Since joining the club for £8.2m back in June 2008, Johan Elmander’s career at Bolton can hardly be described as a success. Five goals in his first season followed by just three goals last season had many doubting the club’s record signing’s ability to settle in the Premier League.
With Kevin Davies guaranteed a starting slot, Elmander’s first-team time diminished last season, as he vied with Ivan Klasnic for the sole remaining place up-front. Starting just 15 games, he managed the full 90 minutes on only 4 occasions, despite the club replacing Gary Megson with the less-negative Owen Coyle. His Fantasy Premier League (FPL) starting price this season, £5.5m, was a fair reflection of his impact to date, but the big Swede’s showing in the opening seven gameweeks have made something of a mockery of that price.
Elmander looks like a permanent fixture in the Bolton side this season, starting every league game to date, and his points total of 42 is the seventh-highest in the game so far. He’s scored 4 goals, made 2 assists and has been awarded 8 Bonus Points already. The most impressive aspect of these Bonus Points is he’s yet to be awarded all 3 in one game, accumulating his total over five of the seven games, a feat matched only by Didier Drogba and Dimitar Berbatov.
A look at the Members OPTA stats possibly offers an explanation as to why the Bonus judges look favourably upon his performances. Elmander is amongst the top ten for forwards in terms of “Shots” and “Shots on Target”. He sees plenty of the ball too, again amongst the top ten forwards for “Touches” and “Passes Made”. There’s no doubt he also puts in a shift defensively; he’s in the top ten forwards for “Duels“, “Aerial Duels“, “Clearances” and “Blocks“, and is top for “Tackles“, “Interceptions” and “Recoveries“. Add that to his four goals and the effect a regular starting place is having on his importance to the Bolton cause is obvious. A little faith in his ability by Owen Coyle has resulted in Elmander’s elevation to Bolton’s key player so far this season.
Elmander’s price has crept up to £5.8m as a result of his displays, and with Bolton now looking at three home games in the next four (and four in the next seven) more investment should be expected. This run of fixtures reads (STK, wig, LIV, TOT, eve, wol, NEW) and given that Elmander scored 6 points against both Arsenal and Man Utd already this season, there should be little, if no, trepidation about fielding him in matches against the “tougher” teams.
Somewhat bizarrely, Elmander has failed to find the net at home so far this season, yet has scored in every one of the Trotters’ away games. Given the form he brings into this upcoming kind run though, there’s every chance he’s about to put that Reebok drought to an end.
