The Happy Clappers Owe Us An Apology

y2johnny wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I have to agree with you both Y2J and HN although it's futile to suggest what % of the overall job is constituted by a particular element as it has to be viewed holistically. Still the ultimate objective is to get the first X1 winning and Dougie wasn't there yet. Or even close to be honest.

I do think his focus on the club's structure will pay dividends though. That work needed doing and was long overdue.

It definitely was needed, and i hope it does pay off because it will benefit the club in the long term for sure!  But now it is a case of making sure we don't drop down any further as tis will be detrimental to what he was trying to achieve as well

Dead right, but as Lenny has come in and declared his short-term focus to be on results we have some reason for optimism - or at least as optimistic as we can get with these players.

Get this,it'll cheer you up.
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Copper Dragon wrote:I'm hoping that Wanderlust is forthcoming with an apology if Lennon can get these Bolton players playing better than Douglas did.

Apparently Douglas didn't have any decent players to work with, yet Dyche had plenty. 

Why would I do that Stan?
If Dougie had listened to me in the first place they would have been playing better and we wouldn't be (quite) in this situation.
Always said that Dougie's primary focus was off the pitch and that he had tactical weaknesses on it.
Always said the player quality was poor and nothing that has happened since Dougie's departure has convinced me (or Lennon) otherwise. And BTW I never said anything about Dyche's achievements other than positive things, unless it was in jest and I can't remember much of that anyway. Paranoia setting in amigo? 
Always said that Dougie should push the FBs on and play the same 4231 system further up the park (or change it for 352) which is exactly what Lennon is doing.

What exactly should I be apologising about? everything I've written so far has been realistic, balanced and ....erm...correct.

Personally I like Lennon and think he's an excellent choice for a survival battle, but he isn't the Messiah. (Nat hates him already BTW). 

We should get better and pull ourselves to safety but that's probably the extent of the potential for these players and I'm not convinced that Dougie wouldn't have achieved that anyway - eventually. If anyone should apologise it's those people who still haven't really grasped the extent of the trouble we are in as a club and saw Dougie's departure as the panacea.

I don't see Dougie's departure as a panacea lusty but I think even you would have to agree it was clearly necessary. It's a first step, nothing more. What will matter now is how Neil chooses to use the players we have and how and where he chooses to make what changes he can in the transfer window. I don't expect miracles, I don't think anyone does but the fact is Dougie had created a somewhat toxic atmosphere around the Macron similar to that created by Gary Megson and the simple fact he's gone should go a long way to seeing that lift which in and of itself will be a good thing that can only help to motivate our players to perform better.

We need to move on from Dougie now. 

 I wish him the best. Good man, sadly the wrong job.

Dougie who.....?

luckyPeterpiper wrote:I don't see Dougie's departure as a panacea lusty but I think even you would have to agree it was clearly necessary. It's a first step, nothing more. What will matter now is how Neil chooses to use the players we have and how and where he chooses to make what changes he can in the transfer window. I don't expect miracles, I don't think anyone does but the fact is Dougie had created a somewhat toxic atmosphere around the Macron similar to that created by Gary Megson and the simple fact he's gone should go a long way to seeing that lift which in and of itself will be a good thing that can only help to motivate our players to perform better.

The "toxic atmosphere" thing is not at all proven Peter although "where there's smoke..." - the only sources appear to be those who Dougie marginalised because of their own shortcomings in his opinion. Sure there was a first match bounce effect which could only have been expected, but the real impact is that the players are pushing further up the pitch. That gives us more possession and theoretically more chance to score, but equally it's exposing what is already a weak defence and Charlton worked that out straight away.
Even under Dougie, we have never been a million miles away from success - as everyone says, the margins are fine - but Lennon will have to address the very same quality issues that Dougie faced if we are to survive comfortably. New manager - great. Same problems though and already Lennon is confirming that in some "on the field"  aspects Dougie had it right especially in the system he played and his concerns over the quality on show but we'll never know if it would have worked out if he'd stayed. Personally I think we'd have continued to struggle along until DF got it right and eventually we'd have been fine, but I'm glad Lennon's arrived as he will accelerate change.
Time to let Dougie go now that we have someone else in the firing line and that old enemy Hope is sneaking around again.

wanderlust wrote:Personally I think we'd have continued to struggle along until DF got it right and eventually we'd have been fine

Easy to say from your comfy armchair in Norfolk.

From where I sat Freedman wouldn't have got it right with a £100m budget and a 20 year contract.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

wanderlust wrote:Personally I think we'd have continued to struggle along until DF got it right and eventually we'd have been fine

Easy to say from your comfy armchair in Norfolk.

From where I sat Freedman wouldn't have got it right with a £100m budget and a 20 year contract.

You clearly need a comfy armchair in Norfolk so you can relax and let it go. Change is the only certainty.

"Change is the only certainty."

Thank you, Confucius, but that's not true.

I give Mrs B a tenner to buy tropical fish food once a month when she goes shopping in Bolton and despite the fact that it says £6.99 on the tub, I never see any.......

Breadman wrote:"Change is the only certainty."

Thank you, Confucius, but that's not true.

I give Mrs B a tenner to buy tropical fish food once a month when she goes shopping in Bolton and despite the fact that it says £6.99 on the tub, I never see any.......

lol

Dougie seemed like a nice bloke...but numb as a piss stone on football.  That's all there is to it.

In less than two weeks Lennon has pointed out that we have too many defensive midfielders, not balanced on the left side....players in the wrong positions and not enough creativity in the middle and carp up front.  Plus stuff like bringing the youth team together with the seniors and practice changes.  What was so mysterious about this to Doogie? 

So far so good with Neil ......barre player Pratts twice in a row