BWFC: Hope

Bottom of the Championship, skint and with 1 win all season, surely we should all give up now and spend some time in the garden on our Saturday afternoons? Oh if only it was so simple. Every Bolton fan, nay football fan, has reached a low where you try and kid yourself that you just don’t care anymore. In reality, you probably care too much. So as Wanderers find themselves in somewhat of a pickle, I ask: Is there any hope for the future?

Of course there is! In all seriousness, there is actually some cause for optimism remaining at the Macron. Let’s start with our youngsters. There was a rare source of good cheer sandwiched between back to back defeats this week; Zach Clough has signed a new deal until 2019. Clough is a very exciting young player and probably the best player to emerge from the Eddie Davies academy. Alongside him are the likes of Max Clayton, Derik Osede, Josh Vela and Ben Amos whose value can only increase over the course of the next few years, and even if they’re not playing in a white shirt, they should command a decent fee.

Now many of the Wanderers faithful would argue this by saying ‘never mind the future, what about now?’ and they have a fair point. The past year of spending as little money as possible and the constant cutting of the wage bill has left the current squad the weakest in a long time. We need to invest in a number of areas and we all know that simply will not happen. We can’t continue to operate for much longer without facing being cut adrift at the bottom of the league and facing league trips to Bury, Rochdale and even League 1 minnows Wigan Athletic. Thankfully, Mr Davies wasn’t born on another planet and also understands we need investment, and we need it now. He has just decided that he won’t be the man to provide it. I think I speak for every Bolton fan when I say that his decision to sell the club and cut finances will not put a dent in the legacy he left in Bolton. Without him there would have been no Fernando Hierro, no Nicholas Anelka and definitely no trips to Bayern Munich. After funding the successful years in the premiership, his decision to sell the club for £30m and write off the debt owed to him cements his place as a Wanderers legend. It means that when eventually the inevitable happens and new owners come in, we won’t be faced with the huge burden of paying back the huge debt and can finally begin to move forward.

Finally, it is important to remember that we are only 12 games into the season. Are we going to turn the season on its head and surge towards the playoffs? No. Are there 3 worse teams in the league than us? Yes. This season will probably fade out into another one to forget, but if Lennon keeps us in the league until new owners come in, he’s done his job.

So to all Bolton fans I say: do not lose the faith! There will be a day when new owners come in, results will pick up and there are foundations to build on in the squad. Although the current situation is testing even the most loyal fan’s resolve, the waiting game might just pay off if they stick with it. You never know, Sheikh Mansour might get bored at City.