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I've long supported the idea of Coyle being replaced by Billy Davies, and despite the information I'm about to reveal, can still envisage him doing a good job, though I've certainly had a rethink.
His name is certainly being banded about far more than it once was so on Saturday night I decided to ask his former employers' supporters what they thought of the idea of him taking over at Bolton. Here's some responses I received:
Preston:
Derby
Nottingham Forest
His name is certainly being banded about far more than it once was so on Saturday night I decided to ask his former employers' supporters what they thought of the idea of him taking over at Bolton. Here's some responses I received:
Preston:
He did a good job with us after initially losing our two best forwards. He tightened us up defensively and whilst not the greatest attacking team we were lucky to have a decent striker at the time in Nugent at Championship level.
I am sure he would do a decent job for Bolton in tightening up your defence, making you hard to beat and most likely a top six side on limited resources.
Still very much unproven at anything above Championship level so it depends what you are after really.
Derby
Where to start?
His ego, no club will ever be bigger than Billy (spoken in the 3rd tence of course!)
He used to know his way around this league quite well to be honest, he even got use promoted, however, it is getting more competitive, not sure he will be as effective before.
His football isn't attractive to watch but was effective.
Poor signings on big money Claude Davis and Earnshaw are 2 prize examples!!!!!!!!!
Oh yeah and finally, he will moan and bitch about the chairman giving him less to spend than Mancini. Stay well clear he causes rifts with chairmen everwhere he goes.
Thank god he is gone, sadly not forgotten!
He's good at creating a siege mentality - us against the world- type dressing room philosophy, but as first reply said... bad to watch and really unpleasant character at times.
I always felt like I didn't really want to like him, but he was effective...in this div
He drills average players into good teams. (With major emphasis on the us against the world aspect posted by someone else). However, he is a terrible judge of a player. Give him £10m, and he'll sign you £1m worth of players. Our debacle Prem season was mainly due to the fact that Billy signed poor players (Craig Fagan, sigend for £750k, last seen at Bradford. Claude Davis signed for £3m, last seen at Crawley (I think)). Forests travails last term were down to the same reasons.
Just to add Billy is great at creating an underdog atmosphere, the term 'siege mentality' has been used and this is spot on. The moment expectation starts to rise he 'bottles it' for want of a better phrase. He cant cope with pressure or expectation and leaves clubs arguably worse off than when he started.
Knob head who only cares about his CV, stay well clear. Don't listen to florist fans, been so long since they were in the top tier they'll literally whore themselves to anyone who shows a hint of getting them there. Feel sorry for them in a way, kinda sad.
Whether it's good to watch or bad, one thing that can't be argued about is that he is successful at taking teams that are struggling in this league and making them challengers.
He did it at Preston, he did it at Derby and he did it at Forest. Preston fans complained despite getting results, it was like watching footballers 'playing by numbers', it was pretty dull most of the time, though loads of passion. It was similar at Derby, very good results but bloody dire to watch. At Forest however, he managed to get a team playing some really good football - maybe he had learned by that point?
However, the issue over bottling it does have some legs.His main problem is his personality. He not only falls out with his employers at each club, he does so very publicly. His loyalty is even more questionable, because once he shows some level of achievement he actively promotes himself for other positions - he did it at Preston, he did it at Derby, he did it at Forest. So it's a balance - on the one hand you have a guy who could take a pub team and get them into the top 6 and on the other you have a self serving, manipulative, paranoid little man who will eventually fall out with the clubs chairman.
Nottingham Forest
When he was hired as our manager we were in a relegation battle. He was ex Derby and everyone knew he was opinionated and gobby.
We avoided relegation and finished in the play off places for the next two seasons, including a remarkable unbeaten run at home. He was at loggerheads all the time with our chairman regarding lack of ambition and refusal to give him pieces of his jigsaw for promotion. I think he was right about the lack of ambition and was sacked for saying so. Following that we were relegation candidates again.
Some Forest fans would have him back in a heartbeat - some wouldn't. Some think two top six finishes are a failure.
Hope this helps
A good manager with limitations on the pitch (Is the Championship his level?) but a complete nightmare off it. Continually at loggerheads with the board and used the media to air his grievances with the club.
Forget your reserves / youth development, Billy is only interested in signing players.
In short - I don't ever want thst poisonous dwarf near my club again.
Good manager if giving financial backing.
But I wouldn't want to see him back at forest as his constant, public whinging was a disease which blighted our club throughout his tenure.
Blaming the board just exposed his own shortcomings.
He was given more money than most in the league (Blackpool or Swansea for instance), but then refused to use younger, home grown players or loans, to supplement his squad.
He always just wanted the next "stellar" signing, he is the Championship Harry Redknapp, will spend all the money he is given and then still always be 'two players short' of 'moving to the next level'.
I've been going home and away for some 45 years & Coughie aside, Billy is in the top 2 Managers weve had in that time... can't remember too much about Johnny Carey as i was very young bit certainly in the last 30 years, it's Cloughie - mumber 1 with either Billy or Dave Basset number 2
