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Tobias Phoenix would be quite content to take a backseat role in Wanderers’ success this season.
Since the turn of the year there has been an air of mystery about the former Macclesfield Town man, hired under the auspices of ‘head of football operations’ at Bolton back in February.
The restructure of the football department – and its perceived impact upon the previous Bolton boss Keith Hill – has led to much speculation among supporters on where the power lies in the club, and whether the next boss could truly have things his own way.
But speaking after playing a big role in recruiting new head coach Ian Evatt from Barrow, Phoenix feels his job title has been misconstrued.
Wanderers are taking a step towards modernity with the new coaching structure but Phoenix says he is more than happy to be cog in the machine.
“Football has changed,” he said. “The days of a manager coming into the training ground and saying ‘I want that wall knocked over and rebuilding there’ are long gone.
“Our take is different. I have seen a few things in the media, and I don’t do social media, thank God, but different people have got different versions of what this director of football/head coach role looks like.
“When I was in my meeting with Peter Kenyon I was asked what job title I wanted. I won’t give you the answer, because it isn’t suitable to air, but the title is absolutely irrelevant.
“What is relevant is understanding the project, understanding the expectation, knowing my role. The actual title on the door is completely irrelevant.
“There are plenty of people who have a pre-conceived perception of what my role is, and what Ian’s is, but there’s no manual. What’s important is the dynamic between him and I and the obvious synchronisation of how we’d like football played at the University of Bolton Stadium, the type of people and footballers we want to see in our building.
“We wanted to bring someone into the building who could not only communicate with the media but also to reconnect the fanbase, not just on a Saturday on the pitch but also outside of game time in the local community.
“It’s really important that people get away from this being the Tobias Phoenix show, it really, really isn’t. And people that know me will tell you this media stuff is really not me. I don’t see myself as a focal point.
“If I can avoid it, I definitely will – politely.
“Nobody is bigger than the club. It’s about getting the right people into the club, giving them the right resources, and if we all stay in our lanes and do what we were brought in to do, we’ll be going places.”
Another man whose name has echoed around the club since the turn of 2020 has been that of ex-Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon.
His influence has been somewhat of an unknown factor but Phoenix confirmed he had been involved in the managerial selection process and would continue to provide advice at board level in the future.
“Anybody who’s met Peter will tell you he’s a slick operator,” he said.
“He’s a consultant to the board and a friend of the football club.
“He will be doing some of his own bits and bobs but he will remain as a consultant to the board.
“He’s a sounding board for me, a fantastic mentor for Ian and I to be able to pick the phone up to and to be able to bounce ideas off. We’re really pleased to have that association.”
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Since the turn of the year there has been an air of mystery about the former Macclesfield Town man, hired under the auspices of ‘head of football operations’ at Bolton back in February.
The restructure of the football department – and its perceived impact upon the previous Bolton boss Keith Hill – has led to much speculation among supporters on where the power lies in the club, and whether the next boss could truly have things his own way.
But speaking after playing a big role in recruiting new head coach Ian Evatt from Barrow, Phoenix feels his job title has been misconstrued.
Wanderers are taking a step towards modernity with the new coaching structure but Phoenix says he is more than happy to be cog in the machine.
“Football has changed,” he said. “The days of a manager coming into the training ground and saying ‘I want that wall knocked over and rebuilding there’ are long gone.
“Our take is different. I have seen a few things in the media, and I don’t do social media, thank God, but different people have got different versions of what this director of football/head coach role looks like.
“When I was in my meeting with Peter Kenyon I was asked what job title I wanted. I won’t give you the answer, because it isn’t suitable to air, but the title is absolutely irrelevant.
“What is relevant is understanding the project, understanding the expectation, knowing my role. The actual title on the door is completely irrelevant.
“There are plenty of people who have a pre-conceived perception of what my role is, and what Ian’s is, but there’s no manual. What’s important is the dynamic between him and I and the obvious synchronisation of how we’d like football played at the University of Bolton Stadium, the type of people and footballers we want to see in our building.
“We wanted to bring someone into the building who could not only communicate with the media but also to reconnect the fanbase, not just on a Saturday on the pitch but also outside of game time in the local community.
“It’s really important that people get away from this being the Tobias Phoenix show, it really, really isn’t. And people that know me will tell you this media stuff is really not me. I don’t see myself as a focal point.
“If I can avoid it, I definitely will – politely.
“Nobody is bigger than the club. It’s about getting the right people into the club, giving them the right resources, and if we all stay in our lanes and do what we were brought in to do, we’ll be going places.”
Another man whose name has echoed around the club since the turn of 2020 has been that of ex-Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, Peter Kenyon.
His influence has been somewhat of an unknown factor but Phoenix confirmed he had been involved in the managerial selection process and would continue to provide advice at board level in the future.
“Anybody who’s met Peter will tell you he’s a slick operator,” he said.
“He’s a consultant to the board and a friend of the football club.
“He will be doing some of his own bits and bobs but he will remain as a consultant to the board.
“He’s a sounding board for me, a fantastic mentor for Ian and I to be able to pick the phone up to and to be able to bounce ideas off. We’re really pleased to have that association.”
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