Culcheth_White wrote:Big Sam signed players like Okocha, Campo, Djorkaeff, etc, but it was only a short term fix, to keep us at the top end of the table. Financially, it just wasn't sustainable in the long run, for a club of our size.
I wanted Mick MCcarthy as Coyle's replacement, but he wasn't the most popular choice with a lot of Bolton fans, due to his record of having teams relegated from the Premier league. For me, we should have just taken one step at a time and just tried to get back to the Premier under a manager like MCcarthy first and If it wasn't going to plan part way through the season in the Premier(if he got us there) then address the situation accordingly if necessary.
I go along with this view.
Allardyce got us to the top but the way he did it left us broke - big money on 'old' players who once they passed their sell by date left us nothing to buy replacements with.
It's no coincidence to me that Sam 'jumped' when he did, he realised that we had peaked so to speak.
It left Lee no money to keep the ship afloat and all the 'new' Sky money from the next three year contract to be spent by Megson on over priced rubbish really - but they were just about good enough to keep us up.
I still believe if Megson had stayed we would still be clinging on in the Premier but most fans got their wish and he was sacked and we put all our remaining eggs into the Coyle basket - what a fucking disaster that was!
The man showed he was clueless with the team - same players and tactics every week, and with his signings - Pratley, Ngog, Sordell, Mills, Andrews, Ream, Mears, the resigning of Knight - the list is endless.
Gartside should have sacked him well over a year back and the fact that he wanted to give him a new contract and Davies had to over rule him and sack Coyle speaks volumes to me.
The thing that we should not lose sight if though is what the owners of the club (Davies by all accounts as nowhere near enough personal wealth as he has invested in the club - so the money simply as to be coming from some place else) may want may not be the same thing as we as fans may want.
We obviously want success - they probably are more concerned about the return on their investment.
As long as the money is there to pay the interest on the debt - then they do not have to rush to do anything drastic.
It may well be with the parachute payments we receive that they have written off this season (and who knows maybe even next!) and are concentrating on a longer term strategy to rebuild the club and go up again for a least one more season and thus have more parachute payments for the following years.
Not what we would want but I guess a feasible plan for those who are looking for a return on the money they have invested in the club.
Why else would Davies keep Gartside after allowing Coyle to fuck the club up player wise?