We Were So Wrong About Gary Megson

We got it wrong about Gary Megson. That`s everyone who has ever been unflattering about the Ginger One`s abilities. Who says so? Well, Bolton assistant manager Chris Evans, amongst others.

‘Within the game Gary Megson is recognised as an outstanding coach and that`s what he is,` explained Evans patiently, to the Bolton News. ‘His tactical nous is outstanding and he deserves credit for that.`

‘I personally felt that the tactics against Liverpool were brilliant, yet we came away with nothing.`

If the tone of this sounds familiar, it`s no surprise, because sections of the media have been falling over themselves to support the beleaguered Reebok chief.

‘I sat chatting to a Bolton fan as we watched their defeat to Liverpool on Saturday – and 90 minutes later I still couldn’t get my head around why their supporters dislike him so much,` wrote David Anderson in the Mirror, before reeling off a set of statistics in support of Megson that could have been dictated by the man himself.

For some reason he neglected to mention the one win in fourteen games, less than 20% possession in the contest he`d just watched and the 18 league matches that Bolton to score in last season.

Even the normally monosyllabic Tribal Football got in on the act on Sunday, with an editorial that went so far as to suggest that Megson had transformed Bolton`s failed youth policy.

It may be that the media are jumping on a band wagon, as they did when condemning the man who sent a team to a UEFA cup tie in Lisbon that consisted of reserves, academy players and a couple of cleaners. There didn`t seem to be much Megson love around then.

One hopes this is the case, because if this is part of some concerted PR push that originates from the Reebok, it`s horribly misguided. Football fans parting with their hard-earned cash, especially in these economic times, don`t much like being told what to think. If hearts and minds are to change, it`ll be because of performances on the pitch, not as the result of a well-aimed salvo of words.