Bolton Wanderers defeated Walsall 5-2 in the FA Cup Third Round on Saturday.
Bolton Wanderers supporters have taken to Twitter to comment on the performance of winger Craig Noone – and demand club manager Phil Parkinson play him more regularly in his natural left wing position.
The Trotters have endured a tough Championship campaign so far, but they left their league troubles behind them by sweeping aside League One side Walsall, with striker Josh Magennis bagging a hattrick.
Magennis’s treble was Bolton’s first hat-trick in a cup game since 2001, and it raised further questions as to why the player hasn’t been featuring all too often in the league.
But while the striker was happy to take home the match ball and receive the plaudits, Bolton supporters felt Noone was the star player, as the left-footed winger had a hand in four of the Trotters’ goals:
Noone has made 13 Championship starts this season, scoring one and providing just one assist. His record doesn’t look good on paper, but he is arguably being played out of his best position.
The former Cardiff City man has made just one start at left wing, with the bulk of his performances coming either a right-sided midfielder or in a right wing role in a defensive 4-5-1 system (Whoscored).
Bolton are the lowest scorers in the Championship, and they currently sit in the bottom three. Against Walsall, they changed the system and went more attacking, putting two big strikers – Magennis and Clayton Donaldson – up top with Noone on the left side, and it worked a treat.
Manager Phil Parkinson must stick with the same system when they return to league duty, and perhaps this victory over Walsall could act as a springboard to preserving their Championship status.
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