Bolton boss Dougie Freedman takes the blame for the club's poor results

Bolton Wanderers manager Dougie Freedman is taking full responsibility for the club's poor run of results that has seen them drop into the relegation zone.

Bolton have won just once in nine Championship games and disgruntled fans have called for Freedman and club chairman Phil Gartside to resign following Saturday's 2-0 defeat to Derby County at home.

But Freedman is refusing to buckle under the pressure as he prepares his team to face fellow strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.

He said: "I can't play the game of football for twenty years without taking the blame and all of a sudden be the manager and reverse that.

"I am fully responsible for the results - that's football management. When we win games we take the credit and when we lose games the manager takes the blame.

"I get it, I got the description when I bought into the job, there is no doubt about that - I will always take the blame that's the way I lead the team.

"I have always been support at board level since I turned up - that has never been a problem, the problem that I face is I put a lot of pressure on myself to succeed and make sure that things are done properly, so there is no one
putting more pressure than myself to succeed.

"I came to this football club to succeed - you can be sure about that."

Source

I'm sure Dougie did intend to succeed when he came but after this long it's become clear that he can't and won't manage that feat. Gartside and he need to go.

I get it that you have an undiscovered managerial genius who can lead the blind school to victories over Barca and Bayern without spending a penny and that Dougie needs to step aside for the Messiah, but do you need to re-state the "Dougie out" mantra whatever the thread is about?

The guy is manning up to take the flak for his underperforming players and out comes the mantra like a squeaky wheel. We get it, but it needs a rest sometimes.

Lusty the bottom line is that they are his underperforming players and they are constantly chopped and changed as he cares more about the opposition than his own team.

He has to take the flak and rightly so in my opinion, everyone bar you thinks he will turn it round. The writing is on the wall after the scenes i witnessed last Saturday and the sooner he leaves and the cloud lifts the better.

Whether you agree with it or not the buck stops with him.

I seem to remember several posters in the happy clapper squad, including Wanderlust, saying they would give Freedman 10 games before they decided whether he was upto the job.

Well, even if we win tonight the best position we can achieve is 4th from bottom. I fully expect Wanderlust, Hipster and 1874 to end future posts with FREEDMAN OUT.

Norpig wrote:Lusty the bottom line is that they are his underperforming players and they are constantly chopped and changed as he cares more about the opposition than his own team.

He has to take the flak and rightly so in my opinion, everyone bar you thinks he will turn it round. The writing is on the wall after the scenes i witnessed last Saturday and the sooner he leaves and the cloud lifts the better.

Whether you agree with it or not the buck stops with him.

I agree the players are underperforming and that the buck stops with him, however I think it's a bit repetitious to comment on how he needs to go every time his name is mentioned. I get it.

It's getting like everything he does is somehow a further justification for him having to go when it clearly isn't.
I don't see how "Freedman visits sick children in hospital" should be met with "He should be focusing on improving our shit squad instead. Obviously needs to go now."

We know what the score is with Freedman and we know what our various contributors think of him so there seems to be little point in calling for his head every other post IMO.

I've said he can't have any complaints if he gets sacked. The support in general has been very patient with him, but at the end of the day the only thing the board can do to turn this around is try somebody else and hope for the best. Gartside won't be going anywhere so getting a new manager in is about all they can do.

wanderlust wrote:

Norpig wrote:Lusty the bottom line is that they are his underperforming players and they are constantly chopped and changed as he cares more about the opposition than his own team.

He has to take the flak and rightly so in my opinion, everyone bar you thinks he will turn it round. The writing is on the wall after the scenes i witnessed last Saturday and the sooner he leaves and the cloud lifts the better.

Whether you agree with it or not the buck stops with him.

I agree the players are underperforming and that the buck stops with him, however I think it's a bit repetitious to comment on how he needs to go every time his name is mentioned. I get it.

It's getting like everything he does is somehow a further justification for him having to go when it clearly isn't.
I don't see how "Freedman visits sick children in hospital" should be met with "He should be focusing on improving our shit squad instead. Obviously needs to go now."

We know what the score is with Freedman and we know what our various contributors think of him so there seems to be little point in calling for his head every other post IMO.

Lusty I think you misunderstand me here. I am not denigrating Dougie for what he said at all, in fact I personally deeply admire him for being brave enough to stand up and say it. But the sad fact is that his self honesty has come too late in my book.

If anyone is clutching at straws now it's you my friend. 

We're all aware of the financial situation. We all know that no matter who manages the club we're not going to become world beaters overnight. We all agree that no matter who sits in the dugout times are difficult and will in all likelihood continue to be so. 

However, as a manager it is Dougie's job to get the best out of the players and resources he has on a consistent basis. After two full years he has proven to be unequal to that task. Personally I bear the man no ill will, I genuinely wish it had worked out for him because that would have meant our club being successful. I wish him well for the future but that future clearly needs to be elsewhere. 

The malaise in the club, particularly in the way we now see the relationship between it and the fans becoming almost as poisonous as the darkest of the Megson days means a change is now needed more urgently than ever.

If he stays I don't think we will get out of the bottom three this season.