Home
Jimmy Phillips reckons he is getting it right with Wanderers.
After notching up his first victory as interim boss at the eighth attempt on Saturday against Hull City, Phillips believes the team is showing visible signs of improvement as it nears the end of the season.
The academy boss says he will sit down with Dean Holdsworth and Ken Anderson after this weekend’s game at Fulham to see if they want him to continue working with the first team in some capacity next term.
But the former Wanderers defender, who has served the club as player and coach for 28 years, says he is pleased with some of the progress made in the last couple of months.
“Although it has been a poor haul of points I think the performances have improved,” he told The Bolton News. “I was asked to do nine games by Dean Holdsworth and that is what I have done. Beyond that, it’s down to the owners to see what direction they want the club to go in.
“I think there has been improvement. In the dying stages of the Hull game you saw the players had belief in the shape of the team. If they made a mistake they knew there was a team-mate there to cover for them.
“Once you get that buy-in, it really helps. Hull had plenty of possession but we created the best chances of the game, one of which we stuck away.
“It is a system which the players are trusting and that is helping their confidence.”
Wanderers signed off at the Macron on Saturday with their first win in 15 games but their second clean sheet in three outings under Phillips. Before that, the Whites had racked up just two clean sheets in 22 games under Neil Lennon.
The defensive partnership of David Wheater and Rob Holding has been integral in stabilising form but Phillips was keen to spread the praise right across his defensive line.
“You need partnerships all the way through your team and Wheats and Rob certainly have looked solid,” he said. “But I think the whole back four has done well, and the midfield in front of them. We have stayed organised and in a good shape under pressure – for example going down to 10 men at Cardiff.
“I’m pleased for the players involved but more importantly for the fans because I hope they can see things are heading in a more positive direction.”
Source
After notching up his first victory as interim boss at the eighth attempt on Saturday against Hull City, Phillips believes the team is showing visible signs of improvement as it nears the end of the season.
The academy boss says he will sit down with Dean Holdsworth and Ken Anderson after this weekend’s game at Fulham to see if they want him to continue working with the first team in some capacity next term.
But the former Wanderers defender, who has served the club as player and coach for 28 years, says he is pleased with some of the progress made in the last couple of months.
“Although it has been a poor haul of points I think the performances have improved,” he told The Bolton News. “I was asked to do nine games by Dean Holdsworth and that is what I have done. Beyond that, it’s down to the owners to see what direction they want the club to go in.
“I think there has been improvement. In the dying stages of the Hull game you saw the players had belief in the shape of the team. If they made a mistake they knew there was a team-mate there to cover for them.
“Once you get that buy-in, it really helps. Hull had plenty of possession but we created the best chances of the game, one of which we stuck away.
“It is a system which the players are trusting and that is helping their confidence.”
Wanderers signed off at the Macron on Saturday with their first win in 15 games but their second clean sheet in three outings under Phillips. Before that, the Whites had racked up just two clean sheets in 22 games under Neil Lennon.
The defensive partnership of David Wheater and Rob Holding has been integral in stabilising form but Phillips was keen to spread the praise right across his defensive line.
“You need partnerships all the way through your team and Wheats and Rob certainly have looked solid,” he said. “But I think the whole back four has done well, and the midfield in front of them. We have stayed organised and in a good shape under pressure – for example going down to 10 men at Cardiff.
“I’m pleased for the players involved but more importantly for the fans because I hope they can see things are heading in a more positive direction.”
Source
