Hail the conquering heroes come.......Bolton V Hull, 3-0'clock Sat 27th Oct.

[Martin_Cruise]

And that's the first time Bolton have been shit enough to lose at home to Hull City since 1935.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Kenny boy's got a big decision to make.

Sometimes these decisions are made by timing. Despite the fact they were only two points above us at lunchtime, most folks would see a trip to Villa as a free shot to nothing. That's our only game in a fortnight (we host Swansea a fortnight today) so if he's going to put his threatening words into action, now's as good a time as any.

Personally, I don't think Parkinson deserves the sack but I can see why others would want change, and the lowest crowd of the season might influence Ken more than most.

If he's not going to sack him, he needs to back him, and clarify his comments.

[Peter Thompson]

Absolutely he has to go....but lets see if KA has the balls to do it.

Hull had lost their last 5 away games, and had loads of players out injured.

[Lost Leopard Spot]

We can't defend, can't pass, can't head, can't shoot, can't win. Ah, I get it now, we're rubbish...

Gone north this weekend, to Sconnie Botland.
Thanks for the commentary Tango, greatly appreciated despite what DSB said (yeh DSB I know you didn't say it wasn't appreciated, just not necessary, well it is for me right now)...

[truewhite15]

For the first time in years, I missed today's game. Been laid low with a tummy bug that requires me to stay no more than 5 yards from a bathroom at any one time.

From the sound of things, I had a better time today than those at the match...

[DJBlu]

A change brings with it time from the supporters. Keep PP and fans will be constantly on the players backs until they manage to fluke a win.

[officer_dibble]

Sadly I think he’s a goner. If you can’t find a way to score past that Hull team there isn’t much hope. 1 win in 11. Scoring less than half a goal game. They are the type of statistics that get you the sack.

He should have got an attacking coach in this summer - when the likes of Adkins, mclaren, Rowett are outthinking you the writings on the wal.

I’m genuinely gutted as he is a bloke with the best interests of the club at heart and he has put up with a lot of shit - he didn’t sack it off likeLennon, rolled his sleeves up and got on with it. Definitely will look back on him as a good manager - and these days it’s not often you can say that. He can go with his head held high - but we can’t continue to hope he turns it round - even when he does the next poor run of games always seems around the corner.

[Harry Genshaw]

That was reminiscent of the Blackburn game. They scored with their only chance. We huffed and puffed without ever looking like scoring.

I like Parky and think that what he achieved was remarkable but perhaps a change of face and approach is needed right now. A manager with good organisation skills can keep this squad up

[enrdentw]

‪Personally, for what he’s done in the past, we owe him the next two games. If they yield no points he has to go. He’s been notoriously streaky in the past. We owe him that little bit of extra time. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if he goes. ‬

[Peter Thompson]

‪Personally, for what he’s done in the past, we owe him the next two games. If they yield no points he has to go. He’s been notoriously streaky in the past. We owe him that little bit of extra time. On the other hand, I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed if he goes. ‬

To be honest we don't owe him anything....

[officer_dibble]

We might owe him a months pay, or a bonus. You know what Ken is like!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We might owe him a months pay, or a bonus. You know what Ken is like!

Aye, I do know what Ken is like, and I bet he's not enjoying the idea of paying off Parky, Steve Parkin, Nick Allamby, Tim Breacker, Lee Butler and possibly more. Although I guess he'd just sack Parky and wait for the others to resign, to save himself some wedge.

Not saying that's a good reason not to change, but I bet it crosses his mind.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Post-match Parky, per https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/1 ... eculation/

I don’t think there is a decision to make. But I am cool, whatever. I worked very, very hard, committed a lot of time and effort getting this club back up and running again, and even this season the problems I’ve had to face – I don’t come out in the press and document them week in, week out. I keep my counsel. I am absolutely delighted with the job I have done at this football club, I really am.

Obviously I am hurting because when you get beat you take it personally. What will be, will be. But me and my staff have done a wonderful job and hopefully will continue to do so.

When I came into the club people asked why I was taking it. They said it was going to be like Portsmouth, drop right through the divisions. We got promotion, we stayed up last year when by rights by Christmas we should have been dead and buried with everything that has gone on at the club. It was an incredible achievement.

This year we have still got a better points total than we had at this stage last season. I think we’re nine points better off and we’ve lost some key players. We’re actually over-achieving in this division in terms of resources but we know we’re on an indifferent run. We just need a goal to spark us off.

At the moment it isn’t happening. As a manager when you are not winning games the pressure is on you. But overall, what I have done for the club, I deserve a lot of respect from everybody connected with the club.

On today:

We changed the shape and the lads adapted well. We had enough chances to get something from the game but we can’t keep missing the target like we’re doing. We had 16 attempts, three hit the target, but were they good saves? Probably not. Some of the approach play was very good again but you can see the confidence levels are low. The belief when we are in that we are going to score is not there. We have to find it from somewhere.

The lads showed great bravery. There has been a lot of negativity around, which is understandable, but even at 1-0 down we kept passing the ball around. They worked on the shape we’d implemented in training and there were some good individual performances out there on the pitch.

But we need someone to take a chance to give everyone a lift and it looks like a team who’s desperate to produce a moment out of nothing to let the confidence come flooding back. It’s evident for all to see.

[officer_dibble]

We might owe him a months pay, or a bonus. You know what Ken is like!

Aye, I do know what Ken is like, and I bet he's not enjoying the idea of paying off Parky, Steve Parkin, Nick Allamby, Tim Breacker, Lee Butler and possibly more. Although I guess he'd just sack Parky and wait for the others to resign, to save himself some wedge.

Not saying that's a good reason not to change, but I bet it crosses his mind.

And then employing Big Mick, plus his team of people...I suspect mid season appointments are in a decent negotiation position.

A lot could depend on the club sale - strikes me as the kind of bloke who would roll the dice if staying in the championship makes a difference to the sale (and it must do).

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

We might owe him a months pay, or a bonus. You know what Ken is like!

Aye, I do know what Ken is like, and I bet he's not enjoying the idea of paying off Parky, Steve Parkin, Nick Allamby, Tim Breacker, Lee Butler and possibly more. Although I guess he'd just sack Parky and wait for the others to resign, to save himself some wedge.

Not saying that's a good reason not to change, but I bet it crosses his mind.

And then employing Big Mick, plus his team of people...I suspect mid season appointments are in a decent negotiation position.

A lot could depend on the club sale - strikes me as the kind of bloke who would roll the dice if staying in the championship makes a difference to the sale (and it must do).

Aye.
All gone a bit quiet on the club sale hasn't it?
And what if the new owner had their own managerial staff in mind? Do we pay off MickMac's merry men too? Mind you, by then we'll all be pissing in gold bogs....

[officer_dibble]

Saying we are better off points wise than this time last season

That is top straw clutchery right there

If we finish with last seasons points tally we’ll be down Phil.

[Peter Thompson]

Parkinson has to go now, simple as....there is no way back for Parkinson after Weds & today.

If KA doesn't pot him it will get like it did under Megson, it will be toxic - the fans are starting to turn on him very quickly and it will only get worse because we aren't winning any games anytime soon.

It would just be delaying the inevitable....he sounds like a broken man who knows his days are numbered - he can't turn this around and we cant afford to go down with a potential sale of the club

[officer_dibble]

Ken won’t give a feck who a new owner wants in charge, he won’t be paying.

If the sales a real possibility I think he’ll gamble. If not, I’m not sure.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

More Parky quotes, this time via the club site. https://www.bwfc.co.uk/news/2018/octobe ... hull-city/

On his assessment of the game…

We’ve had enough chances to get something from the game today. I thought the lads adapted well to the system, as we made a lot of changes. We obviously worked on playing that way during the international break and revisited it yesterday in training.

Some of the approach play was good, as we’ve had more chances today than we’ve had for a lot of weeks. But as everybody knows, it is about taking those opportunities and we needed someone to put it in the back of the net. In reality and on the balance of the game, possession and chances created, it probably should have been a 2/3-1 win for us. But you can see confidence levels are low which is inevitable after getting beat on Wednesday and the criticism that comes with it.

I really thought the lads showed great bravery, in terms of going a goal down at home and we know it was scrappy goal, but we kept playing and trying to implement the way we needed to play today to break Hull down. We got in some good positions but at the very least, we have to make the goalkeeper come off the pitch and say he has to be fantastic. We missed too many simple chances.

On potentially missing a bit of luck…

I don’t think it is luck, but I would like a bit of that as well, I just think we can do better. We’ve got better quality players in and around that final third, that when the opportunities came to make the goalkeeper work, we didn’t do that today. They don’t miss chances on purpose, but you can see that there is a lack of confidence which is inevitable when you are on a bad run.

But, we are ahead of where we were last season and over-achieving to be in this position. We know we’re on a difficult run and we need to dig ourselves out of it. We need to working for each other [sic].

The lads are a terrific group of players, who are a joy to work with. There was nobody who hid out there on the football pitch today. Everybody kept showing for the ball and trying to do the right things. Were we always great and decision making spot on? Probably not but there was nobody hiding. For that, I am very proud of them.

On Erhun Oztumer being an example of not hiding away…

With Ozzy, it didn’t go well for him in front of goal but he kept showing for the ball. He typified what I just said and with him, we know his has that quality in front of goal. He has a record of scoring goals and we see it every day in training. Credit to him because he didn’t let his head drop and kept going out there. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be but on another day, he could have had a hattrick.

On some positive individual performances…

I thought the body language of the players, in terms of when the chips are down which they are, was excellent. The crowd were good I thought, getting behind the lads even when they scored, they stayed with us. I thought Doidgey and Clayton worked well together, as well as Joe Williams probably having one of his best games. There were some other good performances around the pitch. But, football is about taking your chances when they come and we didn’t do that today.

On focus turning to Aston Villa on Friday…

We just have to regroup and it’ll turn. We had a terrible start last year and we found a way to turn it around and get ourselves going. This is probably our worst run since then, although we had some tough times last year.

Like I always said and in my first press conference at this club, that what is important is that everybody at Bolton stays together. Everybody at the club, who works for them or supports them, needs to stick together because that is the only way. We’re not a club who has great resources and are going to compete with the top clubs in this division. But what we have got, is a mentality that we stick together and that is exactly what we have done.

I am very proud of the lads today, as it is very difficult playing when you have had a bad defeat and face criticism when you’re 1-0 down at home. We stuck at it and kept going to the end.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Ken won’t give a feck who a new owner wants in charge, he won’t be paying.

If the sales a real possibility I think he’ll gamble. If not, I’m not sure.

Yeah but the new owner will be bothered, because you're essentially adding to the overheads - so that in itself would affect the sale.

Is Parky still on a rolling one-year contract? Would MickMac (etc) be?