INSIDE WANDERERS: It is time to forget the past and move on under new boss

TALK at Wanderers this week has been of fresh starts and new beginnings.

Phil Parkinson’s opening gambit to his new players was to tell them not to let last season’s disappointments fester, and that they must now move on.

He could equally have been addressing the crowd at the Macron, for that is exactly what must happen if Wanderers are to stand any chance of success.

Fans have long memories. Ask Alan Stubbs, who got the pantomime villain treatment in May’s legends game some 20 years after departing Burnden Park under a cloud. As such, convincing the fans to get behind players who – for some – are still tainted by failure will be a very hard sell indeed.

In an ideal world perhaps Wanderers would have swept the decks completely, saving only the odd talent like Zach Clough, Rob Holding or Max Clayton?

Realistically, however, many contracted players like Ben Amos, Dean Moxey, Dorian Dervite, Darren Pratley and Gary Madine will walk out on August 6 against Sheffield United. Supporters won’t forget – but can enough of them forgive? I certainly hope so.

It has been some time since Wanderers fans felt a real connection with their team and yet they still turn out in impressive numbers. Season ticket sales have been encouraging, and not far removed from those of 12 months ago. That is one in the eye for the doom and gloom merchants right away.

Parkinson’s appointment has also been a welcome boost to morale, and his early words suggest a man who can bring some much-needed stability.

Only one thing can get fans back onside completely, however, and that is results. And that makes this pre-season schedule more important than any in recent memory.

A few wins – dare we even suggest against Lancashire rivals Burnley or Preston – would be worth their weight in gold.

The situation reminds me a little of when Wolves suffered a double relegation to League One in 2013. They were bankrolled by Steve Morgan at the time but carried with them a top-heavy squad of under-performers like Jamie O’Hara, Roger Johnson, Kevin Doyle and Stephen Hunt.

Kenny Jackett was their sensible knight in shining armour and he was able to mix some of the previous season’s squad – Bjorn Sigurdsson, Danny Batth, Matt Doherty, George Elokobi, Bakary Sako, Richard Stearman and the like – with signings he had made specifically for League One, including a statesman-like captain in ex-Wanderer Sam Ricketts.

Wolves made a brilliant start to the season and romped away with the title, and since then the club has evolved to a much more sustainable model.

Wanderers may have to be a little more patient and it is my own view that stability this season is paramount. Success would just be a bonus.

Players, old and new, must be given a chance. Like the players under Parkinson’s command, we all need a fresh start.

http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/14595041.INSIDE_WANDERERS__It_is_time_to_forget_the_past_and_move_on_under_new_boss/

Not forget the past but put it onto one side until we can see how the club are being managed financially and on the field.

No IMO we should forget the past because the past has nothing to do with the new regime, they're just cleaning up their mess. We should give the new ownership a clean slate and judge them on what they do not what the past owners did, and so far they seem to be going about their business nicely.

Sluffy wrote:TALK at Wanderers this week has been of fresh starts and new beginnings.

In an ideal world perhaps Wanderers would have swept the decks completely, saving only the odd talent like Zach Clough, Rob Holding or Max Clayton?

Funny how the talk at the end of last season was about rebuilding the team with the youth talent we had before several youths with first team experience were moved on for a pittance.
Now it's all about bringing in "experienced" players apparently...despite being stuck with loads of 'em already.

wanderlust wrote:

Sluffy wrote:TALK at Wanderers this week has been of fresh starts and new beginnings.

In an ideal world perhaps Wanderers would have swept the decks completely, saving only the odd talent like Zach Clough, Rob Holding or Max Clayton?

Funny how the talk at the end of last season was about rebuilding the team with the youth talent we had before several youths with first team experience were moved on for a pittance.
Now it's all about bringing in "experienced" players apparently...despite being stuck with loads of 'em already.

It's obviously about having a mix, the players moved out were clearly deemed not up to the task moving forward but as we saw when Phillips and Reid took over a team full of youth won't work. Unfortunately Holding won't be around but there's a chance Clough will so in terms of attacking we have Clough, Clayton and Woolery and even Samizedah, all youthful players, we have Vela & Derik so we still have potentially half a team of young players.

Don't forget that at the end of the season we didn't have a manager so it wasn't really possible to set out a coherent vision for what came next. I think PP has the right idea, going for a blend of youth and experience where quality will be more important than the player's age. Whether or not he can actually make it work will have to be seen but for once I feel quite hopeful.