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Jimmy Phillips is ready for football’s version of Mission Impossible.
Though a takeover at Wanderers was thought to be within touching distance last night, the 53-year-old academy boss expects to face Ipswich Town today with just four senior players to supplement his squad.
Dennis Politic (hip), Josh Earl (ankle), Connor Hall (ankle) and Liam Edwards (Achilles) are missing from a team quoted by some bookmakers at 25/1 to win today’s game.
But Phillips has confidence in players he saw pass through his academy and hopes they can upset the applecart just as they did against Coventry City a fortnight ago.
Asked if he had ever managed a tougher prospect, he told The Bolton News: “The circumstances are certainly the most challenging. To be limited to four senior players – and I’m not including Harry Brockbank in that because he only made his debut three games before the end of last season – it’s probably unheard of in football.
“Nonetheless it’s something we have to rise to.
“We’re the underdogs, we know that, but the players have to repeat the spirit of Coventry.
“People left the stadium that day with a real hope for the future. That’s the mission again.
“When that final whistle goes we want the fans walking away with hope again.
“We hear that takeover is imminent. If not today, we are told it’s right there ready to happen, so it’s a huge opportunity for the young players that they might never have expected. There’s always something good to come from a bad situation.”
Should the takeover get rubber-stamped before kick-off, Phillips confirmed a swift phone call will go in to the EFL to see if any senior players can feature, including Jack Hobbs, who has agreed a deal but been left in limbo since the start of the season.
“We’ve asked the question to the Football League about whether we could register him,” he said. “But the answer is ‘not until the takeover goes through.’ “The only players we can register would be on a month’s contract and any player who commits himself to a club at this stage, if they didn’t get further terms they would not be able to play league football again until January. You can understand many players not wanting to put themselves in that position.”
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Though a takeover at Wanderers was thought to be within touching distance last night, the 53-year-old academy boss expects to face Ipswich Town today with just four senior players to supplement his squad.
Dennis Politic (hip), Josh Earl (ankle), Connor Hall (ankle) and Liam Edwards (Achilles) are missing from a team quoted by some bookmakers at 25/1 to win today’s game.
But Phillips has confidence in players he saw pass through his academy and hopes they can upset the applecart just as they did against Coventry City a fortnight ago.
Asked if he had ever managed a tougher prospect, he told The Bolton News: “The circumstances are certainly the most challenging. To be limited to four senior players – and I’m not including Harry Brockbank in that because he only made his debut three games before the end of last season – it’s probably unheard of in football.
“Nonetheless it’s something we have to rise to.
“We’re the underdogs, we know that, but the players have to repeat the spirit of Coventry.
“People left the stadium that day with a real hope for the future. That’s the mission again.
“When that final whistle goes we want the fans walking away with hope again.
“We hear that takeover is imminent. If not today, we are told it’s right there ready to happen, so it’s a huge opportunity for the young players that they might never have expected. There’s always something good to come from a bad situation.”
Should the takeover get rubber-stamped before kick-off, Phillips confirmed a swift phone call will go in to the EFL to see if any senior players can feature, including Jack Hobbs, who has agreed a deal but been left in limbo since the start of the season.
“We’ve asked the question to the Football League about whether we could register him,” he said. “But the answer is ‘not until the takeover goes through.’ “The only players we can register would be on a month’s contract and any player who commits himself to a club at this stage, if they didn’t get further terms they would not be able to play league football again until January. You can understand many players not wanting to put themselves in that position.”
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