BWSA last night

[Riviman]

Attended the meeting last night, along with at least 30 others !! However it was a good evening, the guests were Matt Mills,Stephen Warnock and John McGinley. Mills and Warnock were first up and talked about life at BWFC under Coyle and Freedman. Both saying that Freedman had altered training with more concentration on defending as a team when we don't have the ball, that he uses sports' science that Coyle didn't and how yoga had been introduced to help the players become more supple and so hopefully avoid certain types of injury. Work had also been done to improve the fitness of the squad. Warnock stated that he has to return to Villa when his loan runs out on 22nd December. You got the impression that he would like to stay if he had the opportunity.

McGinley didn't spend the time talking about "the old days" but rather about his thoughts on the Wanderers at the moment. The refreshing thing about his comments was that although he is a great friend of Coyle and as he doesn't have any ties to the club he didn't pull any punchies.
A quick summery of his comments that I can remember:

His initial feeling was that Freedman would be good for the club.
He was impressed when he met him at the Radio Manchester phone and that Freedman already knew a lot about the players and what he wanted to do.
He didn't think that any, other than Riley, in the U21 development squad would make the step up to the first team. His solution would be to scrap the team and promote the U18s who he thought would produce a number of first team players with Zac Clough being the star of the show.
Tom Eaves wouldn't make the step up to the first team and he felt that Eaves was probably playing at the right level, League 2.
Coyle signed Eaves as a possible replacement for Kevin Davies but that Eaves, despite his size, lacked the "bottle" to play in the same sort of role and that he wasn't a lone striker who could hold up the ball.
As we owe already Eddie Davies 130 million why not give another 10 million and buy a decent striker.

The most surprising statement, even surprising Marc Iles of the Bolton News, was that on the Sunday after the Millwall game a meeting with Gartside and Coyle it was agreed that Sammy Lee would step up from the academy as first team coach, this Coyle agreed to. However when Coyle went into training on Monday morning he was met by Gartside who told there had been a change in plan and he'd been sacked.
McGinley said that Coyle had a phone call from Blackpool about their job but Coyle didn't want to go, suggesting that Coyle wouldn't want to work with Oyston.
McGinley is back permanently from the states and is currently looking for a job, he returned because of family reasons, his sons all being over here.

There must be other points that I've forgotten so sorry if I've missed anything. Just a pity that because of BWSA's reputation of "oldies in cardigans" there weren't more there to hear 2 very eloquent footballers and the thoughts of Super John McGinley.

[PC1978]

Nice summary. Thanks. Sorry that I can't attend these meetings myself but due to family reasons, I am pushing it just going to the home games! Did Warnock say why he had to go back to Villa?

[Riviman]

Nice summary. Thanks. Sorry that I can't attend these meetings myself but due to family reasons, I am pushing it just going to the home games! Did Warnock say why he had to go back to Villa?

He just said that at the end of the loan period, 22nd December he had no alternative but to go back. I assume that as the new transfer window doesn't open until 1st Jan he has to return to his parent club. As yet he hasn't had any discussions with Freedman about what happens when the laon ends,

[thebish]

Nice summary. Thanks. Sorry that I can't attend these meetings myself but due to family reasons, I am pushing it just going to the home games! Did Warnock say why he had to go back to Villa?

cos that's when his loan period runs out...

[PC1978]

Can they not extend existing loans in this league?

[Riviman]

Can they not extend existing loans in this league?

Not a clue, I'm just repeating what Warnock said.

[PC1978]

I thought they could. And if not, I would have thought they could have come up with a new deal before the window closed. The loan rules in the npower league are complicated!! Be a shame to see him go though, I have enjoyed the back four balance with him at left back.

[plymouth wanderer]

Warnock will be back, we certainly need him

[PC1978]

Warnock will be back, we certainly need him

Hope so. There will only be a handful of games before the Jan transfer window opens after he goes back. Just wish it was already sorted!!!

[bobo the clown]

Warnock will be back, we certainly need him

Hope so. There will only be a handful of games before the Jan transfer window opens after he goes back. Just wish it was already sorted!!!

Well, given that he's out of contract next summer & Villa have cut him out then maybe they release him, make him a free agent & we could sign him asap ..... where there's a will there's a way.

[Toni_DelijeSever]

Warnock will be back, we certainly need him

Really hope so,he looks like a good lad,and more than a decent full back.

[midlands exile]

Reassuring to hear about the steps being introduced to turn things around.

Sickening to hear that the suspicions about Owen Coyle's slipshod approach to preparing the squad all seem to be true.

[bobo the clown]

Sickening to hear that the suspicions about Owen Coyle's slipshod approach to preparing the squad all seem to be true.

Absolutely.

It seemed like it to the naked eye, but I did keep trying to persuade myself I was just being unfair to the guy. More & more proof is coming out that he actually was winging it and truly was responsible for what we were seeing. I'm also now convinced that the longer we gave him the more he would have continued to fck us over, as witnessed by his claims that he left us in good shape and that he was simply unlucky and it was all just about to come good.

Dreamer ? ... or feckin' eejit ??

[officer_dibble]

Pet hate of mine.

Its McGinlay.

Cheers for the summary though, interesting super john pulle no punches on his mate - I got fed up of his constant defense of Coyle before he got here, but fair does I suppose.

My reading of the Sammy Lee situation is Gartside promoted him as a last throw of the dice, and Eddie Davies overuled it, correctly, as it was already too late. Shame (for Owen) it wasn't tried last year. If he;d f got rid of the yes men, he may have improved as a manager. But he didn't. cos he's stubborn.

[midlands exile]

Sickening to hear that the suspicions about Owen Coyle's slipshod approach to preparing the squad all seem to be true.

Absolutely.

It seemed like it to the naked eye, but I did keep trying to persuade myself I was just being unfair to the guy. More & more proof is coming out that he actually was winging it and truly was responsible for what we were seeing. I'm also now convinced that the longer we gave him the more he would have continued to fck us over, as witnessed by his claims that he left us in good shape and that he was simply unlucky and it was all just about to come good.

Dreamer ? ... or feckin' eejit ??

Both.

[a1]

did mcginlay say what owen's prefered brainwashing technique were ?

coz he were surely under its spell judging from his column in The Bolton .

[PC1978]

The Stepford Wives for footballers!

[Salford Trotter]

A great summary Rivi. Let's hope we see an improved end product

[SmokinFrazier]

I'd imagine we could loan Warnock again in January though if the above comment is correct and his contract does run out in the summer, Villa may look to sell him instead. I can't see them loaning him to us until summer and then letting him go for free. If that is the case, hopefully we put in a bid for him.

[the-Bowtun-Warrior]

When did this odd-ball of a loan market close? We only took this lad from Norwich a week or so ago. surely we can arrange an extension for Warnock, NOW?