OFFICIAL - Freedman GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:There is a danger of going for whoever is flavour of the month in L1 or L2 like Gary Rowett for example.
Last time it was Karl Robinson and Russell Slade.
Karl's MK Dons are currently 4th in L1 and Russell Slade "resigned" from Orient last week after steering them to their current position of 19th and is probably en route to Cardiff.
Problem with the lower leagues is that their success more accurately reflects the level of investment in players rather than than necessarily reflecting the quality of the manager - a relatively small difference in investment can be substantial in terms of quality at that level.
Uwe Rosler was king of the lower leagues a few seasons ago - now he's doing an OK job with Wigan.

Whoever we get will have to work with this squad so the criteria are simple.

So you want a manager from the PL/Championship merry-go-round?

I think the problem is the timing of the sacking. 
The merry go round only has a number of riders at any point in time and the current jobless hordes may not be the right ones for us. If we can wait, who knows who will be available? Since Dougie was canned without a ready made replacement it gives us a dilemma IMO:

We are arguably coming into a run of the easiest games we've had so far this season and there's a good chance that anybody, including Freedman if he'd stayed, might pick up a few points.

On the other hand, our team is so shit and confidence is so low we might not get another point all season.

With things balanced as finely as they are, it is almost impossible to judge a managers performance in the short term.

Ideally we should have JP for a good period which will give us loads of time to select the best person for the job rather than jumping on the first bandwagon that comes along.

But in our position, if JP wins a few suddenly he's the Messiah, and if he continues to lose Gartside will get pushed into signing someone quickly.

Best outcome is that JP wins a few to buy us the time to carefully consider the next appointment.

MartinBWFC wrote:

finlaymcdanger wrote:The way events unfolded in the past couple of days, it makes me wonder if Girthside was happy to let Freedman stick around but was ultimately overruled by the shareholders.

With the international break ahead, we have the opportunity to seize the extra time to interview more potential candidates and get the right man for the job installed for the Birmingham game.
But... instead, I'm sure we can expect a protracted recruitment process, with several public rejections before the next bright-eyed, gullible sucker is appointed.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if there still isn't anyone in place for the Charlton game or beyond. It's the small-time, sluggish mentality of senior management at our club that needs to be eradicated. They're probably slapping each other on the back over a pie and a pint somewhere and discussing the idea of putting a date on their calendars for next Thursday so they can draw up their wish list.

The urgent and necessary action needed wasn't just in the firing of Freedman. It's getting the next appointment 100% right, and quickly. Otherwise we'll be up to our necks in it.

I'd disagree with that fin, we need to get it right this time, and if that takes weeks, so be it, no point rushing it this time, and it needs to be a group decision not just Gartsides.

They should have been drawing up their candidate list for weeks now and be well into the process. My point, and suspicion, is that they'll only be starting that part of the process now... well behind schedule. I just have the feeling that they still operate like it's a small local bakery and don't have anywhere near the level of executives needed to function at the level necessary.

I did say that 'getting the next appointment 100% right' is necessary but it is also time for them to get their fat asses into gear and act with more urgency than they have displayed in recent years.

The next appointment needs to be thought through before any decision is made.
Leaving Phillips in charge may turn out for the better but a manager with experience would be needed to turn things around.

Who is in temporary charge of team affairs?

Jaime Fullarton.

Ignore Hipster's Caledonian bias, the Board have finally learnt from their mistakes and decreed that never again shall a pasty-skinned "sweaty" take charge of First Team affairs.

The First Team squad is currently in the very safe hands of James Phillips esq, a man who hales from solid Boltonian stock.

I'm not making that up, Fullarton is mooted to be in charge, nothing to do with him being a scot.

Jamie Fullarton and Andy Hughes are in charge tomorrow.

Username change time for you. No reminders!!!!!

So who decided on Fullerton then - Piips was the obvious choice. Especially with glowing reports from Lynch, McGinlay and Lee during his last stint.

According to news reports JP is in charge tomorrow.

Athertonian wrote:The next appointment needs to be thought through before any decision is made.
Leaving Phillips in charge may turn out for the better but a manager with experience would be needed to turn things around.

I agree. After tomorrow the international break gives the board a bit of breathing space. We cannot afford any more cock-ups.

I guess Crystal Palace will no longer be our feeder club for their shite players...

Demolition Dougie

It was speculated on the radio by Marc Iles that Fullarton is taking the team so they can thrash out a contract for Phillips.

Young goalkeeper Jay Lynch, who was released by the club this summer was the first to take to Twitter to slam Freedman.
Over three separate tweets he said:

"So glad to see the back of him [Freedman] at BWFC.. Killed the atmosphere around the place, drained the life out of squad, neglected young talent coming through ect!"

He continued

"Jimmy Phillips was the man for the job, he had the place bouncing and got rid of the big egos and picked his teams on work rate and talent!! Looking forward to seeing who the next manager will be."

Lynch wasn't alone in really turning the knife on Freedman. Former winger Gregg Wylde, who was signed by Owen Coyle, but couldn't feature in his first season with the club due to his move from cash stricken Rangers not being sanctioned by FIFA, and had his contact terminated by Freedman, was also not shy of heaping on the criticism.
He tweeted:

"Best news I've heard in ages that Freedman got the chop what he's done to that club is a joke"

A few hours later he added:

"Some Bolton fans didn't know what was going on behind the scenes at the club and the way he treated me personally and also others wasn't nice !!"

Wow! I thought Jay Lynch might have broken through into the first team before he was released. What is this ect the neglected young talent were supposedly coming through?

rammywhite wrote:I'm glad that he's gone for the sake of the club- but I'm not going to rejoice about a bloke losing his job.
There's a sad aspect to this as well

Same here. He did his best and it wasn't good enough. It's the right thing for him and the club but there's no great joy in me over it. If Gartside were to follow him out of the door that might make me smile a bit but frankly I'm not someone who can really revel in other people's misfortune. 

Good luck in the future Dougie, I hope something works out for you better than this job did. It's not your fault you weren't up to the challenge, sometimes it's more a case of timing than ability and I really think that this was just the wrong time and wrong place for you to succeed. I wish you well.

I must have missed Rammy's post but I agree with him and LPP. Nobody goes into management planning to fail. I was hoping DF would be the next AF but it wasn't to be. I don't wish him any ill will however.

I think Lynch's tweets are distasteful to say the least. Back shooting a man after he's gone like that marks him as a slimy character to me no matter how justified he might feel about it. Same with Wylde who in my opinion clearly had an attitude problem from the moment he arrived before he got "homesick". 

Both those men would have been better advised to keep their mouths shut. By all means celebrate it in private with your friends if you must but this kind of kicking a man when he's down in public leaves a sour taste in my mouth.