Freedman out!

[bobo the clown]

Isn't there another two week break in the calendar soon? I feel Freedman has to get maximum points before them or he'll be moved on. Would be sad to see him moved on but the job might be a bit big for him at this moment of his career. Maybe a Warnock/O'Neill type, albeit not the most un-inspiring, could give us a good jolt in the arm short term.

Warnock ?

Fck. I'd rather have Megson back.

[Harry Genshaw]

I'm happy to give Freedman a bit longer yet but God, I'd prefer Warnock over Pulis anyday

[wanderers_on_tour]

Isn't there another two week break in the calendar soon? I feel Freedman has to get maximum points before them or he'll be moved on. Would be sad to see him moved on but the job might be a bit big for him at this moment of his career. Maybe a Warnock/O'Neill type, albeit not the most un-inspiring, could give us a good jolt in the arm short term.

Warnock ?

Fck. I'd rather have Megson back.

You not think he's exactly the sort of 'me against the world' character our players need to give them a bit of fight and bottle about them?

I admit the football wouldn't be of the best quality and his reputation after promoting teams isn't ideal but its pick your poison time

[bobo the clown]

Isn't there another two week break in the calendar soon? I feel Freedman has to get maximum points before them or he'll be moved on. Would be sad to see him moved on but the job might be a bit big for him at this moment of his career. Maybe a Warnock/O'Neill type, albeit not the most un-inspiring, could give us a good jolt in the arm short term.

Warnock ?

Fck. I'd rather have Megson back.

You not think he's exactly the sort of 'me against the world' character our players need to give them a bit of fight and bottle about them?

I admit the football wouldn't be of the best quality and his reputation after promoting teams isn't ideal but its pick your poison time

He's a c^nt

[cmbfc_90]

Nigel Clough?

[SmokinFrazier]

Whilst I agree that results and some of Dougie's decisions are not good enough, and Dougie rightly should be getting stick for it. I do think some folk on here are letting the players off the hook. Dougie might piss about with the line-up too much and I do question what they are doing on the training ground, but these are professional footballers. They have trained under various managers since the age of 8 or 9. There is little Dougie can do to make them forget how to pass a ball properly, or shoot on target and defensive basics. Every single one of our players absolutely should be capable of all of that instinctively. Listening to commentary and the few games on streams it is obvious that a number of the players are coasting. Those players are already out of here, have no intention of signing new contracts. No commitment. We can sack Dougie, but I doubt it would make any difference with those players. Drop them and play anyone that does want to play. Even if they are so called inferior players. If Dougie does this and stops tinkering with the line-up every game I reckon results will improve a lot.

This is a good post and I certainly agree that the players have been underperforming. Mistakes like todays goal can't be pinned on Freedman, of course, but they only happen because of a general poor atmosphere and lack of confidence within the club, so whilst they're not a cause of the poor results, they certainly make matters worse. Every player who you think of when you think about individual mistakes, whether it's poor tackles, bad passes or off-target shots, are all capable of doing those things properly but right now, it just isn't working. It's not because the players aren't good enough to do those things, because they obviously are, but it's just a side-effect of such bad form which itself causes low confidence, which then triggers individual mistakes. You look at a club like Real Madrid or Manchester United today and the same thing is evident. Players who shouldn't be making simple mistakes are doing.

It's hard to break that cycle but that's not to excuse the mistakes Freedman has made.

Our good form last season started when we adopted the 4-4-2 formation and ended when Freedman idiotically decided to change it with a few games to go. He's started this season continuously playing 4-5-1, despite all the evidence pointing to it simply not working. When Freedman came to Bolton, he chose to play 4-5-1 and it didn't work and any time he's reverted to it, it's not worked then either yet he continues to refuse to play 2 strikers. Why? That's pig headed bullsh*t from a manager who is incapable of bending to suit what is best for the team. Why has Freedman not sorted out our defence and make it harder for the opposition to fire off shots at us? Why does he insist on playing N'Gog as a lone striker when that role should always be given to a goalscorer, which N'Gog clearly isn't?

It's fine to blame the players for their individual mistakes, however, Freedman deserves blame for the dire results which have lead to this collapse in confidence.

[adamworthy2002]

We looked alot better today, defence played well and if it weren't for the Bogdan mistake we'd have had a clean sheet.

We're liking a striker, the amount of chances we waste in every game because none of our strikers can shoot.

9 Games in, our top scorer is a defender with 3 and none of our strikers have scored.

[Prufrock]

Whilst I agree that results and some of Dougie's decisions are not good enough, and Dougie rightly should be getting stick for it. I do think some folk on here are letting the players off the hook. Dougie might piss about with the line-up too much and I do question what they are doing on the training ground, but these are professional footballers. They have trained under various managers since the age of 8 or 9. There is little Dougie can do to make them forget how to pass a ball properly, or shoot on target and defensive basics. Every single one of our players absolutely should be capable of all of that instinctively. Listening to commentary and the few games on streams it is obvious that a number of the players are coasting. Those players are already out of here, have no intention of signing new contracts. No commitment. We can sack Dougie, but I doubt it would make any difference with those players. Drop them and play anyone that does want to play. Even if they are so called inferior players. If Dougie does this and stops tinkering with the line-up every game I reckon results will improve a lot.

This is a good post and I certainly agree that the players have been underperforming. Mistakes like todays goal can't be pinned on Freedman, of course, but they only happen because of a general poor atmosphere and lack of confidence within the club, so whilst they're not a cause of the poor results, they certainly make matters worse. Every player who you think of when you think about individual mistakes, whether it's poor tackles, bad passes or off-target shots, are all capable of doing those things properly but right now, it just isn't working. It's not because the players aren't good enough to do those things, because they obviously are, but it's just a side-effect of such bad form which itself causes low confidence, which then triggers individual mistakes. You look at a club like Real Madrid or Manchester United today and the same thing is evident. Players who shouldn't be making simple mistakes are doing.

It's hard to break that cycle but that's not to excuse the mistakes Freedman has made.

Our good form last season started when we adopted the 4-4-2 formation and ended when Freedman idiotically decided to change it with a few games to go. He's started this season continuously playing 4-5-1, despite all the evidence pointing to it simply not working. When Freedman came to Bolton, he chose to play 4-5-1 and it didn't work and any time he's reverted to it, it's not worked then either yet he continues to refuse to play 2 strikers. Why? That's pig headed bullsh*t from a manager who is incapable of bending to suit what is best for the team. Why has Freedman not sorted out our defence and make it harder for the opposition to fire off shots at us? Why does he insist on playing N'Gog as a lone striker when that role should always be given to a goalscorer, which N'Gog clearly isn't?

It's fine to blame the players for their individual mistakes, however, Freedman deserves blame for the dire results which have lead to this collapse in confidence.

Coz they're all shit!

He should play none of them.

[a1]

I'm happy to give Freedman a bit longer yet but God, I'd prefer Warnock over Pulis anyday

dunno, pulis has seen a club promoted and kept them there.

warnock shits the bed in the prem.

plus warnock's a c*nt.

deanholden4life

[Sponge]

[rather pizz-wazzed, so accepting no responsibility for forthcoming spelling, grammar, or opinions]

Feck me, he's got to go hasn't he? I hate this football thing of sacking managers willy nilly, but, having avoided t'internt all day, having just seem the result and then Freedman's post-match interview--throughout the duration of which he looked on the edge of tears--I can't see any other option but "Freedman Out". I just can't believe the players are motivated to play for this man. He doesn'nt even seem to believe himself.

shit feck wank balls cock tit fanny we're fecked

[danardif1]

Hardly mental was it? He didn't start there. 1-0 down stick the big man up front isn't quite Ealges-Pratley-Mavies-Tuncay as a midfield 4 in the fecking Premiership.

Or constantly shunting Mavies wide. Or never playing anyone who can tackle.

As bad as we are, the proof in the pudding with Coyle is how his actually quite expensively assembled Wigan side is doing in this league right now... They've spent as much as QPR or at least in the same ballpark, haven't lost much (made £14m on McCarthy which is ridiculous) and they're still wank.

Not as wank as us mind... but still pretty bad for having the financial pull to bring decent Premier League players like Holt, Perch, McClean etc.

[Hoboh]

Ah well there are times you hate being right

[Bruce Rioja]

Why Freedman refuses to play 4-4-2 is beyond me, even though it worked for us last season and as soon as we adopted that formation, we went on our best run in years and since we've dropped it, we've barely won a game. How can Freedman not see what works and what doesn't?

In and amongst the regular diatribe a point lurks - and one that I've been asking myself. I can't understand for the life of me, unless he thinks that there are goals in our midfield set-up, why we're lining up with one up top, especially at home and especially against sides whose goal for the season is to hang on in there for dear life.

However, where Freedman baffled me the most today was at, and subsequently after substitution time. Firstly we see Beckford and Feeney ready to come on. 'Brilliant' thinks I and those around me - get Chungy off - we're going 4-4-2 and about fecking time too, though who's coming off for Feeney? I'll come back to that.

Just as the substitutions are about to be made Jay Spearing picks up a bang to the head and a nasty gash above an eye. On seeing this I expected Freedman to ditch the Feeney substitution until he has a better angle on how Spearing is, but no, he ploughs on with the substitutions regardless as to whether Spearing will be coming back on or not. That, I thought was poor. However, going back to the 4-4-2 that never was. I know I wasn't the only person left vexed beyond belief when he swapped Beckford and N'Gog one for one and kept the same formation. What was he hoping for here? Something other than more of the same? How?

So, next thing you know, Bogdan feck* up and we're one down, then comes the telling change in formation. We go 4-4-2 and stick Zat Knight up top. Now then, if Freedman recognises at that point that our best chance of scoring a goal is to go 4-4-2 then why aren't we playing 4-4-2 from the start every game? Or, at the very least, why didn't we go 4-4-2 as was expected at substitution time and player Beckford and N'Gog together? Anyone? As we know, and as SF reminds us, that's the formation that got us up the table last season, Craig Dawson aside. It's also the formation that he apologised for having ditched when he admitted fecking up by switching to 4-5-1 on the final game against Blackpool.

This is another of these things that everyone but young Douglas appears to be able to see.

Finally, there is no more desperate a sight than seeing your biggest player thrown up front by dint of nothing other than he is your biggest player, especially when that player has all the ball control of baggy underpants, ditching absolutely everything in recognition that 'nice person it up to the big lad' is our best 'tactic'.

I know that desperate times require desperate measures but never in my worst nightmares could I ever have dreamt up just how desperate we've become.

[jaffka]

I think it's because he worries about the opposition rather than concentrating on what we can do.

[Peter Thompson]

I think it's because he worries about the opposition rather than concentrating on what we can do.

If we played with the same passion & tempo from the start as we do when we go a goal down, we'd be fine.

But 'the apprentice' over complicates a simple game, he thinks he's managing in Italy in the 90's.

Anyhow has he been sacked yet ?

[Mar]

I know I wasn't the only person left vexed beyond belief when he swapped Beckford and N'Gog one for one and kept the same formation. What was he hoping for here? Something other than more of the same? How?

Give the guy some credit. It's old school mentality of building from the back. Getting a clean sheet and building from that area. His game plan (albeit negative) was working. The only let downs were in the most crucial of places. David N'Gog had chances to kill the game off in situations where he wasn't under a lot of pressure which he should've scored (blazing wide right for example). Even the defense was having a good game. A clean sheet was attainable. Changing N'Gog for goalscorer should've won the game but Beckford isn't scoring his one on ones either.

I thought we could've been a bit more attack minded in our setup (2 up top maybe) but it's irrelevant, the game plan was working for us. Mistakes at either end of the pitch cost us significantly. Dougie shouldn't be held accountable for the fact that Bogdan lets a simple chance in and Beckford can't put past a keeper one on one.

[bobo the clown]

I can see why, 1-0 down with 10 to go, you might take the attacking option ... and given that all subs have been made you have to chuck a lumox up front.


I just don't see why we wouldn't start the game with an attacking mentality instead of defensive ... at home ..
against Yeovil .... who play in green ffs.


I'm certain that playing N'Gog and Beckford together is pointless though. Largely because that involves N'Gog I think.

[jaffka]

If we are struggling to score against a team that is expected to be cannon fodder it hardly beckons well for when we play superior opposition.

[Peter Thompson]

I know I wasn't the only person left vexed beyond belief when he swapped Beckford and N'Gog one for one and kept the same formation. What was he hoping for here? Something other than more of the same? How?

Give the guy some credit. It's old school mentality of building from the back. Getting a clean sheet and building from that area. His game plan (albeit negative) was working. The only let downs were in the most crucial of places. David N'Gog had chances to kill the game off in situations where he wasn't under a lot of pressure which he should've scored (blazing wide right for example). Even the defense was having a good game. A clean sheet was attainable. Changing N'Gog for goalscorer should've won the game but Beckford isn't scoring his one on ones either.

I thought we could've been a bit more attack minded in our setup (2 up top maybe) but it's irrelevant, the game plan was working for us. Mistakes at either end of the pitch cost us significantly. Dougie shouldn't be held accountable for the fact that Bogdan lets a simple chance in and Beckford can't put past a keeper one on one.

1. What for ?, he deserves no credit because he's done nothing of note since Gartside agreed to double the funding of his schooling.

2. What game plan was working - his plan of getting a 0-0 at home to mighty Yeovil ?

[Prufrock]

Have you seen our strikers?! Why the feck anyone wants any of them playing is beyond me. Seems pretty obvious that our main (only?) goal threat is Eagles. Currently getting him as close to goal is our best option, and that really means playing him off a 1.

I don't think there's any problem with the shape, it's a mentality thing. Whether that's through confidence, or as others have suggested over-complication from the manager and a focus on a clean sheet first. I think there is a time and a place for that, but it's not at home to Yeovil.

That said, from the highlights and reports that I've seen, we created enough chances to have comfortably won the game.

I had a weird moment after playing yesterday when I came in from a post match faaag to find myself celebrating at a last-minute equaliser at home to Yeovil