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Midway through last season’s debacle, Darren Pratley stood by the side of a quagmire at non-league Eastleigh and said he’d love to save Wanderers and stick two fingers up at the press.
Fostering a siege mentality at that stage made sense. The captain – more often than anyone else – had faced up to a continual barrage of questions about what the club’s financial situation was doing to morale, whether there was any hope left?
By turning it into a ‘them and us’ scenario, perhaps a spark could have ignited? But in his heart of hearts, the midfielder knew, we all knew, the survival ship had sailed.
A few months later, this time in an enclave of Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Pratley manned-up again to deliver an honest assessment of what had gone wrong. He made no excuses but an appeal directed towards the boardroom to “get things sorted” sticks in my mind. It was a daring move from a player who was coming out of contract at the time.
In five-and-a-half years with Wanderers, Pratley often articulated the conscience of the dressing room. And I’d like to see that honesty rewarded.
Players are seldom happy after defeat, and when the team is playing poorly there are noticeable character shifts. Even an insatiably chatty type like David Wheater struggled to put a brave face on during the final few months of last season.
I don’t think any player in my time covering Wanderers has quite worn his heart on his sleeve like Pratley, however, during a deeply unhappy chapter in the club’s history books.
After coming through pre-season under Parkinson I was interested to see what a fresh start in a strong squad would bring for him – but the timing of the fractured ankle against Sheffield United on the opening day of the season just summed it all up.
Pratley is now back in contention after returning to full training and ready to challenge for a place in a team which is more buoyant than any other he will have known.
It’s an old footballing cliché to talk about dressing room spirit and it is difficult to quantify. Even when problems are patently obvious to everyone else, players and management will deny there are problems in-house. But there are little tells which indicate things are not quite right.
These days quite the opposite is true at Wanderers. The vibe is entirely more positive and that has also permeated through to the supporters.
Pratley signed for Bolton in July 2011 and, broadly brushing, will have experienced the team enjoy the odd spurt of form under Coyle, a few good months under Dougie Freedman and then the rollercoaster ride that was Neil Lennon’s time in charge.
Pratley’s own form has been up and down accordingly. He has his critics but I’d like to invite him to prove them – and not the press – wrong this time around.
If Wanderers stick around at the top of the table in the coming months a very different type of pressure will build than anything we have been used to.
Parkinson wisely added players who have been through the promotion experience before – like Mark Howard, Mark Beevers and Andy Taylor.
Grinding out results takes character. And though some fans may call into question Pratley’s technical attributes - again I feel often unfairly - few can doubt that he is a bloke you would like to keep around in a fight. For that is what it will be.
When Wanderers go to Roots Hall, Valley Parade, Bramall Lane or Glanford Park they will need players who will roll up their sleeves and scrap. And I, nor any of his last three managers, would doubt Pratley is the man for that job.
Whether he can win over his detractors, who really knows? Parkinson has urged supporters to give all his players a chance but, like fashion, people just like who they like, look past the deficiencies of those in-vogue and pick up on the foibles of those who are not. It was forever thus.
Pratley is not alone on that front but having seen the ice melt for Gary Madine and James Henry in the last few weeks, I’d genuinely love to see Pratley get onside.
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Fostering a siege mentality at that stage made sense. The captain – more often than anyone else – had faced up to a continual barrage of questions about what the club’s financial situation was doing to morale, whether there was any hope left?
By turning it into a ‘them and us’ scenario, perhaps a spark could have ignited? But in his heart of hearts, the midfielder knew, we all knew, the survival ship had sailed.
A few months later, this time in an enclave of Fulham’s Craven Cottage, Pratley manned-up again to deliver an honest assessment of what had gone wrong. He made no excuses but an appeal directed towards the boardroom to “get things sorted” sticks in my mind. It was a daring move from a player who was coming out of contract at the time.
In five-and-a-half years with Wanderers, Pratley often articulated the conscience of the dressing room. And I’d like to see that honesty rewarded.
Players are seldom happy after defeat, and when the team is playing poorly there are noticeable character shifts. Even an insatiably chatty type like David Wheater struggled to put a brave face on during the final few months of last season.
I don’t think any player in my time covering Wanderers has quite worn his heart on his sleeve like Pratley, however, during a deeply unhappy chapter in the club’s history books.
After coming through pre-season under Parkinson I was interested to see what a fresh start in a strong squad would bring for him – but the timing of the fractured ankle against Sheffield United on the opening day of the season just summed it all up.
Pratley is now back in contention after returning to full training and ready to challenge for a place in a team which is more buoyant than any other he will have known.
It’s an old footballing cliché to talk about dressing room spirit and it is difficult to quantify. Even when problems are patently obvious to everyone else, players and management will deny there are problems in-house. But there are little tells which indicate things are not quite right.
These days quite the opposite is true at Wanderers. The vibe is entirely more positive and that has also permeated through to the supporters.
Pratley signed for Bolton in July 2011 and, broadly brushing, will have experienced the team enjoy the odd spurt of form under Coyle, a few good months under Dougie Freedman and then the rollercoaster ride that was Neil Lennon’s time in charge.
Pratley’s own form has been up and down accordingly. He has his critics but I’d like to invite him to prove them – and not the press – wrong this time around.
If Wanderers stick around at the top of the table in the coming months a very different type of pressure will build than anything we have been used to.
Parkinson wisely added players who have been through the promotion experience before – like Mark Howard, Mark Beevers and Andy Taylor.
Grinding out results takes character. And though some fans may call into question Pratley’s technical attributes - again I feel often unfairly - few can doubt that he is a bloke you would like to keep around in a fight. For that is what it will be.
When Wanderers go to Roots Hall, Valley Parade, Bramall Lane or Glanford Park they will need players who will roll up their sleeves and scrap. And I, nor any of his last three managers, would doubt Pratley is the man for that job.
Whether he can win over his detractors, who really knows? Parkinson has urged supporters to give all his players a chance but, like fashion, people just like who they like, look past the deficiencies of those in-vogue and pick up on the foibles of those who are not. It was forever thus.
Pratley is not alone on that front but having seen the ice melt for Gary Madine and James Henry in the last few weeks, I’d genuinely love to see Pratley get onside.
Source
