They are separated by two divisions, but also by contrasting form. Bolton were in it, Palace out of it. It showed at times: while both hit the woodwork and Palace possessed the greater quality, Bolton played with more confidence and urgency.
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James Henry was the game’s brightest player, forever shooting and looking the likeliest to produce a breakthrough. Josh Vela headed against the upright from one of the on-loan Wolves winger’s crosses. Palace, runners-up last year, were inches from ignominy. “We maybe had a bit of luck,” Allardyce said.
He could at least savour an afternoon of respite. A divisive character is often a target for opposing fans, but not at the Macron Stadium. Allardyce’s family base has remained in Bolton. His association with the town is so strong that some forget the Wanderers he supported as a boy were Wolverhampton, not Bolton, and that he hails from the Midlands. Making 227 appearances as a player and 371 as a manager can have that effect. He even has his own star in the town centre’s walk of fame.
But it is almost a decade since his resignation and tempting to date Bolton’s decline to his 2007 departure. The fan base has shrunk as their fortunes have declined.
“[To see] three tiers closed was very sad for me,” he said. “It has been a long time since I left and their demise has not been nice to watch from far.”
His achievements felt impressive a decade ago. Time has rendered them improbable. With Bolton mired in League One, albeit pushing for promotion, the chances of another manager taking them to four consecutive top-eight Premier League finishes are remote indeed.
With a half-empty ground and a weakened Palace team, it was another indication of how incorrect the cliché of the magic of the FA Cup is. Allardyce is the pragmatist who prioritises the Premier League, a focus that explained why he made seven changes. The game had barely finished when he contemplated what he needed to do to stay in it.
“We shall have some money to spend but it will have to be more than a bit because the prices of players are astronomically high,” he said. “We have to compete with the other clubs.”
He at least benefited from a predecessor’s recruit. Alan Pardew brought in Loic Remy, but a thigh injury meant his debut was delayed until January. Now the Frenchman may mean Allardyce does not need to sign a striker.
Palace have looked overly reliant on Christian Benteke this season but Remy might have had a hat-trick by half-time, striking the post and being twice denied by goalkeeper Ben Alnwick before being withdrawn.
“Forty-five minutes is enough,” Allardyce said. “We can’t afford him to get injured again.”
Remy’s strike partner Fraizer Campbell made two of those chances, one with a brilliant backheel, and turned provider again, occupying much of the Bolton defence on a long and winding run, when Mathieu Flamini blazed over.
“Being clinical deserted us,” Allardyce said.
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