Our bonza buddy, Aussie Mike, chips in with ponderings on Dougie’s future at Bolton Wanderers. Should we have had a pre-nup?
Missing promotion last season at the first time of asking was fatal, absolutely disastrous and we are now witnessing the consequences.
Take our present dilemma: should we retain a manager whose track record this season spells utter failure, when its widely accepted team performances and results must come first before any individual?
Introducing a policy of developing low cost young talent is wise for any club but it represents long term interests and should not take priority over the immediate needs of the 1st team.
Are we to assume the board is committed to DF regardless of how poor he has proven himself to be as a manager, prepared to sacrifice the clubs league standing, under a remit to remove all senior players earning over a certain level in order to cut the annual wage bill?
In reality what are we to be left with if we slash wages to the bone? A demoralised dressing room, poor quality players with a poor manager in control? That does not offer any hope for the future of this club to rise from the ashes.
On the other hand, is the board prepared to remove DF should we fall to a level they deem unacceptable?
Again I can only assume the decisions under consideration will be dictated by costs and financial risk. I do not believe the manager’s position has anything to do with loyalty or a future vision for the club when it has everything to do with improving team performance and our position in the league- as confirmed by PG when he removed OC and appointed DF.
To my knowledge those objectives have not changed.
As for cost, adding say another £5 million to the £165 million debt by replacing the manager makes very little difference to the overall deb. However, we the supporters don`t know if the club can borrow more to fund a change, that may depend on whether ED & PG are prepared to let the club risk another relegation fight or suffer the consequences should we fall into Division 1.
If we do sink further down the table into the relegation spots the board may decide it’s too late in the season to change managers with any effect- that we battle on with DF at the wheel towards whatever fate awaits us, that would be strangely similar to the OC scenario, a high risk gamble by PG that cost us dearly.
Unlike lightning, only a fool makes the same mistake twice.
In some respects, wherever we finish this season, or whatever our personal opinions are about the management, or the current dreadful state of the team, DF may ultimately represent a bad marriage from which we cannot afford the divorce costs.