Patient Bolton boss Dougie Freedman will not panic as search for firepower continues

Dougie Freedman says he may have to be patient to add to his attacking ranks at Wanderers.

The Whites manager saw his side draw a blank as they went down 1-0 to Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem at the Macron Stadium yesterday with chances at a premium for the hosts in their final outing of pre-season.

Afterwards, the Scot reiterated the need to find a clinical touch in front of goal ahead of Saturday’s Championship opener at Watford and that the search for additions ahead of that curtain-raiser continues.

But he concedes the timing at present is not quite right for the players he wants and admits he may have to keep playing a waiting game until the end of the transfer window.

Freedman told The Bolton News: “When the money is not what you’d like it to be, you cannot dictate in the market.

“You can’t just wake up and say I will spend X amount on a player and go and get him.

“You have to look at loans or transfers when a club gets someone else in and it frees up players – that’s exactly where we are right now.

“We are only going to get to that position of bringing players in if the market starts moving in our favour.

“It could be there is more movement at the back end of the window.

“We have to wait and see if one of my targets comes available.

“I can’t put a timescale on it and it is tough right now.

“We have to make sure we all stick together as a team, a squad and fans.

“If we do that, we have a fighting chance.

“Hopefully, something will fall in our lap.

“I think I’ve proved my signings will do all right. I never panic in the market.

“If we want the right ones, we have to be patient.

“Believe me I am in the market for two or three attack-minded players when the timing is right for us.”

Freedman fielded a strong starting line-up against Vitesse with Jermaine Beckford as a lone front man.

There were one or two chances but as a team the attacking creativity was again lacking.

But the boss felt it was a good workout for his players ahead of Saturday’s league opener.

He added: “It was a fantastic workout.

“These pre-season games can be a little bit false.

“But I got what I wanted to out of the game and many played 90 minutes which is good.

“We just need to make sure attacking-wise we are a little bit more clinical when one or two chances do come our way and that is what I want to help by adding new players.”

Two men who were not involved yesterday were midfielders Mark Davies and Josh Vela who Freedman revealed post-match were both carrying knocks and as a result not risked.

He said: “Josh Vela had a little bit of weakness in his knee in the week so he missed out.

“Mark Davies has had a problem with his little toe.

“We have been giving him injections during pre-season.

“But I thought Sunday was too soon after Wednesday for him.”

Source

You can panic whenever you're ready Dougie....I'd really not rather wait until the end of the window to see this alleged 532 system - even though our "wingbacks" aren't exactly greyhounds.

wanderlust wrote:You can panic whenever you're ready Dougie....I'd really not rather wait until the end of the window to see this alleged 532 system - even though our "wingbacks" aren't exactly greyhounds.

Spot on.

I said something similar yesterday on another thread.

If you don't want to rely on Wilkinson as a regular starter - fine, but where's the harm in using him initially until you get a suitable replacement in?

If all the focus in pre-season training has been on developing this new system, it seems crazy to abandon it now before a ball has been kicked....

Give it a go, let the players get used to it in "proper" competitive league football and see how things go.

He can always switch back to Beckford on his own up front if it isn't working.

Strange decision for me, this one........

TBF he has said they've tried a range of systems so that they can respond tactically when the game situation requires it - and only now has had the players that provide the requisite flexibility to do this.
But he did say that his preferred system would be 2 strikers (perhaps 532/352 rather than the rigidity of 442?) so I agree with you - why not try it with Wilko or Cavies?

In mitigation, a team at our level can't afford to have two players out of touch with the game when we lose possession  otherwise we'll get numerically overrun as we did when Coyle tried it, so the strikers have to work back and drop into midfield when required and therefore we need players with lots of stamina and energy to carry the role off - and Dougie is probably right seeing that Cavies is a fat slow bastard and Wilko is a lumberer. We need a finisher that can put the miles in.

Freedman has done exactly as I predicted, namely fuck all.

It's been no secret for months (years?) that we're absolute shite in attack. Dougie's had all Summer to find one or two strikers but has sat on his skinny arse. We may be skint, but we are still a big club to any player outside of the Premier League and if we can afford to piss away wages on benchwarmers like Liam Trotter then there is clearly some money there.

The "not panicking" bullshit is clearly code for "I've fucked up again and we're going into the season light upfront".

Natasha Whittam wrote:Freedman has done exactly as I predicted, namely fuck all.

It's been no secret for months (years?) that we're absolute shite in attack. Dougie's had all Summer to find one or two strikers but has sat on his skinny arse. We may be skint, but we are still a big club to any player outside of the Premier League and if we can afford to piss away wages on benchwarmers like Liam Trotter then there is clearly some money there.

The "not panicking" bullshit is clearly code for "I've fucked up again and we're going into the season light upfront".

That's weird! He's done exactly as I predicted too. He gave everyone a chance to stake their claim for a starting spot, cleared out every bit of dead wood he could move to free up wages and build a transfer fund, scoured the planet for affordable strikers and...been priced out of every deal he's tried to pull off.
And still the ghost of Keith Andrews haunts the Macron Stadium.

With Juke going for £2.5 million and Barrow now being touted at £1.5 million he really needs to lower his sights (if that's possible) as it's obvious he isn't going to be allowed to spend anything like those figures.

It's got to the stage where it's like buying a house in a chain. As the deadline gets closer towards the end of the month (so 2 or 3 games into the season) the may be a flurry of transfers and Dougie will be diving in to find out who is surplus to requirements and who we might get on loan. But I can't see any of his targets becoming available until then.

wanderlust wrote:
That's weird! He's done exactly as I predicted too. He gave everyone a chance to stake their claim for a starting spot, cleared out every bit of dead wood he could move to free up wages and build a transfer fund, scoured the planet for affordable strikers and...been priced out of every deal he's tried to pull off.
And still the ghost of Keith Andrews haunts the Macron Stadium.

With Juke going for £2.5 million and Barrow now being touted at £1.5 million he really needs to lower his sights (if that's possible) as it's obvious he isn't going to be allowed to spend anything like those figures.

It's got to the stage where it's like buying a house in a chain. As the deadline gets closer towards the end of the month (so 2 or 3 games into the season) the may be a flurry of transfers and Dougie will be diving in to find out who is surplus to requirements and who we might get on loan. But I can't see any of his targets becoming available until then.

Utter bollocks.

Dougie has made a cock-up whether he put all his eggs in a Juke basket or simply doesn't have the expertise to spot potential in lower league players. Defend him all you like, but it isn't just about money - managers should have the ability to spot potential or you might as well put an Accountant in charge of the team.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:
That's weird! He's done exactly as I predicted too. He gave everyone a chance to stake their claim for a starting spot, cleared out every bit of dead wood he could move to free up wages and build a transfer fund, scoured the planet for affordable strikers and...been priced out of every deal he's tried to pull off.
And still the ghost of Keith Andrews haunts the Macron Stadium.

With Juke going for £2.5 million and Barrow now being touted at £1.5 million he really needs to lower his sights (if that's possible) as it's obvious he isn't going to be allowed to spend anything like those figures.

It's got to the stage where it's like buying a house in a chain. As the deadline gets closer towards the end of the month (so 2 or 3 games into the season) the may be a flurry of transfers and Dougie will be diving in to find out who is surplus to requirements and who we might get on loan. But I can't see any of his targets becoming available until then.

Utter bollocks.

Dougie has made a cock-up whether he put all his eggs in a Juke basket or simply doesn't have the expertise to spot potential in lower league players. Defend him all you like, but it isn't just about money - managers should have the ability to spot potential or you might as well put an Accountant in charge of the team.

That is the point. There is an Accountant, not in charge of the team but in charge of the transfer budget.
How many players has Dougie "spotted" this summer? 100? 500? 1000? 
How many has he got as far as asking for the money to buy them? 10? 50? 100?
How many has he been given the go-ahead with? 0? 

Just because Burnley threw their bank balance at a player he wanted doesn't make it his fault for not getting him.

Dougie's ability to spot potential has been excellent for the most part and in some cases like Craig Dawson or Juke exceptional so you really shouldn't try to suggest he doesn't know players and recognise quality when he sees it.

wanderlust wrote:

Dougie's ability to spot potential has been excellent for the most part and in some cases like Craig Dawson or Juke exceptional so you really shouldn't try to suggest he doesn't know players and recognise quality when he sees it.

Well done Dougie, you saw potential in a Premier League reserve. Who'd have thought it?   

How many players has Douglas signed from lower league clubs that have been a success? ZERO. That's how good managers at this level earn their corn.

We couldn't afford a striker from the lower leagues anyway, strikers go for a premium if they have any hint of talent. Jordan Rhodes? Nahki Wells? Danny Ings cost £1 million and wasn't ready for a few years anyway. 

Managers with as tight a budget as Dougie earn their corn by getting more out of rejects and misfits, and why? Because they cost nothing. He's done that with Juke now he needs to do it again.

His problem is cautionary tactics, with a better defence I hope that will go out the window slightly.

bwfc1874 wrote:We couldn't afford a striker from the lower leagues anyway, strikers go for a premium if they have any hint of talent. Jordan Rhodes? Nahki Wells? Danny Ings cost £1 million and wasn't ready for a few years anyway. 

Managers with as tight a budget as Dougie earn their corn by getting more out of rejects and misfits, and why? Because they cost nothing. He's done that with Juke now he needs to do it again.

His problem is cautionary tactics, with a better defence I hope that will go out the window slightly.

i agree the defence looks stronger this season but i just can't see cautious Dougie changing his ways!
Even the Palace fans when he left said he was happy to sit back and counter attack, i think it's just his natural way of coaching and it woild be a major shift to see him suddenly become more attacking, we can live in hope though!