[Archived] Little Sam Leaves Bolton

[den]

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.

That's always happened EIT. Losing a good manager, Is like losing your best players - it seems like the end of the world at the time, but as long as the club is in good hands, onwards and upwards we go.

As for bolton, oh my gawd!

[RevidgeBlue]

I too fear who we would get if Hughes ever left. I mean who would fancy replicating what he has managed on a virtual non existent transfer budget?.

On the other hand I feel Bolton have fallen into the trap of panicking and appointing one of the perennial managerial failures who just tend to get sacked, move into another post then get sacked again. Bryan Robson and Peter Reid instantly spring to mind although there are many more.

And there must be some real gems out there. I'm surprised no bigger club has expressed an interest in Paul Ince who worked wonders at Macclesfield and currently has MK Dons riding about five points clear at the top of Division 2. And much as I hate to say it, Steve Cotterill has done a decent job of keeping Burnley afloat.

There must a few hidden talents in the lower leagues better than the same old failures who are always touted when most jobs come up.

[CAPT KAYOS]

I too fear who we would get if Hughes ever left. I mean who would fancy replicating what he has managed on a virtual non existent transfer budget?.

On the other hand I feel Bolton have fallen into the trap of panicking and appointing one of the perennial managerial failures who just tend to get sacked, move into another post then get sacked again. Bryan Robson and Peter Reid instantly spring to mind although there are many more.

And there must be some real gems out there. I'm surprised no bigger club has expressed an interest in Paul Ince who worked wonders at Macclesfield and currently has MK Dons riding about five points clear at the top of Division 2. And much as I hate to say it, Steve Cotterill has done a decent job of keeping Burnley afloat.

There must a few hidden talents in the lower leagues better than the same old failures who are always touted when most jobs come up.

Indeed Revidge and probably alot cheaper as well - similar on the players side.

Sure I have mentioned this before , but I'm positive I heard/read that Hughes/Cotterill /Boothroyd and some others (Grayson might have been one also) where all on then same training courses together - any coincidence that they are all doing fairly well.

As for Hughes and Rovers - yes its worrying that the time will come but hopefully we will be in a good position which Hughes will have left us in good foundation. Recent evidence would suggest Rovers will not do a Bolton and are forseeing problems at the moment with the game that other clubs are not, and at the very least, trying to do something about it.

[bellamy11]

As T4E has previously said, I think Boothroyd has to be one of the people considered if/when Sparky eventually leaves us for bigger things.

My other thought - though perhaps riskier - is that we go with a 'famous' ex-player in the Roy Keane/Mark Hughes mould. I think that affects players decisions when they are deciding which club to sign for. Imagine how many talented youngsters would want to sign for us if, say, Ronaldinho was our manager. I think certain players will go to be mentored by someone they really looked upto. Hughes has had the same effect and I imagine keane has done quite a bit for Sunderland.

The problem with this is that the ex-player is by no means guarenteed to be a good manager and get the best out of players. If Alan Shearer was our manager we might get a few good young strikers who want to learn from the best, but he might not be able to actually manage them. That's why we're so lucky we have Hughesy.

I think it's a testament to what a job he's done that we'd all seemingly gracefully let him go and manage Man United. Unless somethin goes wrong he'll get a good reception and a lot of well-wishes when he goes. That doesn't usually happen here when people on their way up leave.

[STIFFY]

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

As the saying goes "Better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all"

[ABBEY]

zulu...name the 4 managers who are set in concrete..id say fergie and arshole whinger ...rafa is bubbling at the moment and is getting immense flak from the tea leafs.

As for us aye there are four teams capable of winning the big one DEFINE CAPABLE...hahaahaha we defintly WON it so that means you must include us then.

On to hughsie when he does leave he will be leaving a club with good roots i would of thought and i do hope he leaves the scouts who brought us our bargain heroes.

the next manager for us ....TUGAY!!!!

[Zulu]

As the saying goes "Better to have loved and lost, than never loved at all"

I see your point. You're missing my point, Stiffy.

[Fife Rover]

Let's say for argument's sake Hughes went to United... how many of our current crop of players do you genuinely think he would buy? My point is that he's bought cheap and cheerful for the most part at Rovers because he's had to... and what gems he's picked out! But apart from maybe Samba, Rovers are not his dream team, which he could potentially build at Man Poo.

I think you are right there ET. Just a couple more that I think might get the call to OT would be Santa and Bentley; also the only other that could have a chance would be MGP if he plays to his full potential. Benni would have got the call too but for his age.

[b12_simon]

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.

Zulu you make a very scary point very well.

[Zulu]

zulu...name the 4 managers who are set in concrete..id say fergie and arshole whinger ...rafa is bubbling at the moment and is getting immense flak from the tea leafs.

As for us aye there are four teams capable of winning the big one DEFINE CAPABLE...hahaahaha we defintly WON it so that means you must include us then.

On to hughsie when he does leave he will be leaving a club with good roots i would of thought and i do hope he leaves the scouts who brought us our bargain heroes.

the next manager for us ....TUGAY!!!!

I don't that there is one manager set in concrete. Old Father Time is against Fergie. Wenger probably sits easiest - but he could throw a Gallic hissy fit at any time. Nobody else springs to mind.

You know what I mean by capable too. Look you won it, good for you. You will not win it again - if you think you will you must be on Colombian marching powder. I don't mind that you have won it and we haven't. I just wish that more than four clubs are capable of winning it now. Outside United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal it ain't gonna happen in the foreseeable future - and that's bad. Ask Martin Jol. I want to be in a league where Blackburn, West Ham, Spurs, Aston Villa, my team and others win the title occasionally as well as all the usual suspects, but it will not happen. We used to laugh at the Scottish Pointless League because it's a two-horse race. We are in a continual four-horse race and we're nearly as laughable as the sweaties.

As for Hughes leaving you with "good roots", well we were convinced that the foundations were so good post Allardyce that we would recover from the blow. How wrong we were. Do you honestly believe that this cannot happen to you? If your roots and scouts are as good as you say they are they will want to further their careers by going to whichever top 4 club comes in for Sparky. That's another symptom of what's wrong with the game.

I'm not slagging Rovers off here or attempting to bring Hughes character into question. It's the fundamental faults within the game that anger me. They affect you as much as they affect me.

[ABBEY]

interesting read zulu

[Zulu]

interesting read zulu

It is common knowledge that Gartside is a purveyor of "terminological inexactitudes" as Ministers say when they do not wish to be sued. If he told me it was raining I think I would check by looking out of the window.

I must say it's funny though watching the press weaving a story with a plot that has Graeme Souness and Milan Mandaric as two innocents abroad shafted by that nasty duplicitous man from "long-ball, in-your-face" Bolton.

Still, whilst they are doing that they aren't weaving threads about "dirty" Blackburn, eh? (Another load of utter ######, by the way!)

[philipl]

Not joking, but I think you are going to be able to add Man City to the list of clubs that could win the Premiership if they get their buying right this January.

[thenodrog]

How many new players are they going to buy 10.... and put Richards back where he belongs at rb?

[thenodrog]

I too fear who we would get if Hughes ever left. I mean who would fancy replicating what he has managed on a virtual non existent transfer budget?.

I keep trying to think what happened to Mike Newell? He's a definite loose canon and there does seem to be some murky background to his leaving Hartlepool , but his only managerial prob football wise was the Luton board selling all his best players. Put it this way on that basis alone I'd rather have him than LFS or Megson put together.

[Hughesy]

A city fan at work, who is in the know says that Riquelme is a deffinate. He reckons 4 will be coming in and that they may look to that winger that Liverpool where after - is it simao or something?

How many new players are they going to buy 10.... and put Richards back where he belongs at rb?

[Hasta]

As for Hughes leaving you with "good roots", well we were convinced that the foundations were so good post Allardyce that we would recover from the blow. How wrong we were. Do you honestly believe that this cannot happen to you?

Too true. Daglish left when we were champions of England, 17 months later we were rock bottom of the league with Harford in charge and Shearer gone.

Whilst you may be perceived as a form of 'enemy' Zulu, those who think about most of what you say know that you are probably bang on. On one hand I do take some delight in the misfortune of a local rival, however due to the points you mention I would also rather clubs of a smaller nature succeeded rather than the big city, big investment clubs.

For the last few seasons you and us have shaken up the supposed 'sleeping giants' like Spuds and Everton in competing for the UEFA spots. If huge investment is now attracted to the bigger likes of Everton, Man City and Villa then it will become more difficult for managers like Hughes and Allardyce to punch above their weight with town teams.

If Rovers get relegated I think it would be very, very difficuly for us to get back. We should all be watching Bolton at the moment with cautious interest as well as with mockery.

[Zulu]

Too true. Daglish left when we were champions of England, 17 months later we were rock bottom of the league with Harford in charge and Shearer gone.

Whilst you may be perceived as a form of 'enemy' Zulu, those who think about most of what you say know that you are probably bang on. On one hand I do take some delight in the misfortune of a local rival, however due to the points you mention I would also rather clubs of a smaller nature succeeded rather than the big city, big investment clubs.

For the last few seasons you and us have both shaken up the supposed 'sleeping giants' like Spuds and Everton in competing for the UEFA spots. If huge investment is now attracted to the bigger likes of Everton, Man City and Villa then it will become more difficult for managers like Hughes and Allardyce to punch above their weight with town teams.

If Rovers get relegated I think that it would be very, very difficuly for us to get back. We should all be watching Bolton at the moment with a cautious interest as well as with mockery.

Spot on Hasta! I'll rest my case (and rant!) at this point.

[daren]

But it won't stop us mocking (because we know it could be us next, although we look OK at the moment).

On the other hand, Bolton is a lot bigger than Blackburn population wise (something like 3 or four times?) I'm surprised that the club hasn't pushed on given the recent relative success.

[Fife Rover]

Too true. Daglish left when we were champions of England, 17 months later we were rock bottom of the league with Harford in charge and Shearer gone.

Whilst you may be perceived as a form of 'enemy' Zulu, those who think about most of what you say know that you are probably bang on. On one hand I do take some delight in the misfortune of a local rival, however due to the points you mention I would also rather clubs of a smaller nature succeeded rather than the big city, big investment clubs.

For the last few seasons you and us have both shaken up the supposed 'sleeping giants' like Spuds and Everton in competing for the UEFA spots. If huge investment is now attracted to the bigger likes of Everton, Man City and Villa then it will become more difficult for managers like Hughes and Allardyce to punch above their weight with town teams.

If Rovers get relegated I think that it would be very, very difficuly for us to get back. We should all be watching Bolton at the moment with a cautious interest as well as with mockery.

We should all be hoping that Bolton pull themselves back up the table and don't go anywhere near relegation. As Zulu has rightly said we "smalltown" clubs are all in it together in a battle to prove our right to exist in the top tier of English football, and in confounding the wishes of the media and the glory seekers.

[Rover95]

We should all be hoping that Bolton pull themselves back up the table and don't go anywhere near relegation. As Zulu has rightly said we "smalltown" clubs are all in it together in a battle to prove our right to exist in the top tier of English football, and in confounding the wishes of the media and the glory seekers.

I agree. While its always great to beat Bolton, I wouldn't want to see them relegated. Its important for us smaller clubs to do well in a league thats full of 'so called big clubs'. Not only do you have the big 4 but god knows how many other clubs who think they're big (spurs, everton, newcastle etc) yet do nothing year on year. I'd much rather see one of those teams go down (unlikely though it is) than a team like Bolton.

[bob fleming]

If Bolton do go down and get into financial trouble, rest assured Zulu that I'll sell one of my cows and a couple of banjos to help them out.

You make some very good points fella. We know darned well that neither of our clubs are welcome at the top table. Long may it continue to annoy the hell out of the 'establishment'.

[bluebruce]

Not only do you have the big 4 but god knows how many other clubs who think they're big (spurs, everton, newcastle etc) yet do nothing year on year. I'd much rather see one of those teams go down (unlikely though it is) than a team like Bolton.

Unlikely? Only two seasons back, the mightiest, Biggest Club Of All Time (Registered Trademark of Birmingham City FC) went down. Granted, I still fail to sleep at nights contemplating how it happened, or even whether it did happen (perhaps I've merely gone mad, and Brum are still the European Champions), but if even such collossi can be felled, methinks the paltry likes of Man United and Chelsea are virtual dead certs for relegation this year.

[FourLaneBlue]

As for Hughes leaving you with "good roots", well we were convinced that the foundations were so good post Allardyce that we would recover from the blow. How wrong we were.

This is where you have it slighty wrong. You have talked about the lack of quality candidates available to Bolton but if anything the real mistake when it came to the manager you employed was when Big Sam left. At the time you were looking certainties for Europe and with a talented squad containing the likes of Anelka. That was the time to employ from a position of strength but Gartside completely failed to employ the right guy and went for Sammy Lee instead.

Therefore the conditions (roots) you suggest were not good enough might well have been if the appointment was not totally ballsed up!

Some moons later and when it came to looking for a manager the second time Bolton were propping up the table facing a relegation fight while also those Uefa Cup games seem somewhat of a hindrance rather than otherwise. Rather than employing a manager from a position of strength Gartside missed his chance and is instead having to scrape around for managerial candidates.

Hopefully when Rovers have to replace Hughes which will inevitably happen and...well, those vacancies do not appear all the time...but when one does we just have to hope the board acts decisively. One will probably tempt him but hopefully not too soon. Until then we need to enjoy it while we can as...as proved by Bolton and Rovers before many a time...fortunes in football can soon change. It´s what happens to the non big clubs...and has done since way before Sky for that matter.

[thenodrog]

As for Hughes leaving you with "good roots", well we were convinced that the foundations were so good post Allardyce that we would recover from the blow. How wrong we were. Do you honestly believe that this cannot happen to you?

Too true. Daglish left when we were champions of England, 17 months later we were rock bottom of the league with Harford in charge and Shearer gone.

Whilst you may be perceived as a form of 'enemy' Zulu, those who think about most of what you say know that you are probably bang on.

I have enjoyed your contribution too Zulu (in fact I think that our opinions are not to far apart at all) but dont come over all clever about us being in a comfort zone and not believing it could happen to us if we lost Hughes cos you lot were guilty of not thinking that what happened to us when we lost Dalglish could happen to you....FIRST! Think about it.

Touche, I think is appropriate.

As for my opinion it's like Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort....... neither can survive and prosper whilst the other lives! And I'm not being selective cos the same applies to all the other old Lanky clubs. Get rid of all but one and Sky and Setanta will indeed take note I can virtually guarantee that. Any billionaire from the US worth his salt as a businessman / entrepreneur (who is not currently watching his paper worth decimated) would only be advised to take on BRFC if he bought the others......... and shut em down.