Reasons to be cheerful. At home to Cambridge Sat 18th Jan 3'clock.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Businesses are concerned with repeat business. They will worry if the evidence is that the customer base is dwindling.

Season tickets are obviously hugely important, because they're money in the bank but also figures for the sales team to trumpet at potential matchday advertisers/suppliers. But matchday attendances will also be carefully monitored internally, including the actual number of people in the ground, because absent ST holders don't buy lager, pies, merchandise etc. I'm not privy to the figures but given how much early-bird STs are incentivised (ie cheap), that matchday difference may be more important than we think.

Speaking of merch, I wonder how the sales are at the modern Happy Shop. Can't imagine as many shirts being bought and names being printed as the last two-to-four seasons. This will all be noticed.

[boltonboris]

Which could then bring us all the way back to.. With income reducing, do we have the juice to give the manager and his staff the best part of a million English Shekels to flick em off

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Which could then bring us all the way back to.. With income reducing, do we have the juice to give the manager and his staff the best part of a million English Shekels to flick em off

True, but that is subject to an ongoing and ever-changing cost/benefit analysis. As soon as it looks like we can't even belly-flop over the line into the playoffs under Evatt, then the board might wonder whether another manager might have a better chance – and therefore whether it's worth paying the extra few months' severance to do so. There's a reason Evatt is banging on about there 'only' being a three-point gap.

Then again he's very clearly setting out his stall that he wants to be judged at the end of the season, so maybejustmaybe he would (or has agreed to?) resign in summer if we stay down – or at least agree a payoff that is less than 100% of the rest of his contract (which is to June 2026). Of course, his staff may not wish to do the same, and that would very much be their prerogative legally and ethically, although they won't be on the same wage level.

In other words, it's the old "can we afford NOT to?" <slams boardroom table>

[boltonboris]

My personal opinion is, that if we sacked him today with full severance, he'd be popping open a bottle of bubbly. In the meantime, the suspense and the ire from the supporters is killing him and his ego and he's struggling to handle it all emotionally

All the gusto about being great and so close to the playoffs, is self preservation designed to show future employers that he's capable, rather than Bolton fans.

For every "we're only 3 points off 6th", there is a "I don't know what to do"

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

My personal opinion is, that if we sacked him today with full severance, he'd be popping open a bottle of bubbly. In the meantime, the suspense and the ire from the supporters is killing him and his ego and he's struggling to handle it all emotionally

All the gusto about being great and so close to the playoffs, is self preservation designed to show future employers that he's capable, rather than Bolton fans.

For every "we're only 3 points off 6th", there is a "I don't know what to do"

Oh for sure. When you're asked in a job interview for your weaknesses you don't say "my shit stinks and I have a barely-hidden murderous streak"

Finances apart, I think part of him would hate to be sacked - he'll think he can fix this is the universe would only listen

if you want to be loved, don't be a manager - of a football team or a corner shop

[BWFC_Insane]

My personal opinion is, that if we sacked him today with full severance, he'd be popping open a bottle of bubbly. In the meantime, the suspense and the ire from the supporters is killing him and his ego and he's struggling to handle it all emotionally

All the gusto about being great and so close to the playoffs, is self preservation designed to show future employers that he's capable, rather than Bolton fans.

For every "we're only 3 points off 6th", there is a "I don't know what to do"

Nailed it. 100% this. He’s not bothered about Bolton or the fans. He knows he’s flushed his career down the toilet and failed to get out after Oxford which was clearly when he should have walked and got a new job elsewhere.

He’s now as you say simply trying to make his case to prospective employers as he knows his reputation in and out of the game is much lower than it was.

Nearly 5 years ago he said he would be a premiership manager in 5 years. I’m pretty confident he won’t be a premiership manager in another 5 years let alone the next twelve months. As deluded as he appears I think that’s a front and behind it is a very scared man who lacks real belief and confidence. People who genuinely are confident in their own abilities don’t tend to keep saying ‘I’m totally confident in my own abilities and and strong minded’ as though they are desperately trying to convince themselves.