A Man Under the Cosh

Bolton face Manchester City today in bottom position after yesterday`s games. Tottenham scored an unlikely victory over Liverpool and Wigan won away at Portsmouth. Fans of the South Coast club will already be looking nervously at the record of Tony Adams when he was at Wycombe.

When Gary Megson arrived to universal derision a year ago, Wanderers were bottom of the table after ten games, three points from safety. A year on and they are bottom of the table after ten games, three points from safety. The difference is that the Ginger One has splurged £27 million on players. Granted, there are three more points on the board, but each of them has cost £9 million. Owner Eddie Davies may be worth a few bob, but you`d need three of him to spend enough to get Bolton to the forty point safety margin based on that return.

Whites fans are in two minds about today`s game. A win would be welcome (scoring would be a start) but it would prolong Megson`s tenure. The best Bolton can hope for under the current manager is a narrow escape from relegation every season. It`s a dispiriting way to watch football.

The worst, of course, is to tumble into the lower leagues, and the financial implications of that are chilling. The personal abuse that Megson has received from some sections of the crowd, is unnecessary. The man is doing his best. But his best isn`t good enough. Whatever today`s result, it`s time for Gary Megson to become the ex-manager of Bolton Wanderers.