Dougie

[BL3]

Time to introduce a bit of perspective into the Dougie love-in.

I've read that he 'took us from nowhere to 6th'. He actually spent three months taking us from 17th to 20th, via several weeks when we were becalmed in 16th spot. He then took us back up to a final position of 7th, which is effectively 'nowhere', since we can't actually be promoted from that position. Given that there were only a handful of points between the bottom three and the top six for most of the season, this isn't as actually as difficult as it might have been in previous seasons.

He was brought in to win promotion at a club with a wage bill in the top three in the league. He failed. He managed an average of 1.6 ppg over the course of his 33 games in charge, which would have been enough to finish 5th over the course of the season, in a piss-poor league. Even if you add the points he accumulated at Palace to those he won at Bolton, it would still wouldn't have been enough to finish higher than 5th. Mick McCarthy took exactly the same number of points from the same number of games this season with a far worse team.

We didn't get going until February... three months after he took over. We took one point from games against Barnsley, Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday, teams which were still in danger of going down yesterday. We won three away games all season on his watch. The Championship isn't that complicated. He needs to put the coaching manual down and employ some common sense. He dropped a major bollock with his team selection against Blackpool, added to the one he dropped against Leicester.

It won't be as easy next season because the league can't possibly be as bad as it was this season. Let's hope that Dougie can up his game next season because 1.6ppg won't be anywhere near enough to win promotion. We might just have blown our best chance.

[clapton is god]

I wondered when you'd turn up!

[bobo the clown]

You know BL3 you should be what you are through thick & thin. Going missing while things were woring out & then coming on here pissing & moaning the moment it all proved to be a bit too little, a bit too late doesn't make you wise, or insightful .... it makes you a nice person.

I have plenty of doubts about the past 3 months good run, but I don't sit here sniping I'll say my piece, stand my ground and don't disappear into the long grass.

I shouldn't speak for others, but I quite enjoyed it while you weren't on here, in case you were wondering.

[LeverEnd]

Time to introduce a bit of perspective into the Dougie love-in.

I've read that he 'took us from nowhere to 6th'. He actually spent three months taking us from 17th to 20th, via several weeks when we were becalmed in 16th spot. He then took us back up to a final position of 7th, which is effectively 'nowhere', since we can't actually be promoted from that position. Given that there were only a handful of points between the bottom three and the top six for most of the season, this isn't as actually as difficult as it might have been in previous seasons.

He was brought in to win promotion at a club with a wage bill in the top three in the league. He failed. He managed an average of 1.6 ppg over the course of his 33 games in charge, which would have been enough to finish 5th over the course of the season, in a piss-poor league. Even if you add the points he accumulated at Palace to those he won at Bolton, it would still wouldn't have been enough to finish higher than 5th. Mick McCarthy took exactly the same number of points from the same number of games this season with a far worse team.

We didn't get going until February... three months after he took over. We took one point from games against Barnsley, Peterborough and Sheffield Wednesday, teams which were still in danger of going down yesterday. We won three away games all season on his watch. The Championship isn't that complicated. He needs to put the coaching manual down and employ some common sense. He dropped a major bollock with his team selection against Blackpool, added to the one he dropped against Leicester.

It won't be as easy next season because the league can't possibly be as bad as it was this season. Let's hope that Dougie can up his game next season because 1.6ppg won't be anywhere near enough to win promotion. We might just have blown our best chance.

[Wandering Willy]

Once again he has a point.

Problem is if you don't toe the popular line on here you can get treated like a pariah.

Freedman's made some very strange decisions - I'll add Brighton to the 2 BL3 mentioned, plus the age it took to drop you know who when it was obvious to many we needed a change.

Perhaps he'll turn out good - too early to tell for me.

[YtarmyYtarmy]

Christ on a bike I've heard it all now !!! What do you expect a new manager to come in and turn us into world beaters overnight ?? I much prefer the way it panned out, Dougie spent a while assesing what he had to work with even to a point where he seemed to be playing personnel out of position ala Coyle, but he soon rectified that. I prefer this as opposed to when a new manager comes on board, they have an upturn of results and then they slump into obscurity. Admittidly next season will be massive as Dougie will have time to get his own team together and we can then make proper judgements, but thus far from the change in style of play, fitness, attitude etc .... I think he's the best manager we have had since Rioch. Also, and i think i may have said it previously on here, I have thoroughly enjoed this season and it has been the best in a few years. Its a pity about yesterday result, but hey ho, we could be wolves

[Martin_Cruise]

Christ on a bike I've heard it all now !!! What do you expect a new manager to come in and turn us into world beaters overnight ?

Nope, just be good enough to win the 2nd Division play offs

[BWFC_Insane]

He hasn't got a point. He might have if he'd not defended Coyle, even this season, but he can't criticise people who wanted Coyle out for the mess we were in, then come back and bemoan a manager who has done significantly and factually unarguably better. That just nonsense of the highest order. And an indefensible, load of bollocks.

I think we finished top of the table in 2013. Yes it took a while to turn the ship around, but feck it the mess left was huge. I think anyone with any sense can see that. It's also clear that what was left behind was not full of brilliant players. There are massive gaps in the squad that could not possibly be plugged in one season.

If we'd have had Dougie for the season with his record we'd have been 5th. And that's not allowing for an increase in points due to him having longer to turn things round.

But I'd take that over the relegation battle Coyle was taking us to.

There is a big close season coming up. I don't think next season will be easy, in fact given how much we have to do it might be harder than this. But frankly I'd rather go into that with a young, fresh, intelligent manager who has shown he knows what is needed to turn us round, than McCarthy who would have been a short term solution to a longer problem.

[Worthy4England]

Maybe we should start an I'm a pariah thread, so all the poor lambs with wacky notions can all post on it.

BL3 is entitled to his opinion, others are entitled to disagree with it. That's the way of the world. If you can't convince folk to agree with you, they won't. Fairly simple. Don't understand why that's a problem. It is noticeable, that when it looked like we were getting better (and we did get better), that the post count dropped to zero, only to wum his way back when we didn't quite make it.

[YtarmyYtarmy]

Christ on a bike I've heard it all now !!! What do you expect a new manager to come in and turn us into world beaters overnight ?

Nope, just be good enough to win the 2nd Division play offs

From were we where when he took over IMHO I think the boy done good, lets get behind Dougie and the boys instead of whinging all the bloody time, he's a good manager, 100 times better than Coyle was and I suspect there won't be too many on here wishing we still had Sammy Lee or Megson still at the helm ??

[YtarmyYtarmy]

He hasn't got a point. He might have if he'd not defended Coyle, even this season, but he can't criticise people who wanted Coyle out for the mess we were in, then come back and bemoan a manager who has done significantly and factually unarguably better. That just nonsense of the highest order. And an indefensible, load of bollocks.

I think we finished top of the table in 2013. Yes it took a while to turn the ship around, but feck it the mess left was huge. I think anyone with any sense can see that. It's also clear that what was left behind was not full of brilliant players. There are massive gaps in the squad that could not possibly be plugged in one season.

If we'd have had Dougie for the season with his record we'd have been 5th. And that's not allowing for an increase in points due to him having longer to turn things round.

But I'd take that over the relegation battle Coyle was taking us to.

There is a big close season coming up. I don't think next season will be easy, in fact given how much we have to do it might be harder than this. But frankly I'd rather go into that with a young, fresh, intelligent manager who has shown he knows what is needed to turn us round, than McCarthy who would have been a short term solution to a longer problem.

Here Here !! Totally agree

[TANGODANCER]

Problem is if you don't toe the popular line on here you can get treated like a pariah.

You mean like you treating me like a pariah for liking Kevin Davies? Shame on you sir.

[Worthy4England]

Problem is if you don't toe the popular line on here you can get treated like a pariah.

You mean like you treating me like a pariah for liking Kevin Davies? Shame on you sir.

Who'd have thowt it...

[LeverEnd]

Once again he has a point.

Problem is if you don't toe the popular line on here you can get treated like a pariah.

Freedman's made some very strange decisions - I'll add Brighton to the 2 BL3 mentioned, plus the age it took to drop you know who when it was obvious to many we needed a change.

Perhaps he'll turn out good - too early to tell for me.

He might have a point about yesterday, but it's too easy to be negative all the time and then give it the big 'I told you so'. Dougie won't get everything right but we're on an upward curve.
To disappear during what was an amazing turnaround in form and fortunes and then gloat when your team comes up just short is quite frankly sad and pathetic.

[bobo the clown]

Maybe we should start an I'm a pariah thread, so all the poor lambs with wacky notions can all post on it.

BL3 is entitled to his opinion, others are entitled to disagree with it. That's the way of the world. If you can't convince folk to agree with you, they won't. Fairly simple. Don't understand why that's a problem. It is noticeable, that when it looked like we were getting better (and we did get better), that the post count dropped to zero, only to wum his way back when we didn't quite make it.

I don't have a problem with contrary views ... I hold quite a few myself ... I have some serious concerns over Dougie's flip-flopping at times and his attempt to be the new George Graham with a defence like ours is a worry. I just take issue with someone going missing while it went well and being on here like greased lightening the moment it's over.

Stand up & be counted.

[plymouth wanderer]

Problem is if you don't toe the popular line on here you can get treated like a pariah.

You mean like you treating me like a pariah for liking Kevin Davies? Shame on you sir.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

So BL3 goes missing when things go reasonably well. The second it goes tits up he's back You're like the pissed up bloke sat in the corner with only one thing to say that repeats it again and again to anyone that will listen. Take your head out of your arse, stop wallowing in your own misery and enjoy the summer with a tiny bit of hope in your heart. Who knows, it might do you some good. You might even get laid

[plymouth wanderer]

Maybe we should start an I'm a pariah thread, so all the poor lambs with wacky notions can all post on it.

BL3 is entitled to his opinion, others are entitled to disagree with it. That's the way of the world. If you can't convince folk to agree with you, they won't. Fairly simple. Don't understand why that's a problem. It is noticeable, that when it looked like we were getting better (and we did get better), that the post count dropped to zero, only to wum his way back when we didn't quite make it.

I don't have a problem with contrary views ... I hold quite a few myself ... I have some serious concerns over Dougie's flip-flopping at times and his attempt to be the new George Graham with a defence like ours is a worry. I just take issue with someone going missing while it went well and being on here like greased lightening the moment it's over.

Stand up & be counted.

Fvcking A!!

[89bwfc89]

It's rubbish being a Bolton fan at times but get behind your team through thick and thin or feck off and support Ipswich. You begrudge your team for doing well and come back on here to say I told you so. You're the plum around here.

In Dougie we trust. DFSWA. #dougiecool

BOLTON TIL I DIE.

[Worthy4England]

Maybe we should start an I'm a pariah thread, so all the poor lambs with wacky notions can all post on it.

BL3 is entitled to his opinion, others are entitled to disagree with it. That's the way of the world. If you can't convince folk to agree with you, they won't. Fairly simple. Don't understand why that's a problem. It is noticeable, that when it looked like we were getting better (and we did get better), that the post count dropped to zero, only to wum his way back when we didn't quite make it.

I don't have a problem with contrary views ... I hold quite a few myself ... I have some serious concerns over Dougie's flip-flopping at times and his attempt to be the new George Graham with a defence like ours is a worry. I just take issue with someone going missing while it went well and being on here like greased lightening the moment it's over.

Stand up & be counted.

Indeed, I'm sure we all hold views that others disagree with. To suggest that it's somehow unfair, that the rest of the world might conceivably disagree with some of the wackier ones is just laughable. Generally if most folk on a forum think you're talking bollocks, they're likely to point it out. If you xan't hack that, then save yerself the trouble.

I don't actually see a big Dougie love-in. I see plenty of relief that he took over from the last clown and improved us. He made some mistakes along the way, but after the best part of one and two thirds seasons of downwards trend, we've seen some upward trend. For now I'll buy-in to that.