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Once bitten, twice shy; it is little wonder Jimmy Phillips prepares for his second stint as caretaker manager of Bolton Wanderers will a degree of caution.
Promised a realistic shot at the top job by Phil Gartside in 2012, the long-serving coach learned his services would no longer be required via Twitter en route to his second game in charge at Wolves.
That disappointment was evident two years later when he declined another opportunity to keep the seat warm after Dougie Freedman’s departure.
Proud, in more than one sense of the word, Bolton born and bred Phillips agreed to step in when approached by Dean Holdsworth on Tuesday – but is not making any grandiose statements of intent.
“I enjoyed myself last time and I was pleased we made an impact on the team, hopefully we can do that again,” said the 50-year-old, who has spent more than half his life serving his home-town club.
“The challenge was great and I think myself, Julian Darby and Sammy Lee did make an impression on the players in the fortnight we had them but I don’t have regrets, it doesn’t work like that.
“I was slightly disappointed that at the time I was promised I’d have six games to make the job my own and that changed, seemingly overnight.
“There doesn’t seem a lot of loyalty in the modern game from all sides, so it’s part and parcel; you get on with it.
“It was announced on the afternoon of the Wolves game, and unofficially on social media. I suppose some clearer club communication would have been the best way of sorting things out.
“But we went to the next game at Middlesbrough knowing we’d be going back to our academy jobs the next week but we were professional about it, in fact I remember being extremely disappointed we’d lost the game having been 1-0 up at half time.
“Now I want to look towards the future. I have been asked to do the job and I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”
Holdsworth’s first major decision as owner/chief executive was to part company with Neil Lennon, barely a week after his Sports Shield consortium were rubber-stamped as the club’s new owners.
In truth, it had been a decision a long time in the making. But with Wanderers 11 points from safety and nine games to play it was not done with the realistic intention of staving off relegation.
Big changes are planned behind the scenes this summer as the club looks to start afresh and Phillips is keen to play his part.
“I’ve spoken to Dean a few times a day and I know he’s got a lot of things to look at in his role as chief executive,” he said.
“He has been very supportive and said to me that if he can help in any way, he will do.
“His whole consortium are taking over a big football club with a lot of great facilities. They need to put in place their plans about how to take this forward.
“If I can help in that, then it’s what I am here to do.”
It remains to be seen what the backroom coaching staff will be at Ashton Gate tomorrow, with Lennon’s right-hand men Garry Parker and Steve Walford still in situ yesterday as the club trained at the Macron Stadium.
Phillips said he had “no plans at this moment” to bring in outside help, the most likely source being ex-Wanderer Julian Darby.
But Sammy Lee – who was on the coaching staff when the academy boss last made the step up – was at the stadium yesterday en route to Phil Gartside’s memorial service at Bolton Parish Church.
Whether here to make a claim for the job full-time or simply to ease the transition for another manager, there is no hiding Phillips’ pride at being able to lead his club again, and make the best of a bad situation.
“I wouldn’t say things are my own way, as I’ll still have to work within the confines of where the club finds itself at this particular moment,” he said.
“But it’s a proud moment for me to manage the first team of Bolton Wanderers.
“I have been right through the system as a player and then on the coaching side, youth team, reserves, first team, academy manager – and this is hopefully going to be a proud period for myself, and hopefully a spell where the club can have some stability and get some positive results on the pitch.
“Ultimately we need to get our supporters happy again because this has been a real slog for them.”
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Promised a realistic shot at the top job by Phil Gartside in 2012, the long-serving coach learned his services would no longer be required via Twitter en route to his second game in charge at Wolves.
That disappointment was evident two years later when he declined another opportunity to keep the seat warm after Dougie Freedman’s departure.
Proud, in more than one sense of the word, Bolton born and bred Phillips agreed to step in when approached by Dean Holdsworth on Tuesday – but is not making any grandiose statements of intent.
“I enjoyed myself last time and I was pleased we made an impact on the team, hopefully we can do that again,” said the 50-year-old, who has spent more than half his life serving his home-town club.
“The challenge was great and I think myself, Julian Darby and Sammy Lee did make an impression on the players in the fortnight we had them but I don’t have regrets, it doesn’t work like that.
“I was slightly disappointed that at the time I was promised I’d have six games to make the job my own and that changed, seemingly overnight.
“There doesn’t seem a lot of loyalty in the modern game from all sides, so it’s part and parcel; you get on with it.
“It was announced on the afternoon of the Wolves game, and unofficially on social media. I suppose some clearer club communication would have been the best way of sorting things out.
“But we went to the next game at Middlesbrough knowing we’d be going back to our academy jobs the next week but we were professional about it, in fact I remember being extremely disappointed we’d lost the game having been 1-0 up at half time.
“Now I want to look towards the future. I have been asked to do the job and I’ll do it to the best of my ability.”
Holdsworth’s first major decision as owner/chief executive was to part company with Neil Lennon, barely a week after his Sports Shield consortium were rubber-stamped as the club’s new owners.
In truth, it had been a decision a long time in the making. But with Wanderers 11 points from safety and nine games to play it was not done with the realistic intention of staving off relegation.
Big changes are planned behind the scenes this summer as the club looks to start afresh and Phillips is keen to play his part.
“I’ve spoken to Dean a few times a day and I know he’s got a lot of things to look at in his role as chief executive,” he said.
“He has been very supportive and said to me that if he can help in any way, he will do.
“His whole consortium are taking over a big football club with a lot of great facilities. They need to put in place their plans about how to take this forward.
“If I can help in that, then it’s what I am here to do.”
It remains to be seen what the backroom coaching staff will be at Ashton Gate tomorrow, with Lennon’s right-hand men Garry Parker and Steve Walford still in situ yesterday as the club trained at the Macron Stadium.
Phillips said he had “no plans at this moment” to bring in outside help, the most likely source being ex-Wanderer Julian Darby.
But Sammy Lee – who was on the coaching staff when the academy boss last made the step up – was at the stadium yesterday en route to Phil Gartside’s memorial service at Bolton Parish Church.
Whether here to make a claim for the job full-time or simply to ease the transition for another manager, there is no hiding Phillips’ pride at being able to lead his club again, and make the best of a bad situation.
“I wouldn’t say things are my own way, as I’ll still have to work within the confines of where the club finds itself at this particular moment,” he said.
“But it’s a proud moment for me to manage the first team of Bolton Wanderers.
“I have been right through the system as a player and then on the coaching side, youth team, reserves, first team, academy manager – and this is hopefully going to be a proud period for myself, and hopefully a spell where the club can have some stability and get some positive results on the pitch.
“Ultimately we need to get our supporters happy again because this has been a real slog for them.”
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