[Archived] Little Sam Leaves Bolton

[Claytons Left Boot]

I can't see why any Premiership chairman still in possession of all his marbles would want to hire Megson. I had a quick glance at Wikipedia and his managerial record appears to read:

Norwich (caretaker role) Relegated

Norwich (permanent) sacked

Blackpool sacked

Stockport sacked

Stoke sacked

WBA Promoted/relegated/sacked

Forest "Resigned" (Jumped before pushed)

Leicester - there for just nine games which produced only eleven points. Apparently the Leicester fans were chanting "Megson for Bolton" during their latest defeat last night!.

However I think it would be extremely wise NOT to crow too loudly about Bolton's predicament until the Spurs managerial position is resolved to our satisfaction.

Apparently Gartside "paid particular attention to his career.........."

The responses from the Piggies fans in the Bolton news makes good reading. Protest on for tonight.

[den]

248 reader comments.

At the moment!

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

I actually feel a little bit sorry for them.

[Bing]

Quote from that article: Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said: "Gary has demonstrated he has the right temperament for a battle, which this season is undoubtedly going to be."

It's going to be a battle, yet they have players of the calibre of Anelka, Diouf, Jaaskelainen and so on? I think Gartside has created his own boundaries there by implying that they'll settle for steering clear of relegation. Even in the position Bolton are in, a few decent results can easily turn their season around and I'm surprised Gartside's view is that pessimistic.

Anyway, Megson is a bizarre decision and far too rash IMO, they could have bided their time a bit...

I thought his choice of words was surprising too. If we were 25 games in then I could understand it but 3 good wins and they'd be approaching half way. Like you said, a team with the standard of players they have should not be resigning themselves to relegation battle at this stage of the season.

Megson has no reputation for being a particular inventive or forward-looking coach. He's a shouter and bawler; he prowls the touchline for 90 minutes shouting instructions and dishing out bollockings. His most notable success (getting West Brom from relegation fodder to promotion) was based on giving an underachieving bunch a kick up the arse. I fail to see why Bolton feel his methods will translate into Premier League success for them.

And whilst he's not a young man, Gary Johnson surely deserves a look by a bigger club. Although it could be argued that with 2 more good years at Bristol City, they'd be a bigger force than Bolton.

[Anti-Dingle-Brigade]

They are going pretty ape. His Premier League past record is not good with only a 15% win rate in his games.

Sounds like they are going to protest tonight

[Ozz]

248 reader comments.

At the moment!

Bloody hell! I hope Megson is getting a huge salary, because he will either be on the dole or in the Avondale Unit in 2 months with that lot on his back!!!

[LWX]

I remember when Megson took the baggies up, they all raved about him. That all quickly changed though within a few months.

[broadsword]

Hahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

[roversmum]

Oh, you are all being so mean to our poor neighbours in distress........

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

They deserve everything they get, being so cruel and mean to that nice Gary Megson.

[RevidgeBlue]

Sounds like the backlash is going to be quite severe. A Bolton fan on Talksport tonight said he was driving up to the game just to throw his season ticket on the pitch along with hundreds of others and once he had done that he would never set foot in the place again after 25 years of watching them!

Another said on Sunday for the televised game (v Villa?), there would be protests outside the ground, fans would turn their back inside, and he predicted a ridiculously low crowd of 6k!

[thenodrog]

My mates a Notlob fan and I was only suggesting in spring that losing Big Sam would see them in serious sh1t. We are seeing just how important his managerial qualities were now, and especially when taking into account Newcastles best Prem start for many years. He has been immense for Bolton and imo should have been selected as England manager without question. He really could be Englands 'Special One'.

[philipl]

Well at least there is one very happy bunch of fans tonight- the Leicester City supporters:

Leicester fan here.

Bolton you don't know what you've let yourself in for.

Last 3 Leicester games - Wolves 0-0, Scunthorpe 0-0, and Sheff Utd 0-1 (defeat).

Megson's teams do not score goals - and OK, appreciate that Bolton have superior attacking players than leicester, but all his teams do is defend and pass sideways (occasionally to a team mate!)

For those that saw and thought the Scunthorpe game was poor on Saturday, should have been at the Walkers on Tuesday. Absolute shambles. The Scunthorpe game appeared a masterclass compared to the Sheff Utd game.

Thank you Bolton - you have saved Leicester from relegation

[Zulu]

Hope Ramos signs the deal! I bet your arseholes are flapping a bit!

[Fife Rover]

I actually feel a little bit sorry for them.

I feel a lot sorry for them! God only knows what they have done to deserve this. Hopefully the players will rise to the occasion for their new "manager" this Sunday and take 3 points off Villa; thus doing both themselves and us a favour.

[broadsword]

Are you worried we'd try to steal Megson off of you then?

I'm not really fussed whether Jol stays or goes, it would be a shock if Mark Hughes left for Spurs. Man Utd, yes. Spurs - no.

[Zulu]

Are you worried we'd try to steal Megson off of you then?

I'm not really fussed whether Jol stays or goes, it would be a shock if Mark Hughes left for Spurs. Man Utd, yes. Spurs - no.

No, I think Megson's a mistake (although time will tell.) I just wish that some of the fans on here would realise that Hughes's tenure at Blackburn is temporary and his replacement may fill you guys with woe too.

That's not a rant against Blackburn or for Bolton, by the way. I'm just very disappointed that the game that I love is in the process of being destroyed by satellite tv and foreign money. Local tribal rivalries aside (and long may they continue!) people should understand that Bolton and Blackburn are very similar clubs and what happens to us could happen to you, and vice versa. There are four clubs in the PL who can win it. The rest of us just provide colour.

Oh, and Sky would swap Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers for any two of Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves, Southampton and Leeds United without blinking an eye. More Sky subscribers, you see.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

There are only 4 clubs in the Prem who have actually won it mucker!

[broadsword]

Whbilst I realise that Huighes won't be there forever, for teh time being he is, and I tell you what, it feels good.

I'm not sure the Rovers board could screw up as badly as your's have done though.

[Zulu]

Whbilst I realise that Huighes won't be there forever, for teh time being he is, and I tell you what, it feels good.

I'm not sure the Rovers board could screw up as badly as your's have done though.

We'll see.

[Zulu]

There are only 4 clubs in the Prem who have actually won it mucker!

Good for you! I wish there were ten or fifteen. You'll never win it again, that's my point.

[Tris]

I just wish that some of the fans on here would realise that Hughes's tenure at Blackburn is temporary and his replacement may fill you guys with woe too.

Could you name any manager in the 4 divisions whose tenure is NOT temporary?!

As for replacements, we seem to be ok at it. The one before Hughes won promotion, a major cup and two shots at Europe you'll remember. Anything before that was in the last millenium, and you'll recall we bagged the biggest prize of all five years before the 9s became zeros!

For now, we'll ride the wave if that's ok with you. I'm not sure what you lot will be riding, but I'd ride it damn quick because the future looks absolutely shocking.

[Fife Rover]

No, I think Megson's a mistake (although time will tell.) I just wish that some of the fans on here would realise that Hughes's tenure at Blackburn is temporary and his replacement may fill you guys with woe too.

That's not a rant against Blackburn or for Bolton, by the way. I'm just very disappointed that the game that I love is in the process of being destroyed by satellite tv and foreign money. Local tribal rivalries aside (and long may they continue!) people should understand that Bolton and Blackburn are very similar clubs and what happens to us could happen to you, and vice versa. There are four clubs in the PL who can win it. The rest of us just provide colour.

Oh, and Sky would swap Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers for any two of Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves, Southampton and Leeds United without blinking an eye. More Sky subscribers, you see.

You're absolutely right Zulu, and a few of us on here have been saying the same thing for yonks now, but it is like banging your head against a brick wall. They will all wake-up to the reallity of it one day, but unfortunately it will be too late by then; if it's not already. The days of any but the favoured few winning anything other than the odd minor trophy are long gone. Clubs like Blackburn and Bolton and all the other town clubs and even most of the city clubs are just here to provide cannon fodder for the "BIG" clubs to beat on their way to the championship. And that is the future for all of us, or at least until the vast majority of fans that support the town clubs wake up and do something about it.

[Exiled in Toronto]

Could you name any manager in the 4 divisions whose tenure is NOT temporary?!

As for replacements, we seem to be ok at it.

True, but this time I fear the worst if and when Hughes moves on. Not only will he be going, but odds on he'll take his entire team with him, and that will gut the football side from top to bottom. We can forget about any continuity. It'll happen sometime, at a time not of our choosing, and like Notlob, we'll be restricted to whoever happens to be around at the time.

All the more reason for us to enjoy the ride and for the club to wholeheatedly pursue a strategy of giving those Welsh blokes whatever they ask for - especially in January.

[colin]

No, I think Megson's a mistake (although time will tell.) I just wish that some of the fans on here would realise that Hughes's tenure at Blackburn is temporary and his replacement may fill you guys with woe too.

That's not a rant against Blackburn or for Bolton, by the way. I'm just very disappointed that the game that I love is in the process of being destroyed by satellite tv and foreign money. Local tribal rivalries aside (and long may they continue!) people should understand that Bolton and Blackburn are very similar clubs and what happens to us could happen to you, and vice versa. There are four clubs in the PL who can win it. The rest of us just provide colour.

Oh, and Sky would swap Bolton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers for any two of Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Leicester City, Wolves, Southampton and Leeds United without blinking an eye. More Sky subscribers, you see.

Can't argue with any of that. But I do think that Mark Hughes is a bit too savvy to leave what he has done at Ewood to go somewhere else where he will have to clear up after someone else. He's already done that at Wales & Ewood.

You lot are screwed with Megson. I don't take any pleasure from saying that. Sorry. Bolton away is a lot closer than Ewood for me.