Fans' forum this coming monday

[Bruce Rioja]

Cheers chaps. Any mention of the SKD episode?

Only in passing when discussin Stuart Holden signing a new deal. He said we had other senior players like Kevin who were sat down and talked to and that contracts were renewed not out of sentimentality but through what it was felt the player offered the club in the future.

Big theme overall from DF was that the club as a whole looks back far too much, fans included and he's trying to change that mentality.

Interesting - cheers. That's the impression I'm getting from a lot of what DF has to say, and fair play to him - it's not about where we've been.

[bobo the clown]

Except, as supporters, it IS about history and culture and memories mixed with some geographic stuff. The current squad and management have to deal with the here and now and not be sentimental ... but we are what we are via our history.

I take his point but fans will be broader thinking than that.

[Loyal White]

Re: the Nixon comments, my interpretation was that Nixon's obviously has some good contacts but he isn't being used as an unofficial spokesman for Dougie the way he was for Coyle. Dougie tried to stress that he wants to be in contact with us directly and not use a 3rd party.

I was very impressed with him, a lot of substance behind his answers. He obviously rates Brian Prestige really highly too. Also loved what Mark Leather was saying about winning edges and trying to improve the players by as little as 0.5% to try and get an edge on other teams.

[boltonboris]

BWFCi, were you the chap who asked about Nixon?

[BWFC_Insane]

BWFCi, were you the chap who asked about Nixon?

Nope. Didn't ask anything. Most questions I had were asked by others anyhow.

[boltonboris]

What would you have asked?

[BWFC_Insane]

What would you have asked?

Probably about whether he felt he was being given the money he felt he would get when he came here. But that seemed to have been covered. I doubt he would have fully answered that one anyhow. Didn't realise PG was there.

[Bruce Rioja]

Except, as supporters, it IS about history and culture and memories mixed with some geographic stuff. The current squad and management have to deal with the here and now and not be sentimental ... but we are what we are via our history.

I take his point but fans will be broader thinking than that.

Sorry, Bobo. What I meant is as far as DF is concerned.

[BWFC_Insane]

Except, as supporters, it IS about history and culture and memories mixed with some geographic stuff. The current squad and management have to deal with the here and now and not be sentimental ... but we are what we are via our history.

I take his point but fans will be broader thinking than that.

Sorry, Bobo. What I meant is as far as DF is concerned.

Yeah the thing about history was in response to a question about whether Dougie could repeat what Allardyce did. His answer was simply that with all respect to Sam and what he had achieved, he didn't want to. He wanted to do things differently with younger players, to create a club with a view to the way he thinks football is going rather than a nod to the past. He basically said when he came in he felt there was a lot of staff around the club, fans, players who looked back at how things "used to be" under previous managers, in previous years etc but not enough forward looking people.

Dougie has a vision that football is becoming younger, quicker more athletic and thats the sort of side he wants to create full of young players fulfilling potential. Clearly it's a long term project. He used the term "long term project" a lot. But that is what he wants.

I don't think he meant that people shouldn't look back on previous times with fond memories, more that people shouldn't say "Sam did this why aren't you?" but look to the future and how football is changing and developing.

It was an interesting vision. Clear and well explained. My only doubt (and this was picked up by someone in a question) is how long it takes to achieve that and whether we have the resources to do so. But DF again said that's the balance, between looking at that long term vision and achieving things in the short term.

[coffeymagic]

While I think I understand what he means about the past being behind us I totally understand why we all want the 'good times' back.

Bloody hell, if he thinks there's pressue at New Burnden Park to get the good times rolling what does he think it's like at Old Trafford just now?

The good old days are still very fresh in the memory, the club still eulogises about the 'White Hot Era' like it was Edmund Hillary conquering Everest in his Sherpa Van.

When I look at Pratley for the sake of an argument it's hard not to be taken back to a time when we had a World Cup Winner in midfield or when I see N'Gog passing to the opposition's goalie how we once had a bloke who'd won pretty much everything in every country he'd ever played in.

More Frogs at the 'Bok is clearly the answer!

Anyway, apart from that small gripe it sounds like he gave the right answers to the questions he was asked.

Did anyone ask him about the pre-season results/performances? Is he happy with the team's preparation? Did anyone ask him about his love of 1-0?

On the Zat Knight front I have to admit that as the season wore on I was impressed by Knight. He may have been starting from a low point initially but at the end I thought he was one of our most consistent players and always said what needed to be said when you saw him in the press or heard him on t'radio.

Not really surprised he's been made captain and am fairly happy for that to be the case.

Ah well...coywm I suppose.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

Zat Knight was certainly consistent from what I saw...

[Athers]

It's quite a turnaround for a man who was looking for a deal pretty much anywhere until we were the only ones who offered anything half decent.

Now he's club captain..!

[coffeymagic]

It's quite a turnaround for a man who was looking for a deal pretty much anywhere until we were the only ones who offered anything half decent.

Now he's club captain..!

Ladies and gentlemen I give you 'Football in a nutshell'.

see also Wayne Rooney, Robbie Kean, Geoff Thomas (ask your dad) and a million other players who suddenly decide to 'pledge their futures' to the club they love.

To be fair though who else could he give it to? Eagles? Wheater? Is it really that important?

[BWFC_Insane]

Few other things that I remembered from last night that may be of interest:-

Chelsea loan - As part of Cahill deal we have an informal agreement with Chelsea to loan one of their players. Dougie got a list from them but none of them were good enough. Still open offer and we have a "special relationship" with Chelsea so something good might come up in the future.

Fans booing - Dougie said that when he came he felt players were hiding because they didn't want to stand up and risk making mistakes on the pitch because of the negativity from the stands. He's tried to change players from doing that but also has appealed to fans and continues to do so, to stop booing and start supporting. Felt there was an air of negativity round the place that started to shift last season. Feels people need to accept where we are and be positive and back the team, because we have a lot of young players out there who struggle to cope with such negativity. NGog was cited as an example here, of how he needs encouragement to bring his talent out (Dougie really does love NGog by the way).

[bwfcdan94]

It's quite a turnaround for a man who was looking for a deal pretty much anywhere until we were the only ones who offered anything half decent.

Now he's club captain..!

Ladies and gentlemen I give you 'Football in a nutshell'.

see also Wayne Rooney, Robbie Keane, Geoff Thomas (ask your dad) and a million other players who suddenly decide to 'pledge their futures' to the club they love.

To be fair though who else could he give it to? Eagles? Wheater? Is it really that important?

[plymouth wanderer]

Few other things that I remembered from last night that may be of interest:-

Chelsea loan - As part of Cahill deal we have an informal agreement with Chelsea to loan one of their players. Dougie got a list from them but none of them were good enough. Still open offer and we have a "special relationship" with Chelsea so something good might come up in the future.

Fans booing - Dougie said that when he came he felt players were hiding because they didn't want to stand up and risk making mistakes on the pitch because of the negativity from the stands. He's tried to change players from doing that but also has appealed to fans and continues to do so, to stop booing and start supporting. Felt there was an air of negativity round the place that started to shift last season. Feels people need to accept where we are and be positive and back the team, because we have a lot of young players out there who struggle to cope with such negativity. NGog was cited as an example here, of how he needs encouragement to bring his talent out (Dougie really does love NGog by the way).

I've backed Ngog all the way through! Defintley a confidence issue IMO still the best striker we have

[coffeymagic]

N'Gog's a good instinctive finisher he's just not very good when he has time to think about what he's going to do.

That's why he's at Bolton.

See - Dougie, I'm accepting! I'm accepting!

[BWFC_Insane]

Dougie said that NGog's hero is Thierry Henry so he sometimes tries to finish like him rather than putting his foot through it. They are working on his finishing. From what Dougie said last night I get the impression he sees NGog as our "best" attacking player. Or certainly the one with the most ability and potential.

[boltonboris]

Definitely. He's a proper fan. Thinks he's best as a "number 10" though, or a "9 and a half" with the right partner.

He never mentioned Marvin once when he was talking about forwards. Methinks his time is up.

[Bruce Rioja]

Zat Knight was certainly consistent from what I saw...

Exactly. Who was it that he almost smacked one into the bottom corner for, close to the end of the season? Oh my giddy aunt.