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If Dougie Freedman is to stand any chance of changing hearts and minds at Wanderers, he had better start close to home.
In a week where the Whites boss has attempted to diffuse some of the ill-feeling towards him in the stands, he knows full well that any advantage gained with a battling display at Chelsea could be swiftly undone in just 90 minutes tomorrow afternoon.
Wanderers were rightly praised for a gutsy show at Stamford Bridge but just as the euphoria of Joe Mason’s hat-trick in the 3-2 win over Rotherham United was short-lived, so might be the Scot’s chances of repairing his relationship with sections of the club’s support if things do not go according to plan against Derby County.
Freedman’s home record since taking over a little under two years ago compares favourably to his away record, with two thirds of his 33 wins in charge coming in front of his own fans.
And yet it seems a long time since the atmosphere around the Reebok, or latterly Macron, has been anything like as palatable as that seen in West London on Wednesday night.
The manager has been careful not to pick fights with those who have targeted him for heavy criticism – that was a trap fallen into early on by Gary Megson not so long ago – but he recognises that the current mood around the ground won’t help his chances of taking the club back up the table.
While some who walk through the turnstiles tomorrow may disagree, Freedman believes his players have been unfortunate not to have taken more points in recent weeks.
He has now charged his players with getting results that might lend some weight to his argument that his way is the right way forward.
“The fans have been as good as they can be this season,” he told The Bolton News. “They have been frustrated at times but I’m sure they see on the football pitch that the players are giving everything they have got, and they can’t ask for more than that.
“There have been times it has been difficult at home. It’s a very fine balance but I thought the fans were superb at Chelsea, as they were in many away games last season too.
“If they see a committed performance they get behind it. And when you get support like that it does spur you on, no doubt about it.
“We know that at the Macron Stadium that we need to make that atmosphere a bit more intimidating for the opposition. But that’s up to the players to create the atmosphere on the pitch with how they are playing.
“We had it at one point and I think it has slipped away from us a little bit. But there is a focus from the players to get it back.”
Asking fans to stay patient after one win in eight games has not gone down particularly well in some quarters and Freedman knows full well that he now needs points to back up his claims.
He remains adamant, however, that if his side continue in their current vein that wins will come.
“It might be just me, but I think we’ve been playing quite well recently,” he said.
“I think we need a break, a bit of good fortune, which I think we got against Chelsea, let’s be very honest. But in terms of commitment and desire, if we take that into the game against Derby then we’ll be fine.
“I’m not sitting here thinking we’re playing bad, we’re losing games because people are being sent off, being ill-disciplined. If we stick to what we believe in then things will turn very quickly.
“Yes, we are lacking a little bit of quality in front of goal at times. I’ve explained where we are with that and I’d like to address it – but we’ve got a hard-working side who haven’t got what they deserved in my eyes.
“When they get a couple of wins, that little bit of momentum, then they will be fine.”
Source
In a week where the Whites boss has attempted to diffuse some of the ill-feeling towards him in the stands, he knows full well that any advantage gained with a battling display at Chelsea could be swiftly undone in just 90 minutes tomorrow afternoon.
Wanderers were rightly praised for a gutsy show at Stamford Bridge but just as the euphoria of Joe Mason’s hat-trick in the 3-2 win over Rotherham United was short-lived, so might be the Scot’s chances of repairing his relationship with sections of the club’s support if things do not go according to plan against Derby County.
Freedman’s home record since taking over a little under two years ago compares favourably to his away record, with two thirds of his 33 wins in charge coming in front of his own fans.
And yet it seems a long time since the atmosphere around the Reebok, or latterly Macron, has been anything like as palatable as that seen in West London on Wednesday night.
The manager has been careful not to pick fights with those who have targeted him for heavy criticism – that was a trap fallen into early on by Gary Megson not so long ago – but he recognises that the current mood around the ground won’t help his chances of taking the club back up the table.
While some who walk through the turnstiles tomorrow may disagree, Freedman believes his players have been unfortunate not to have taken more points in recent weeks.
He has now charged his players with getting results that might lend some weight to his argument that his way is the right way forward.
“The fans have been as good as they can be this season,” he told The Bolton News. “They have been frustrated at times but I’m sure they see on the football pitch that the players are giving everything they have got, and they can’t ask for more than that.
“There have been times it has been difficult at home. It’s a very fine balance but I thought the fans were superb at Chelsea, as they were in many away games last season too.
“If they see a committed performance they get behind it. And when you get support like that it does spur you on, no doubt about it.
“We know that at the Macron Stadium that we need to make that atmosphere a bit more intimidating for the opposition. But that’s up to the players to create the atmosphere on the pitch with how they are playing.
“We had it at one point and I think it has slipped away from us a little bit. But there is a focus from the players to get it back.”
Asking fans to stay patient after one win in eight games has not gone down particularly well in some quarters and Freedman knows full well that he now needs points to back up his claims.
He remains adamant, however, that if his side continue in their current vein that wins will come.
“It might be just me, but I think we’ve been playing quite well recently,” he said.
“I think we need a break, a bit of good fortune, which I think we got against Chelsea, let’s be very honest. But in terms of commitment and desire, if we take that into the game against Derby then we’ll be fine.
“I’m not sitting here thinking we’re playing bad, we’re losing games because people are being sent off, being ill-disciplined. If we stick to what we believe in then things will turn very quickly.
“Yes, we are lacking a little bit of quality in front of goal at times. I’ve explained where we are with that and I’d like to address it – but we’ve got a hard-working side who haven’t got what they deserved in my eyes.
“When they get a couple of wins, that little bit of momentum, then they will be fine.”
Source
