Post-Wembley Banter with Bolton

I was almost speechless after the emphatic victory, which apparently is the best Semi-Final win since Wolves beat Grimsby Town at Old Trafford in 1939. But I wonder what a Wanderer thought of the game? So I got back in touch with Quentin X!

RYAN KALISZ: Hello again Mr. X. Don`t worry, I`ll go easy on the questioning (sort of). You said in the last interview that you couldn`t make it to Wembley to watch the game. So did you catch it on ESPN or radio or FA Cup Highlights on ITV?

QUENTIN X:I popped over to my best man's and watched it there on ESPN. After the game he told me that he was engaged. For some reason I didn't congratulate him whole heartedly........!

RK: I`m going to jump straight in here; I think you lost your five pound bet on the 2-0 win for Bolton, but to be fair none of us expected 0-5! What did you think of the score?

QX: I want to hide under my duvet and not come out for a week. It could have been 5-0, 6-0 or worse. If I was pushed I would say 5-0 was the correct result. Three were shots from outside the area, but as they say, if you don't buy a ticket......

RK: Was it a case that Stoke were on fire, Bolton didn`t turn up, or both?
Stoke set up the game perfectly, and credit to Tony Pulis for that. Bolton didn't just turn up, they stayed in the north and had their feet up on the couch.

RK: A majority of Bolton fans left very early. Was it really that bad that they`d prefer to sit in the coaches?

QX: I'm not an advocate of fans doing that. Regardless of the result, they won three hard away games to get to Wembley and while the fans may be upset and the players didn't perform, they had got us to Wembley and I think that the fans should have stayed. From conversations that Iv'e had, I may be in the minority.

RK: Who do you think was man of the match for Bolton?

QX: I believe Lofty the Lion did a good comedy routine in the dressing room before the game. At a very, very big push I'd have to say Chung-Yong Lee due to him looking a little bit more interested than the rest.

RK: Who do you think had the worst game?

QX: Jaaskelainen had a poor game in net. In his prime the shots from Etherington, Huth and Walters wouldn't have gone in. He got down poorly and has taken a lot of stick for it. In defence both Robinson and Steinsson didnt perform, Petrov was invisibile and I don't believe Klasnic touched the ball. Muamba looked like he was treading water. I'll let you take one of them, as I can't make up my mind.

RK: Your manager Owen Coyle was very calm and collected when it came to speaking to the cameras, but what do you think he`ll be feeling on the inside?

QX: He will be absolutely gutted. I think he believed that we had a very good chance of getting into the final and will be wondering just how he was outthought and how the team were so comprehensively outplayed. He has shown that he can learn from his mistakes, but Sunday was his biggest one.

RK: Finally, which City do you want to win the FA Cup?

QX: There is still an outside bet that Bolton could qualify for Europe through the league if Man City win the cup and finish fifth. However, I don't think many fans want City to win anything due to the amount of money they've got, so naturally I wish you all the luck in the world.

Finally, many congratulations for the way you played. I think you proved a great many people wrong with the way you went about the game, especially the wing play of Etherington and Pennant that just tore us a new one. I look forward to watching the final, should be a cracker.

RK: Thank you very much Mr. X! We at Vital Stoke wish you and your team all the best of luck in the rest of your campaign!

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