Kevin Davies blasts Freedman's reign as Bolton boss.

Kevin Davies has slammed Dougie Freedman’s reign as Bolton boss and backed his successor Neil Lennon to turn the club’s fortunes around.

Freedman's near two-year spell in charge came to an end last week after a disastrous start to the season which has left the Trotters floundering in the Championship relegation zone.

Davies, who worked with the Scot briefly in early 2013 before departing for Preston, told talkSPORT: “I don’t want to come across as bitter, but I think he created a bad atmosphere.

“It became a sterile place. What the club stood for when Sam Allardyce was there was the fans, the togetherness. It was a great club, a family club, and it felt like that had been ripped out. It wasn’t a great place to be.

“I didn’t really enjoy training. There was a line between the staff and the players and the people at the academy. There were factions around the club.

“It needs to be brought together. There is a lot of work to do. Everyone needs to be pulling in the right direction.”

With just one win from 11 games this season, Lennon has a job on his hands to lift morale at the Macron Stadium.

But Davies is backing the former Celtic boss to do just that.

“I think it is a good appointment by the club. It is just what they need really,” continued the ex-England striker, who scored 85 goals for Bolton over a ten-year period.

“I watched them play two or three weeks ago and the fans were really frustrated and the players looked like they were lacking in confidence and direction. As a young manager, he will bring a lot of enthusiasm into the club.

“He has got a big job on his hands, but I think he is capable of getting them out of the trouble they are in right now.”

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I spoke to a player after the last game and it was an eye opener. So much shite going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. Eagles was made to train on his own. U21s couldn't mingle with the first team. Dougie kept banging on about bringing them through and basically fed them and us bullshit. The player I was speaking to said he felt Dougie had a problem with him for some reason. He wanted some game time Dougie wouldn't let him, a few clubs came in for him and Dougie wouldn't let him go. Just goes to show really doesn't it. Also the player I was speaking to was one of Dougies signings!

Leeds_Trotter wrote:I spoke to a player after the last game and it was an eye opener. So much shite going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. Eagles was made to train on his own. U21s couldn't mingle with the first team. Dougie kept banging on about bringing them through and basically fed them and us bullshit. The player I was speaking to said he felt Dougie had a problem with him for some reason. He wanted some game time Dougie wouldn't let him, a few clubs came in for him and Dougie wouldn't let him go. Just goes to show really doesn't it. Also the player I was speaking to was one of Dougies signings!

does your location give us a clue as to said players identity???

Why do we have to guess? Just say who the player is.

Rob hall

Is that another guess ?

Rob hall was my guess too.

Yes Rob Hall would be my guess

Leeds_Trotter wrote:I spoke to a player after the last game and it was an eye opener. So much shite going on behind the scenes that we don't know about. Eagles was made to train on his own. U21s couldn't mingle with the first team. Dougie kept banging on about bringing them through and basically fed them and us bullshit. The player I was speaking to said he felt Dougie had a problem with him for some reason. He wanted some game time Dougie wouldn't let him, a few clubs came in for him and Dougie wouldn't let him go. Just goes to show really doesn't it. Also the player I was speaking to was one of Dougies signings!

So this Bolton player just happened to see you walking down the street and decided to spill the beans on the Freedman regime?

People really should stop making stuff up.

He speaks to them regularly...apparantly

Whenever someone leaves a job in which they have had to make drastic cutbacks and harsh decisions for the sake of the business there are always a few immature people who come out of the woodwork to have a go at them - once it's safe to do so and the person isn't around to respond.
Davies was overpaid and was moved on. Hall was dropped because he was shit. Eagles was overpaid AND shit. 
Obviously if they make out that the manager had problems it detracts from the real reason they were treated the way they were (i.e. shit and overpaid) so of course they are going to come out with sour grapes - and possibly lies - like this. 
Pinch of salt job IMO.
I guess that after Coyle, Dougie's relatively disciplined regime didn't go down well with the ponces.

"he wanted a game and dougie wouldn't let him" 



I'm gonna try that, "Can I Be CEO of Microsoft please?" "No" "FFS they won't let me do anything"

Hipster_Nebula wrote:"he wanted a game and dougie wouldn't let him" 



I'm gonna try that, "Can I Be CEO of Microsoft please?" "No" "FFS they won't let me do anything"

Very disingenuous post.

The player in question asked for "some game time" but was refused - fair enough, DF was the manager at the time and picked what he thought was his best team.

But when viewed in context with the next bit about refusing to let said player go out on loan, you see the bigger picture.

If you don't rate a player, fair enough, but if he wants to play and someone else is willing to give him the "game time" he craves, why stand in his way?

Breadman wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:"he wanted a game and dougie wouldn't let him" 



I'm gonna try that, "Can I Be CEO of Microsoft please?" "No" "FFS they won't let me do anything"

Very disingenuous post.

The player in question asked for "some game time" but was refused - fair enough, DF was the manager at the time and picked what he thought was his best team.

But when viewed in context with the next bit about refusing to let said player go out on loan, you see the bigger picture.

If you don't rate a player, fair enough, but if he wants to play and someone else is willing to give him the "game time" he craves, why stand in his way?

We can only guess at the "bigger picture" - and Dougie's reasons for not loaning him out. Maybe the money/host club/projected role for Hall wasn't right? Maybe Hall was a pawn in a transfer power game? Maybe DF wanted to keep him as back up - or STAY AROUND AND COMPETE FOR HIS PLACE LIKE AN ADULT? 

Hall clearly has an axe to grind and perhaps thinks that having a go at DF would explain away why he wasn't selected recently to the new manager he is trying to impress. 

Hall's comments have the same credibility as the ex-captain who began his article with the immortal words "I don't want to come across as bitter but..."

Rob Hall......?

What's he got to do with this?

Breadman wrote:Rob Hall......?

What's he got to do with this?

Apologies. Assumption on my behalf although the principle stands for anyone in the situation described.

Kevin has lost some of the respect I had for him with this. 

I really dislike this kind of backshooting. It's kicking a man who's already down and frankly there's no need for a remotely mature adult to indulge in it publicly. 

While DF was here I slated his lack of ability and called for him to go. He went, that's it, the end as far as I'm concerned. I don't wish him personally any ill, I think he did his best here and it wasn't good enough. I hope he finds a niche somewhere that lets him succeed. But from my point of view DF is the past and it's time to look forward.

I think Davies has done the right thing. He didn't say anything while Freedman was manager, he waited until Freedman had been sacked before lifting the lid on what was really going on. I have heard the exact same story via a current 1st team regular so Davies isn't making anything up.

The happy clappers just have to accept they made a huge mistake backing such a useless bellend.

Breadman wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:"he wanted a game and dougie wouldn't let him" 



I'm gonna try that, "Can I Be CEO of Microsoft please?" "No" "FFS they won't let me do anything"

Very disingenuous post.

The player in question asked for "some game time" but was refused - fair enough, DF was the manager at the time and picked what he thought was his best team.

But when viewed in context with the next bit about refusing to let said player go out on loan, you see the bigger picture.

If you don't rate a player, fair enough, but if he wants to play and someone else is willing to give him the "game time" he craves, why stand in his way?

Because he's needed as a member of the squad? Surely not letting him out on loan would suggest he's rated, just not enough to be in the first 11.

there are only 11 places after all. 

If this was someone languishing in the reserves who had a genuine loan offer turned down, I agree with you, a short term loan would have been best for all parties, but we don't know who it was so I'll reserve judgement.

Dougie's reign may turn out to be one of the most important tenures we've had in a long time because his focus on the club's structure and finances loosened the grip of the group of players who got us relegated and tore down the reputation of BWFC being an easy touch in the transfer market and willing overpayers. That and the clearout of the youth development system may well stand us in good stead going forward and for those two things alone he deserves some credit.

In any change situation there are going to be casualties - such as SKD, Mears and Eagles - so some bitterness can be expected.

I don't think they are doing themselves any favours by not moving on with the rest of us.

For Dougie's legacy to be fully maximised, there is some tweaking to be done for example he drove such a hard bargain in the transfer window (perhaps because he wasn't backed) that there was no deal to be had. 
Plus the relationship between the youth and first teams apparently needs some work.
But overall he managed to make important cultural changes at the club and drag us out of the cycle of expensive signings that the accounts show was unsustainable.

The football was shite but at least the club is on a more solid footing than when he arrived on balance.