Tom Jenkins discusses whether Bolton or any Championship side can have success when players are easily lost to higher leagues
In Neil Lennon`s pre -match interview he was asked to pass judgement on the prospects of today`s opposition (Notts Forest) for the forthcoming season. The same journalist put it to him that the two clubs were in very similar positions this season, both on and off the field. That similar position is one of financial insecurity which not only means both may struggle to bring in players but also stop the best ones from leaving. Michail Antonio is just as important to Forest`s success as Zach Clough or Mark Davies are to Bolton`s. Holding on to him must be Freedman`s priority but with tight constraints due to failing to meet FFP regulations, can Forest afford to turn down multi-million pound offers? Could Bolton turn down a similar offer for one of their stars before a new owner is found to redress the balance? Can any mid-table Championship side progress if the answer to these questions is no?
We have suffered greatly since our drop down a Division to maintain financial stability with lack of TV income and ridiculous wages given out by a former manager (We are all looking at you Owen). This has resulted in some of our best players being let go like Chung-Yong Lee, Tim Ream and Marcos Alonso. These players, had they stayed, could have been the ones in sole charge of guiding us back to the Promised Land. Instead they have been for pittance and we have seen a gradual yet alarming decline in playing standards. Three years ago we had a midfield of Muamba, Lee, Petrov and Holden. Now we watch Danns, Feeney and Trotter turn out for our side week in, week out. How times have changed. Progress can`t possibly occur if we are forced to let go of our stars and substitute them with sub-standard replacements. For now it is all we can do.
Crystal Palace managed to cope with losing their star in Wilfried Zaha to Man United in January 2013. However, they retained him on loan and he guided them to promotion. I am not saying the answer is to sell Clough to Premier League suitors only to have him on loan but what this reinforces is that once we start to have any success (if we ever do) it is highly likely the players responsible for an upturn in fortunes will be bought. Palace managed because they got Zaha back but had United not been so generous their excellent prospects could have been ruined. We saw this happen with Lee this January when, after playing some of the best football of his career and helping us get up the league, he was gone and we were stuffed. The sad nature of our predicament is that any success we do have can be taken away by the greedy hands of richer clubs.
I do not intend to depress anyone by saying if we start winning someone will rob us of anyone who has one decent game. I also don`t want to appear to be glad we are doing badly because it means we keep our assets. The thing to take from this is that everyone in this league, bar the relegated sides and a few others, are in the same boat. We don`t have huge funds or a great pulling factor for big names. It takes monumental discipline and graft to get out of this league, but also large amounts of luck. That`s why it`s impossible for Neil Lennon to have commented on Forest`s prospects this season. By the end of this week they could be in turmoil, and all it takes is one wealthy owner to open his wallet.