Key talks planned at Wanderers as manager shortlist gets whittled down

Wanderers will hold key talks today in an effort to identify their number one choice to succeed Keith Hill as manager.

The club has already made its opening gambit with a handful of candidates and know what it will cost to bring them to the University of Bolton Stadium.

And though the club has not confirmed that official interviews will take place, it is understood that they will have a much clearer picture of who their next manager will be in the next few days.

Barrow boss Ian Evatt and Plymouth Argyle's Ryan Lowe appear to have an edge on their competition have been heavily backed by fans with the bookmakers.

Wanderers know they will have to fork out a six-figure fee to wrestle Lowe and his right-hand-man Steven Schumacher away from Home Park, where he has two years left to run on his contract.

Evatt also has two more seasons on his deal with Barrow and it is understood it will take around £120,000 to buy him out of the recently-promoted club.

Similar fees would be needed to bring Dean Holden in from Bristol City, Sam Ricketts from Shrewsbury Town, Sol Campbell from Southend United or Kevin Nolan from West Ham United.



After completing their homework over the last fortnight, chief operating officer Andy Gartside and head of football operations Tobias Phoenix will now discuss their next move with the club's owners, Football Ventures, who will be footing the bill if they decide to approach a manager already in a job.

Several free agents have put their hat into the ring including Gary Bowyer, Chris Powell, Steven Reid and Simon Grayson - and club legend David Lee has also voiced his desire to get the top job after working in the academy since 2008.

In what is expected to be a busy week at Wanderers, the retained list of players is also due to be released.

There are 15 players with experience of senior football out of contract at the end of this month and it is expected that most will be released as the club look to rebuild in League Two next season.

One, midfielder Jacob Mellis, has been linked with a move to Scotland with Hamilton Academicals.

Source

It's going to be a Ricketts/Barrow dream team.

Whats the barrow for?

Have we got 120K to pay for a manager at another team? I'd be surprised if we did.

I definitely don't want Campbell, seems like a bit of a cock to me and full of himself. My first choice would be Ryan Lowe but if we can;t afford him then someone like Powell or Grayson would do a decent job i reckon.

Don't waste your time speculating. My mole has spoken.

Norpig wrote:Have we got 120K to pay for a manager at another team? I'd be surprised if we did.

I definitely don't want Campbell, seems like a bit of a cock to me and full of himself. My first choice would be Ryan Lowe but if we can;t afford him then someone like Powell or Grayson would do a decent job i reckon.

Not a fan of him myself, seems to have a chip on his shoulder he carry's around with him.

He wants a club liquidated for instance for 'just' £200k - I say just because he was earning that in a few weeks when he was a player and I doubt he's not short of the odd couple of millions even now!

Even Ken Anderson didn't push the liquidation button - and he had it in his power to do so if he wanted to be vindictive - he wouldn't have been out of pocket doing it either.

https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/football-league/macclesfield-town-sol-campbell-debts-unpaid-tax-wound-up-manager-latest-news-a9233061.html

Anyway two bits of news on him -

According to the EFL recruitment code, a formal interview process must include at least one BAME applicant.

— Marc Iles (@MarcIles) June 22, 2020

So there HAS to be a black candidate.

But it isn't going to be him apparently!

Sol Campbell among favourites for Bolton Wanderers job but Southend United have had no approach

"Campbell has been Blues boss since last October but the club have not been approached directly by Bolton for permission to talk to the 45-year-old".

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/sport/18533220.sol-campbell-among-favourites-bolton-wanderers-job-southend-united-no-approach/

Natasha Whittam wrote:Don't waste your time speculating. My mole has spoken.

You should probably see your doctor,  I think he would be fascinated with your talking mole.

If we have to interview one BAME candidate then it has to be Powell then, much more experienced.

Norpig wrote:If we have to interview one BAME candidate then it has to be Powell then, much more experienced.

Or Phil Brown?

Cajunboy wrote:You should probably see your doctor,  I think he would be fascinated with your talking mole.

My mole has never been wrong.

wanderlust wrote:

Norpig wrote:If we have to interview one BAME candidate then it has to be Powell then, much more experienced.

Or Phil Brown?

HAHAHA

gloswhite wrote:Whats the barrow for?

Ian Evatt is the manager there.

Three people interviewed today apparently -

Hearing that David Lee is among those who have got an interview. Delighted for him, deserves a chance to pitch for the job. #bwfc

— Marc Iles (@MarcIles) June 22, 2020

Along with Lee (who won't get the job) there were Steven Reid (who I guess is the Rooney requirement) and an interesting one in Michael Jolley.

Reading up about Jolley seems that he might be the 'Moneyball' pick of the candidates in that he's certainly 'damaged goods' but if you look deeper he seems to have been wrongly 'typecast' so to speak.

Lets deal with the negatives first - he went to court for having sex with an underage girl and he was sacked from his last job (Grimsby) for a foul mouth tirade.

This mud seems to have stuck.

However the girl told him she was 19 before having sex and the tirade was aimed at the Grimsby version of Iles and Dearden.

The court overwhelmingly accepted that Jolley did not know she was underage, the FA's of both England and Scotland investigated and 'cleared' him and some years later when appointed as Grimsby manager the a number of papers reported on his sex case and when he complained to the IPSO (the newspaper industry regulatory body) they altered their reports and/or published an apology.

As for the rant -

Jolley launched into a foul-mouthed tirade at BBC Humberside journalists Matt Dean and John Tondeur.

Jolley said to Dean: "You are a f***ing disgrace. "Every time you interview me you're antagonistic, confrontational, who do you think you are, Jeremy Paxman? You are a f***ing disgrace of a journalist. The f***ing radio station gives us f***ing no positive coverage whatsoever." "F***ing you and f***ing Gwilym [Lloyd] criticise us for playing man-for-man (marking) at Chelsea.

"I go on the Monday night show with Rob [Staton, Humberside sports editor] because he's a professional journalist and he's a f***ing straight shooter and you don't f***ing ask me a question or when I go off you say 'yeah, it was the wrong decision to play man-for-man'.

"Why not ask the manager? Because you've got no f***ing b*****ks, you have to snipe behind peoples' f***ing backs."

"We were f***ing 10th going into today, mate. Near the f***ing play-offs and have you seen our f***ing budget? Have you seen our budget. Do you know where we f***ing should be?"

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/grimsby-sacked-boss-michael-jolley-20900760

Ticks one of my boxes in a manager in standing up for himself and shooting straight - I can see Iles quickly leading another toxic campaign if Jolley got the job.

The good bits for Jolley though, front of the queue in coaching in the first inaugural FA Elite Coaches Award (only 16 places), three years head coach at Burnley (and impressed Sean Dyche enough to recommend him for a managers job in Sweden which he got). Since achieved the UEFA Pro Licence and won a couple of Manager of the Month nominees and awards - one which he auctioned off for the local charity.

Probably just an outsider for the job but I think he feels he's got something to prove, will be cheap and has experience in England and Scotland lower leagues (at clubs with no money!) and management in Sweden.

Lee has been nowhere further than Wigan and I can't see Reid having any lower league experience or worked were there is no money available.

I don't know what odds Jolley is for the job but it's got to be worth sticking a couple of quid on him for those of you who like a punt, I would have thought.

Barrow chairman - if you want our manager you pay us now, in full, up front!

‘Nothing to know just now.’

The Barrow AFC chairman Paul Hornby has spoken about the speculation linking Ian Evatt with Bolton tonight.

Click on the video below #bbcfootball #BWFC #EFL pic.twitter.com/jsldwywoDF

— BBC Cumbria Sport (@bbccumbriasport) June 23, 2020

Evatt buy-out fee set.

We understand any club would have to pay-out a £250k up-front compensation fee for Barrow manager Ian Evatt.

Photo: @38wcr #bbcfootball #BWFC pic.twitter.com/gl5GFnuDuN

— BBC Cumbria Sport (@bbccumbriasport) June 24, 2020

Bolton. Approach has been made for Evatt. Barrow want money up front and in full before they officially speak. Gets returned if it falls down. Compo is bigger than been mentioned before. But may yet be a compromise.

— Alan Nixon (@reluctantnicko) June 24, 2020

I stand by my mole.

Must be fairly close, as Sky just put it up as a footnote on the screen, that Evatt is expected to take over at Bolton.

Looks like its gonna be Evatt.  Way too much smoke...  Little concerned about spunking 250k on someone unproven in League football, however well he smashed it with Barrow this year..

Barron wrote:Looks like its gonna be Evatt.  Way too much smoke...  Little concerned about spunking 250k on someone unproven in League football, however well he smashed it with Barrow this year..

What difference does that fact he’s no experience in the football league make? Football is football