Andy Gray - Sky Sports Expert

Trotting off?

Will Megson pay the price for failing to take Trotters forward?

Posted: 31st October 2008 12:21

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Gary Megson

Megson: tough start

Gary knew what the requirements were when he took the job - and playing bottom-three football was not on the list.

Andy Gray
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The biggest problem for Gary Megson is that, to all intents and purposes, he is following in the footsteps of Sam Allardyce, a guy that took Bolton to an unprecedented status in football.

Under Allardyce, Bolton were finishing in the top eight time and time again, top-half finishes seemed to be no problem for them and they were bloodying the noses of the big clubs with some regularity, particularly at the Reebok Stadium.

The fans expect that now, so when they see their team in the bottom three and struggling for form then questions are going to be asked. Because Gary has taken the team into the relegation zone then he's obviously going to be under pressure and he won't have been too surprised to hear the jeers during the defeats to Tottenham and Everton.

Gary knew what the requirements were when he took the job - and playing bottom-three football was not on the list. Losing in the last-minute against Everton, a team that have been struggling for form themselves, was not acceptable for the fans. The supporters would have expected to win that game at the Reebok and you have to be prepared for criticism after results like that.

Gary doesn't have the luxury of being able to say he'll get it right eventually. The predicament they're in means he has to get it right now and the supporters have certainly made their feelings known.

Change

I don't want to sit here discussing whether or not a manager should be sacked because only the Bolton board of directors can decide if and when his time is up. What I would say is that when Sammy Lee's reign didn't start too well, Bolton made a quick change and got Gary in. He did a decent job for them last season and this year they'll have been looking for Gary to move the team on again.

In the first nine games he hasn't done that and I'm sure he'll be the first to admit that. It remains to be seen whether he gets time to do turn it around, but change isn't always the answer. We've seen too many teams change things too often and clubs often don't end up with enough stability.

However, chairmen and owners don't have much patience these days. They want an instant return for their money; that's the business we work in now and Gary knows that.

Yes, he did a decent job last year, there's no doubt about that. But, as Juande Ramos found out, you can't just do it for one season. Spurs won one of the top three trophies in England barely eight months ago and Ramos is already out of work. That tells you how careful you have to be in this business.

If Gary doesn't get it right soon and he doesn't start winning his home games then Bolton are going to struggle big time. I don't know how he's going to turn things around, but it must start with belief and hard work from the coaching staff and the players.

They have an opportunity to get at least a point at home to Manchester City on Sunday. City are not exactly the best travellers; they lost to Middlesbrough in midweek and Bolton fans will be looking for exactly the same.

It's not as if they're coming up against Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea this weekend, so if they lose this game then it's two home defeats in a row and the pressure really will start to mount on him.

Goals

If you look at the bottom of the Premier League table then you'll usually find the teams that have scored the least goals. No team has scored fewer goals than Bolton so far and that's why they're in the relegation zone.

If you can't score enough goals then you're going to put yourself under pressure and in trouble. Somehow Gary has got to find a blend or a magic formula to get them a goal or two per game, plus he's got to keep it tight at the other end.

That's a lot easier said than done. He's signed a number of players in the summer and even the best players in the Premier League take time to settle. When you're shopping at Bolton's level and bringing in players that don't cost millions and millions of pounds then it sometimes takes a little longer.

It looks like some of Gary's summer signings have not bedded in as quickly as he would have liked and as a consequence, results haven't gone their way. The question now is do the board give Gary time and remain patient with him or do they do what Tottenham have done and react? His future will depend on how the board decide to answer that question.

But I know the board of any football club will be hugely influenced by what the fans say and if the Bolton fans keep turning on Gary, as they have done in the past week, then it's going to be hugely difficult for him.

Comments

Andy Raven (Leicester City fan) says...

When he managed us we sang "Megson for Bolton" and it worked! try singing "Megson for Darlington" you never know

Posted 14:53 3rd November 2008

Phil Holt (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I have only missed 1 home game at the Reebok due to a holiday up till this season and although I am a ST holder, I will not go to a game till he leaves, the mans attitude to BWFC is its just a job and shows no passion, with his boring monotone interviews, how can he motivate the players when he doesnt the fans. His decision to take an under strength team to Lisbon was appaling, for a team that hasnt won a cup for 50 years it was probably our best chance, with the possibilty to play rangers in manchester in the final. Then lose to 10 man Wigan 3 days later just showed what an inept manager he is. His substitutions beggar belief, losing at Spurs - take your striker off ! The mans a loser, he was as a player and has always been as a manager. Please leave so I go back to watchin the team I love.

Posted 10:57 3rd November 2008

Matt Wood (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

With out question, the worst manager in the Premiership, Championship, League 1 and probably league 2. The man has no tactical awareness and will settle for draws when we should be winning. I would rather have a novice manager then him. BRING BACK BIG SAM

Posted 17:32 2nd November 2008

James Tennant (Carlisle United fan) says...

Bolton Wanderers - a club who were once a stable side in the Premier League bringing in quality players for next to nothing amounts of money gelling them together to form quite a formidable looking, strong and athletic side. On the other side of the coin, now, an average, bit part side unfortunately made up of Premiership rejects who have failed to cut the mustard at other clubs. A manager who doesn't exactly instill much confidence into the fans. Megson doesn't have an amazing reputation and CV and I feel he is out of his depth and is currently on borrowed time. With Bolton needing a new manager, before January would be the best bet to allow him to change the side around and if necessary, to bring in his own players. David O'Leary and Alan Curbishley are two names who immediately spring to mind who might of capable of turning Bolton into relegation scrappers to mid table security. Fasten your seat belts Bolton fans, it's going to be a bumpy ride...

Posted 16:13 2nd November 2008

Richard Ekins (Leeds United fan) says...

Lets just face it. Bolton are not a premier league club any more they used to be when sam allardyce was manager but Gary Megson is not a good enough manager for the championship never mind the premiership. Bolton should get rid of him and look for a manager who has talent and can build on what the team have already got ( not alot ). My personal opinion Bolton will go down this season.

Posted 12:32 2nd November 2008

Glen Hupton (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Before Megson took over, when we had Sammy Lee, we weren't in the bottom 3. He dragged us into the bottom 3 and then dragged us out at the last minute. To me he didn't do a good job last season all he did was help us out of a mess he got us in. I'm afraid Megson needs to go really soon as we was lucky last season but we can't be lucky again with this guy.

Posted 10:45 2nd November 2008

Simon Taylor (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I wish people would stop staying he did a good job last year. Brum and Reading being awful kept us in the league NOT the manager and his "10 nil nils" plan. He harps on about not having a full season blah blah. He took over a top 8 squad (fours years not a one off), that had started badly, was given another £25MILLION to improve us and we're bottom of the league unable to score unless the keeper drops the ball. We've gone from the team EVERYONE hated to play to now being the team eveyone wants to play. Losing this year to Everton, Newcastle, SPURS, Fulham and being knocked out by Northampton. The players are trying, no doubt, but are being set up in such a way that we are destined to go down unless either he changes his negative attitude or he's replaced. One last question......Why do people think Sam would come back after all the rubbish that went on before??

Posted 10:24 2nd November 2008

Katherine Lucas (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...

First I'd like to sympathise with Bolton fans because as a Spurs fan I know it's the worst feeling in the world when your team are bottom - credit to Megson for keeping them up last year but as has already been mentioned, he isn't a long-term solution - sack megson and bring back big sam allardyce although he didn't do too well at Newcastle he works wonders for (no disrespect) smaller clubs like Wanderers with a physical approach. Shame You Can't Have Super Harry Redknapp!

Posted 21:36 1st November 2008

Lewis Chadwick (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

i agree. Big sam did all that work getting us out of division1 to a top 10 team and he got no money wat so ever. This guy comes in and in half a season he gets 30 million. Also we have a better team now wiv gary tha n we did have wiv sam, but we are not playing as wel as we did. That then shows what a great manager sam was and that gary has to go. He plays so negative football and on wednesday night you could spot it a mile off that he was playing for a point. Its ok saying you have got 2 defend well but when u got no service from midffield to the strikers you are not going to score goals. And whats the point in bringing on gardner and riga for 5 mins. They shud of come on at half time or on for half an hour left to play. But really they shud be on from the start in my eyes. Riga is fast skilful player wh ocan create chances and will run at defences and hes on the bench. I hope we turn it around against man city on sunday but if we dont beat city and dont beat hull, i think megson will have to go. COME ON YOU WHITE MEN!

Posted 19:43 1st November 2008

James Wall (Leeds United fan) says...

Things look grim for Bolton, looking at your next three fixtures you'll be lucky to take one point. Man City look sharpe, Hull are in good form and then Liverpool. I think your problem is the lack of creativity, when big Sam was in charge you always had pace on the wings and a creative centre midfielder. But, looking through your squad i can't see anybody that could change a game around. Even your defence looks poorer than it has ever been. Teams are suppose to get better each season, but Bolton have taken a massive step backwards. In the last two season you have sold massive characters and never replaced them, Anleka, Diouf, Jay Jay, Ben Hiam. I don't like it when managers don't get a chance, at least two seasons...but, Gary Megson...can't understand why you would have appointed him in the first place!

Posted 17:34 1st November 2008

Michael Ling (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I have always said the players must take some responsability for the position there team is in but megson but this team together after spendings of £30 mill and its not worked out to put him in charge when they did showed no ambition at all from the club or board it was a last resort its time for big changes at the reebok starting with megson and gartside to go allardyce would save the club from relagation but i would like to see the club go out and do wot ever it takes to get someone in who is going to take this club forward a message to gartside you put sammy lee in charge when he was probably one of the best coaches in this country he should of stayed as coach you then got shut of him and brought in megson who i thank for keeping us up last season but now its time to go mr gartside please do the right thing and leave before you become a hated person thanks for everything you have done but go now and let someone else have a go at taking this club forward

Posted 17:15 1st November 2008

Simon Neill (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

He's got to go and we all know it's only a matter of time. Sooner the better, the guy has a tragic track record of destroying clubs. Just ask any Forest fan what they make of him! However, why does Gartside escape all the heat.? Since Allardyce left his side, Gartside proceeded to drop clanger after clanger. Firstly the decision to promote Sammy Lee, an emotional uneducated appointment ahead of far more experienced campaigners, secondly the subsequent appointment of Megson and thirdly the sale of Anelka to Chelsea, an almighty gamble with the club's future when he could have quite easily told him to sit tight for 4 months til the end of the season. Gartside must go. Allardyce will never return whilst he is at the club! Failing the re-appointment of Big Sam, how about Bruce Rioch?

Posted 15:05 1st November 2008

Fred Hamer (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I am no fan of Megson, and hiring him was a mistake but at this stage, I cannot see another candidate who could do a better job who would want to run the club with its current crop of players and I doubt if there is enough funds to buy in new quality players. The only man I can think of who could and may want to attempt to turn the team around is BSA. However, Gartside would never admit that he made a mistake in letting him go, so I guess that will not happen. If Megson stays, they will go down I am afraid.

Posted 12:59 1st November 2008

Callum Wilde (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

It seems almost cruel to watch Bolton at times, we had good spells in the game against everton but we didnt creat decent enough chances and inevitable happened a team that wasnt really in the game grab a last minut goal. This season we have played well but when we dont megson doesnt seem to be able to change tactics or be able to make a simple subsitution to change the pace of the game in our favour. For me, Diouf was a massive lost because he gave us that cutting edge at times and had the nack for creating chances for others and on occasions grabbed a goal or two. I have to say I'm proud of what Megson did last season and hats off to him, but he has got to be the most negative manager in football even in Italy he would probably be labelled negative. Fair play to him he tried to change it on Wednesday but he failed to step up to mark and take off taylor and bring on gardner. For me Gardner and Sameul down that left hand side have to be exellent and probaly been our best two players but yet Megson continutes to play Matt Taylor for some known reason. For me Taylor is a chicken, he doesnt get stuck in enough at times. I believe Nolan has been his usual self this year and been all commiment but really nothing special. We seem to lack that cutting edge/player that can turn a game on its head. Well the door is waiting for Megson and Gartside and I hope they would both go but I just cant see it and with Gartside staying there is no chance of Big Sam coming back. I can only live in hope that we get a bit of luck in the next few games and Megson can install some confidence.

Posted 22:48 31st October 2008

Peter Kay (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Megson need to go NOW. We cannot afford to drop points like we are. In 3 games time we could be totally cut adrift. With regards to Sam Allardyce coming back, that will never happen if the rumours are true and Gartside remains as chairman. Anyway, I personally think he took us as far as he could and the football at the end of his tenure was more one dimensional than usual. I would like to see a brave approach of getting a young and up and coming manager to come in. Obviously Brownie is out of the question but Owen Coyle and Mixu are both doing well and both would instill a bit of prideand passion into the team, this is obviously what we need at the moment. Away from ex wanderers, I would opt for either Aidy Boothroyd or Martinez @ Swansea.

Posted 20:18 31st October 2008

Jack S (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I saw Bolton at Spurs last week. Was not impressed with the team; i feel Kevin Davies would have given Ledley King a much harder time of it up front. King stopped any threat from Elmander. For me, he was the difference for Spurs. Bolton had few players capable of breaking forward, 3 defensive midfielders in Nolan, Muamba and McCann. Bit negative? Yet, defensively we were too often caught all central-Bentley had all the time in the world to make his cross,leading to the 1st goal, i see on match of the day,in an identical position, Phil Neville is allowed the same luxury,lucky to escape...Surely 1 of these 3 players should be pressing an oppossing player in your own half?, playing defensively should not mean 10 men retreating into their own box,narrow and vulnerable with no one-touch,pacy footballers to pass to, to get out of trouble and have a presence in the other half, well, there was Taylor, but surely Riga and Gardener would have caused Spurs some problems,as Gardener did at West Ham? It was thoroughly annoying to be thinking this and only on 85 mins and 2 goals down does Megson take the risk...too late...is it too late for Megsons job? We seem to be losing to teams who have terrible records, drawing at best at home; relegation form. Im sitting on the fence,i dont see enough games to make the judgement, but was surprised how many Bolton folk joined the anti-Megson chanting last sunday,surely the loudest song of the day.

Posted 17:14 31st October 2008

Dave Buffey (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

Megson is quite possibly the most tactically inept negative manager that I have ever known. The board must not hesitate and remove Megson from the position now. We are only 1 position higher than the so called 'crisis club' Tottenham Hotspur. Megson and Garstide out now!!!! Why was Sam never given the £30million that we gave to this idiot!?

Posted 15:59 31st October 2008

Wayne Ellison (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

After barely freezing to death on a cold Wednesday night watching another Bolton defeat I feel it is now time to make a change at the top. We are now seeing what a Championship manager Megson is and that last season he got lucky in that there were poorer sides around us at the bottom of the league. On Wednesday Megson finally deicded to ditch the 4-51 formation to try and be more positive but we still did not create a clear chance that testing Howard in goal. Elmander doesnt look like he will get us the goals, yet Megson continues to leave Smolarek on the bench despite him playing and scoring for Poland in teh recent world cup qualifiers. The midfield is too slow and lacks the flair to break teams down, Nolan is living on apst reputation when his goals used to hide the fact that he didnt work hard enough for the team and he is now overweight and a liability for the team. The problems lie with Megson who failed to make a substitution on Wednesday to change things and try and win the game and the lack of a Plan B if the long ball does not work. We have spent some money in the last 2 transfer windows but still have not purchased a quality goalscorer (or two), these are the reasons why we face the probability we will be playing Stoke again next season unless Phil Gartside makes a brave decision and swallows his pride by sacking Megson now!!!!!!

Posted 15:48 31st October 2008

James Richardson (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I kind of agree with some of the comments already been posted, but about that he was never wanted at all, there was criticism when he first came, but lets not forget then how much everyone raved about him when we beat man U! I never really agree with getting rid of managers for poor form, thats just pointless - look at Fulham, but when poor form goes from season to season, questions need to be asked. I'm generally happy with the signings over the summer, Riga is a big plus for me, although he doesnt seem to be played as often as he should. Also, why have Elmander as the target man and Davies running off him? Surely it should be the other way round (as Davies is better in the air). Against Everton, i dont really remember many occasions when Elmander caused jagielka many problems in the air. Also i thought the passing on wednesday (especially by Nolan - and this is hard for me to say as im a massive Nolan fan) was abysmal. I think the main problem for us is that Nolan doesnt seem to be motivated, and i dont know whether its a slump or whether its due to the manager not motivating him. I would welcome Big Sam back, but lets not be hasty with a decision on Megson. Lets just get our season on track with a win against Man city. Come on you whites

Posted 15:41 31st October 2008

Ryan Taylor (Bolton Wanderers fan) says...

I think that Megson should get sacked if we lose to City on Sunday. We only hired him because he had a good record of bringing teams up not keeping them up. I just wish that we get Big Sam back and restore us to our former glory of European football.

Posted 15:38 31st October 2008

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