Which muppet can we appoint next?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

All fair points, to a greater or lesser extent. To wit:

I agree broadly with your criteria though I think someone who can drag the club up by the bootstraps is also important. By that I mean someone who can turn around a very alarming slide with some clever decisions but also a commanding personality. I don't think this is the place right now for a shy and retiring type.

Let's be honest and name a name: Ideally we'd want another Rioch but I'm not sure that kind of character either exists or will work with the modern footballer: I mean, Lennon was "passionate". Big Sam is a slightly different archetype – old-school hardness, modern methods; I think we'd be lucky to find another like him, and again I'm not entirely sure that type would work in our current circumstances.

As said, Wilder seems out the running. I don't particularly see the Hill stuff either, I don't think he'd be a terrible choice but I'd have considerable reservations based on what I've seen and heard from him.

Yeah, I understand that. And this brings me on to another point: I'm glad to hear Anderson talk about second interviews, because I think the recruitment process is often rushed, and I'd like to hear the opinions of other TW posters with experience in that line of work. I've done a lot of hiring; I realised on the way in this morning that I interviewed 9 of the 12 FourFourTwo editorial staff who aren't designers/video. Over the years I've come to realise that while aptitude is important, attitude is paramount: for each job there are very many people who could do it, but who will do it best? I'd say I've only made one bad appointment (a while ago, gone now) and that wasn't so much about ability as mindset. We fans can make educated guesses but DH/KA are the ones who will have to work with the new guy, will have to hand him the running of the football club (within business parameters), and will have to believe that he is a leader of men. A lot of that isn't in the CV, it's in the interpersonal ability.

To me we're ideally made for Brown, but he seems too expensive.

I still think it a likely outcome – perhaps the most likely – that Brown will agitate for a move and Southend will agree compensation. Iles has mentioned £500,000 but it's a business deal and the Shrimpers will know they have a man who wants to leave – they may well settle for say £250,000, which is four months' wage for Amos or Davies (assuming he's on the same - he might be on more). I know it's not a magic pot and that we're cutting wages because we can't afford them rather than because we want to spend it elsewhere, but if KA/DH think Brown is the man then it might make business sense to get their man.

Not sure on Sheridan really, but I suspect it is too soon for him to leave Oldham.

I understand that, and it's a bit of a flyer. But he seems to have had some success wherever he's been: taking Oldham to the D3 play-offs, Chesterfield to the D4 title (albeit back down again), Plymouth to their best position for eight years and then the play-offs, then leading Newport and Oldham out of the D4 and D3 drop zones. I know he's only just gone back to Oldham but with all respect to them (and Plymouth) I think there's much more potential at Bolton. I also note with perhaps too much interest that after Saturday's draw he expressed frustration at his players, who almost certainly don't have the same vision/ability he does. Might he fancy the chance of moving up?

I get frustrated with people doing the wrong things. If we do the simple things, we wouldn't have conceded the first goal. We're 30 yards from goal and end making the wrong pass which leads to a goal.

This could quite rapidly become a bit depressing because I agree with the above that a Nolan/Reid, Phillips/Reid combination is a terrible idea in our current predicament. We need a strong manager in there, one with experience. Not a rookie with a dinosaur as mentor. Phillips is a lovely bloke but entirely the opposite of what we need, which is cold, hard and calculating with a persona that brings the players with him. Nolan is simply a player in my eyes until he's been round the managerial block for a good few seasons somewhere else.

I couldn't agree more, with all of that.

[TANGODANCER]

Dear Dean machine manager and player choosing department..

Now that we are finally relegated, could we please have somebody with a vague understanding of the word "team" and what it entails for next season? This last season we've had a real liquorice Allsorts collection of beg, steal or borrow overpaid strangers ( most not even half good enough for this league), an impressive casualty department and, sadly, stupid situations where people like Ameobi who is actualy a decent front man and offering to play for free can't even be kept due to debt, and out of work blokes like Eidur Gudjonson get a second bite of the cherry via Bolton then take off elsewhere. We ended the season with a part team of youth club kids and the Wheater and Heskey pipe and slipper band. Okay, hopefully the debt part has been taken somewhat in hand, but please hire some labour who are prepared to work and earn their wages by effort and, dare I add, a result or two because of it? It might help if we get a manager known for earning his players respect by a mutual admiration situation rather than a pure sergeant-major of the Lennon ilk. Our season on the helter skelter slope has been total unhappiness from the off, so now we're on the coconut matting, at least let's be happy and start climbing back. Since we've lost everything, the term "nowt to lose" really sums us up. In that case, get us back winning please. Depite what fans may claim, even the most loyal will eventually drift away because constant losing attracts nobody. You know it makes sense... We are still the one and only Wanderers......

Thank you in anticipation.

[Enoch]

Having watched Southend v Oldham last night I know which of the respective managers I'd be courting.

Couple of the Oldham squad I wouldn't mind wandering over too. Fella name of Dieng was standout.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Having watched Southend v Oldham last night I know which of the respective managers I'd be courting.

Couple of the Oldham squad I wouldn't mind wandering over too. Fella name of Dieng was standout.

Did you go, fella? Tell us more...

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's not a reputable site; paying off two contracts seems odd; no idea why Flitcroft would want to revert to being a No.2; Iles says he's heard nothing about it. But hey, rumours is rumours.

Bolton to consider dream team

Relegated Bolton Wanderers are considering going for a home-town 'dream-team' in the shape of Keith Hill and David Flitcroft, HITC Sport understands.

Former Trotters assistant boss Phil Brown, and one-time Bolton captain Kevin Nolan - are leading the betting, along with Northampton Town boss Chris Wilder, as the club's new owners - who sacked Neil Lennon a few weeks ago - consider their options on who they want to be in charge at the Macron Stadium.

But new chief executive Dean Holdsworth wants to make sure his new management team can get them out of League One, which has drawn him to Hill and his former assistant Flitcroft, widely regarded as two of the most progressive young managers in England.

The duo worked together at Rochdale for six years before being appointed by Barnsley in 2011. Flitcroft then succeeded Hill as Barnsley boss in 2012 before he left in 2013.

Since then Hill has returned to Rochdale and turned them into League One promotion contenders, whilst Flitcroft has also performed very well by taking Bury to promotion from League Two last season.

Now Holdsworth is ready to make an approach for both - who interestingly are both Bolton born-and-bred - with the idea of them working together once again, despite the fact he would have to pay two lots of compensation.

[thebish]

I'd not be preparing any bedsheets if that happened...

[officer_dibble]

Cant see flitcroft being a number 2 again. It would piss bury fans off though (all 8 of them) so thumbs up from me.

[LeverEnd]

Cant see flitcroft being a number 2 again. It would piss bury fans off though (all 8 of them) so thumbs up from me.

I get the impression a lot would be glad to see the back of him. Could be wrong.
Same with Brown at Southend.

[TonyDomingos]

Cant see flitcroft being a number 2 again. It would piss bury fans off though (all 8 of them) so thumbs up from me.

I get the impression a lot would be glad to see the back of him. Could be wrong.
Same with Brown at Southend.

How many thumbs up would the 8 Bury fans manage between them? 24?

[BWFC_Insane]

According to the Bolton news Andy Townsend is assisting with the recruitment of a new manager. Andy Townsend.

Andy Townsend......

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

According to the Bolton news Andy Townsend is assisting with the recruitment of a new manager. Andy Townsend.

Andy Townsend......

Heskey, player manager

[Andy Waller]

According to the Bolton news Andy Townsend is assisting with the recruitment of a new manager. Andy Townsend.

Andy Townsend......

is he in a truck outside the ground?

[BWFC_Insane]

According to the Bolton news Andy Townsend is assisting with the recruitment of a new manager. Andy Townsend.

Andy Townsend......

is he in a truck outside the ground?

Probably. Perhaps I might go and ask him what his experience of managerial recruitment is. And what range of expertise he brings to the process.....

[Worthy4England]

According to the Bolton news Andy Townsend is assisting with the recruitment of a new manager. Andy Townsend.

Andy Townsend......

is he in a truck outside the ground?

Probably. Perhaps I might go and ask him what his experience of managerial recruitment is. And what range of expertise he brings to the process.....

[palekm08]

Uwe Rosler and Gary Bowyer seen at the club past two games. Who would you prefer to be hired? I'd prefer Rosler any day of the week. Despite his poor run at Leeds, he's an exceptional manager. And i think we need some German Discipline in our squad.

[BWFC_Insane]

Uwe Rosler and Gary Bowyer seen at the club past two games. Who would you prefer to be hired? I'd prefer Rosler any day of the week. Despite his poor run at Leeds, he's an exceptional manager. And i think we need some German Discipline in our squad.

Or his disastrous spell at Wigan?

His teams seemed to bottle it when in good positions too, for example, Brentford and Wigan. Then he went on a poor run at Wigan that led to their relegation.

I'm really not convinced he's any good.

[nelson66]

Would be much happier with Gary Bowyer than Rosler

[palekm08]

People do state that the reason Brentford are in the championship are because of him. Gary has worked well for blackburn, but not enough for me to want him of Uwe

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

This may be unfair, and I admit it's from a limited experience of him, but Gary Bowyer has always struck me as one of the least inspiring men in football. He's got a face like he's not sure whether his fart's wet.

Fair enough, he steadied the Rovers ship for a bit, and you could argue that we need something similar, but we're not in the business of avoiding relegation. We're looking for someone to rebuild the club, inspire the players, excite the fans. Maybe he can do it, but I'm not sure he'd cause the ticket-office phones to melt.

[BWFC_Insane]

People do state that the reason Brentford are in the championship are because of him. Gary has worked well for blackburn, but not enough for me to want him of Uwe

Aye, but he failed to take them up himself. Needed Warburton who incidentally is a far better manager than Rosler.

Then perhaps Wigan fans say he is the reason they got relegated.....