Megson: Fortunate

Related links

Teams

• Bolton Wanderers

Also see

• Bolton fixtures
• Bolton stats
• Bolton forum

Bolton boss Gary Megson has slammed chairmen and directors who interfere in team affairs.

In the wake of Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan's resignations from West Ham and Newcastle respectively, the involvement of those higher up the managerial ladder has come under scrutiny.

The popular consensus appears to be that club bosses should be left to their own devices when it comes to decisions affecting the team, with those in power providing the necessary backing when required.

Megson enjoys that kind of relationship with his chairman Phil Gartside, but accepts that he is fortunate.

Plaudits

"One chairman I worked for wanted a lot more input into team selection, which up to that point had been zero," the Trotters boss told the Manchester Evening News.

"I told him 'no problem'. We will tell everyone that you've picked the team, and if and when it wins you get all the plaudits.

"But then you hear the old cogs going and they start thinking 'what happens if the team starts losing'.

"Then they don't want to do it."

Impossible

Dennis Wise's executive director (football) role at Newcastle has been widely lambasted in the wake of Keegan's departure from Tyneside, and Megson can understand why.

"The problem starts when everyone thinks the manager is doing certain things, but it's not actually happening," he added.

"I've worked with directors of football before.

"With John Rudge at Stoke it was never an issue because he was always on the manager's side.

"If the manager is not directing the football anyway then I don't see who should be doing it.

"It's a difficult job and that situation just makes it impossible."