Bolton Wanderers struck gold with Chelsea transfer but it had frustrating knock-on effect | OneFootball

Chelsea loanee Daniel Sturridge enjoyed an impressive stint at Bolton Wanderers but his form led to a tactical blunder in an FA Cup semi-final.

Bolton Wanderers enjoyed a remarkable ride in the 1990s, the 2000s and the early 2010s, but their relegation in 2012 saw the club tumble into off-pitch calamity and near liquidation – and they have still not yet restored themselves to the top two divisions of English football.

A season prior to their 2011/12 Premier League relegation, which ended an 11-year stint in the top-flight, Wanderers could have given their supporters yet more memories to cherish as they reached the FA Cup semi-finals, whilst also competing for a top six finish in the Premier League before an end of season collapse.

Not a part of that cup run, Chelsea loanee Daniel Sturridge proved to be a sensational signing for Owen Coyle’s side when he joined on the final day of the 2011 winter transfer window.

However, despite his brilliance, or perhaps because of his brilliance, Sturridge’s influence on Coyle and that Bolton side, it could be argued, is what saw them capitulate at Wembley Stadium against Stoke City in that semi, missing out on a first FA Cup final since 1958 and a third ever European qualification.

Sturridge’s excellence at Bolton

On his debut for the Trotters, Sturridge scored a last-gasp winner to defeat Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium as a second-half substitute, just 48 hours after he had made the move from Chelsea.

He went on to score in his first four appearances for the club with strikes against Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Newcastle United after that pivotal goal against Wolves as Wanderers chased the UEFA Europa League spots.

He eventually went on to notch eight goals in 12 appearances in the second-half of the campaign for the Whites, having failed to net in 13 league games for Chelsea in the first-half of the season.

Despite an impressive 2011/12 season for the Blues as he helped them win their first ever UEFA Champions League, Sturridge was deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and moved to Liverpool in January 2013, where he immediately shone.

After scoring ten goals in his first 14 Liverpool games in the league, Sturridge formed a simply magnificent front three alongside Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling as Brendan Rodgers’ Reds missed out on the league title on the final day of the 2013/14 campaign.

Injuries hampered the rest of his career, but he still finished up with two UEFA Champions League titles, a Premier League and two FA Cups with eight goals in 26 England caps during a career that promised so much and perhaps delivered less than his talent suggested.

The confusion of Coyle

As Wanderers reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in a decade with a 3-2 victory at Birmingham City in March 2011, it began a tactical dilemma for Owen Coyle, with key midfielder Stuart Holden suffering what would eventually be an injury his career never recovered from, sustained by a tackle from Jonny Evans in a 1-0 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

With Holden out, Coyle deployed Sweden international Johan Elmander, who had scored nine goals by Boxing Day in the Premier League that season, in a midfield role, rather than partnering Kevin Davies up-front in Bolton’s final game before they made the trip to Wembley.

Elmander’s touch and vision was on full show as the Whites hammered a West Ham United that would soon have their relegation from the top-flight confirmed by three goals to nil in mid-April, with Sturridge scoring two genuinely excellent goals in that rout.

However, Sturridge was cup-tied for the game against Stoke and so Coyle knew he had to adjust but, due to the performance of Elmander in midfield the previous week, the Scotsman opted to keep Elmander there for the semi-final and partner Kevin Davies with Ivan Klasnic.

Both good strikers in their own right with varied attributes. One thing lacking from that front two is pace and mobility, and one thing lacking from Elmander’s game was the fact he wasn’t actually a midfielder; tough tackling and reading the game from the middle of the pitch, not necessarily his strong suit.

Tony Pulis’ Potters simply bullied and outran an all-too-easy Wanderers team to play against as they annihilated Bolton by five goals to nil in the sunshine in north London.

Even with Holden’s injury, had it not been for the undroppable brilliance of Sturridge, Elmander would never have found himself shifted into a position where he would excel against such poor opposition in West Ham and Bolton would never have found themselves with such a confused, tactically dysfunctional line-up at Wembley.