Keith Hill's post-match reaction - Bolton 0 Wycombe 2

Keith Hill says Wanderers were left “confused” by a tactical tweak from opponents Wycombe as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at the UniBol.

The game was goalless up until a few minutes before the interval, when Toto Nisala put through his own net.

By that stage the visitors had cut off the supply line to target men Daryl Murphy and Chris O’Grady but Hill admits his team was unable to adjust on the pitch.

Wycombe went on to score a second from the penalty spot in the second half through Joe Jacobson and might have had more had they forced home their superiority.

A defeat that left Wanderers 19 points from safety has drawn huge criticism from the supporters.

“The result makes us all emotional straight after the game,” Hill said after the final whistle.

“They made one subtle change, which confused our players, which really should have been a simple ‘if we can’t go through the middle, you go around, and if you can’t go around, you go over.’ “Their small tactical change confused us. And to score the own goal in the manner we did just before half time is typical. Anxiety got into the game second half and it’s not a recipe for success, anxiety.

“The players are trying. They are doing everything they can and the preparation is good – you can ask the players – but unfortunately when you are in this type of run, this situation, it becomes difficult. You find it difficult to express yourself in a footballing manner.”

Asked if he was concerned by a seventh defeat in nine games, Hill said he could see his players were suffering for confidence on the pitch.

“The only concern I have got is not winning a football match,” he said. “We want to win them, we’re preparing to win them and you have got to stick to your plan. Desire and determination has got to be reflected in your performances and hopefully they then turn into wins.

“We played against a well-oiled Wycombe but not winning games is more of a concern for the players than it is for me. I have been a player and been in bad runs. You can play well and lose a game and feel quite good about it because you feel the result isn’t far away then sometimes you lose a game badly and I think the second half reflected that.

“It’s affecting confidence, performance levels. It isn’t affecting energy levels, the commitment or desire. Sometimes it can be misguided that support network on the pitch.

“Sometimes on the pitch you can start looking after yourself in your hour of need, or your team’s hour of need. I don’t think they were.

“Like I said to the players: ‘We can stand here, shout and beat each other up but I don’t think that’s the answer.’ “I want a good working week, I want the players to come in and enjoy coming into work, enjoy representing our great club. They are doing but it’s difficult. There has to be a certain amount of guidance and teaching.

“Unfortunately certain performances this season haven’t reflected the work we have been doing with the group of players.

“That’s difficult for the players, it’s difficult for the manager because you want to kick every ball.

“There has got to be a bounce. And when I talk about that I mean when you hit rock bottom.

“You have got to be brave. Your body posture should be full of desire, determination, pride, and you shouldn’t let your heads go down. There is always something to salvage in the last minutes of the game, even if it’s a challenge.

“Jason Lowe, for me, epitomises everything I want from a player. He said last season was far, far worse than this season in respect to the well-being of the players and the club. He sees there is going to be development, progress, over this transitional period. The game is all about results but at this moment in time it isn’t happening.”

Source

Is it me, or am I missing something?

Hill is the team manager and/or coach, is he not?

If he can see something the players on the pitch are missing, shouldn't he be telling them?

There's no rule saying you can't coach from the touchline is there?

Take the following for instance, why doesn't he just bloody tell them to go 'long ball'?????

karlypants wrote:
“They made one subtle change, which confused our players, which really should have been a simple ‘if we can’t go through the middle, you go around, and if you can’t go around, you go over.’ “Their small tactical change confused us. And to score the own goal in the manner we did just before half time is typical. Anxiety got into the game second half and it’s not a recipe for success, anxiety.

He's talking absolute bullshit - he's to blame for not telling the players what to do (it is after all why he's there at the club in the first place isn't it?) not the players fault they didn't spot this so called sly move from the underhanded and ruthlessly cunning Wycombe team manager - isn't that what you are supposed to be doing as well Keith???

If not then what are you actually being paid for - your dazzling and enlightening press interviews - if so you're failing badly in that too!

I don't get it, I don't understand what is happening, does anyone?

We named a starting eleven of which only ONE player is bound to the club for next season - why?  

Are we in denial that we will be relegated perhaps?

Why then are we giving loan youngsters match experience, surely we might as well get some of the players who will be with us next season first team experience between now and season's end?

What was the point in getting that young Spurs winger on loan, when he was injured and hasn't even arrived at the club yet?  Will Politic be dropped to make way for him in the first team?

It is all starting to become surreal to me, nothing at all is making sense?

Why is Kenyon and Phoenix here what are they doing?  

Why is the club talking about closing the upper tiers and pissing folk off when apparently it is NOT a cost cutting exercise?

Does ANYONE understand what Hill is talking about and why is it that he seems to be in civil war with those in charge at the academy?

Why are FV even here, there's no sign that they are making any money since they took over, nor any sign (so far) as to how they might do so in the future?

Is everything mad, or is it just me that is?

The only sane thing I can see out of all of this is that FV clearly rate Iles as highly as I do!

Never mind, Sluffy, just imagine being Mrs Hill and having to listen to all that verbal diarrhoea every day at breakfast. What's the betting she stops in bed until Keefy's gone out?

Ten Bobsworth wrote:Never mind, Sluffy, just imagine being Mrs Hill and having to listen to all that verbal diarrhoea every day at breakfast. What's the betting she stops in bed until Keefy's gone out?

I just don't get it Bob, what is going on?

The players aren't all mindless idiots and I don't think for one second that all of them had been baffled so much from what Wycombe did so as to not know what to do to try to counter it, which to my mind leads to two the conclusion that either Hill had instructed them before the game not to play the longball game no matter what (which would make some sense as we have a 36 year old target man a 34 year old on the left wing and a midfield of defensive players - so no pace at all to get to the ball, hold it up and get players up to support and attack) or that Hill is just spouting utter tosh.

If it is yet another 'Hillism' which I believe it to be, then what must Sharon be thinking about his continued public persona that is clearly turning many people against him (me included) and that's before we even look at the abject underachievement in developing anything for the future of the team at all this season - even allowing for the circumstances we found ourselves under.

I can only assume that his good wife is one of those who never listens to a word he speaks - probably the best policy too.

I just can't understand what is going on, surely by now someone should be stopping Hill embarrassing himself and the club even further by having Flitcroft or even a nodding donkey do the press interviews - they couldn't do any worse!

Hill might be a good coach (I'm not so sure he is mind) but he's coming across as a liar and a fantasist in the public eye and that isn't good for anything.

By the way have you noticed how Iles has already to lead the fans against him?

He dropped this bomb on purpose...

"I have been severely disappointed with the u23s’ performances and results" - Keith Hill wants more first-team options to emerge from within the Bolton squad.https://t.co/mozxF5lLQ4 #bwfc

— Marc Iles (@MarcIles) February 15, 2020

...and in particularly this one, coming STRIGHT AFTER the match, what response do you think he expected to get???

And he did 179 responses ALL saying the same thing!!!

Trying something a little different...
Want your 10-word match reports on today's game. Best (and please make them printable) to be showcased online. #bwfc

— Marc Iles (@MarcIles) February 15, 2020

Still no interview with FV though is there Marc...

Wonder why...?

KH seems to me to babble in cliches. Its not usually a good sign. Folk like that tend to believe that the first things that come into their heads are flashes of wisdom when more often than not they are the opposite. I expect Sharon is able to see that.

Marc Iles is something different. He's quite good at some things but hopelessly out of his depth on business and finance. Its compounded with attitude and a following that make him more than just a nuisance.

The club is presently being run essentially on borrowings secured on assets paid for by Eddie Davies.
It can only exist like that for a finite period. In the meantime its sinking to its lowest historic level and next season will be on a par with the likes of Dale (Egotricity) Vince's FGR. Vince seems to be fast becoming the darling of a certain type of media (or at least he thinks he is). I do hope that some journo will decide to take a closer look at his tax arrangements and unfiled accounts.

Sluffy manages to sum Hill up perfectly.

MartinBWFC wrote:Sluffy manages to sum Hill up perfectly.

Thanks Martin, just my views on things.

I seem to be in the majority this time however, which is somewhat unusual for me (think ST - at least in the beginning, Coyle - again at the start of his reign when everyone and their dog were hailing him and dumping on me when I pointed out his points per game in the season he took over from Megson was only marginally better yet Megson was sacked and Coyle was being praised for doing so well, and of course dear old Ken Anderson!)

What I was trying to get to really was, what is the bigger picture to all this, as having Hill as the de facto mouthpiece of FV is clearly not in anyone's interest - yet they seemingly aren't too bothered about it, in which case why aren't they?

They must have their reasons I suppose, maybe they are simply giving Hill as much rope as he wants to hang himself with (so to speak).

For all his footballing failings, Parkinson always carried himself properly in his press interviews, and I would suggest not getting paid, alongside his own staff who he no doubt personally brought to the club, whilst the club itself was financially heading to the rocks, was far more challenging than anything Hill has had to deal with so far here.

To be honest I try not to listen or read much of Hill's comments as I've clearly worked out like most others, that he's talking gibberish most/all of the time, and I don't want to waste my life away reading such inane drivel.

I hope he doesn't talk to the players in such a way or they will quickly just take him as a joke manager/coach and pay him as scant a regard as I do.

Nothing much is spoiling for the rest of the season though, we are down, with a team which probably 80% or more of the players will be leaving us after the last game of the season, the worry however is what is the plan to recruit and retain sufficient quality players AND manager/coaches during the summer in order to establish the club and move it forward for the seasons to come?

FV bought the club for a reason and that surely can't be just to survive in the fourth division for the foreseeable future - how do they get their money back and pay off the £5.5m to EDT by just doing that??

There are so many things to me that simply don't add up but having Hill daily in front of journalist ruminating on things such as his knowledge of onions, is the one most glaringly obvious and utterly bizarre to everyone - yet he is allowed to go on doing his best Dominic Cummings/Eric Cantona utterances of gibberish unchecked by his bosses.

I wonder why because I can't understand them not stepping in and stopping it.

I know I would.

I agree completely with your sentiments, Sluffy. KH is not inspiring any kind of confidence and I cannot see Sharon being content to sit on her hands.

As for the finances, its not just the £5m EDT debt FV have to find (plus interest), there's £3m owed to Brett Warburton, £5.5M to Prescot Business Park (Mike James owns only 20% of that) and £3.5m to unsecured creditors. Then there's the administrators fees and monthly losses, maybe £400K to £500K per month or thereabouts since last September.

Its been implied that all or most of this is in hand or anticipated, but when it comes to handing it all over will it still be plain sailing? Maybe we'll know more when we spot the seagulls following the trawler at the Unibol.