Who's the Rioch to Evatt's Neal?

[Bertie Wooster]

Well done to Ms Brittan and the board, they took some stick for not getting rid of Evatt sooner - but they should be given huge credit for appointing Schumacher, it can't have been cheap paying Evatt and his mates off and now shelling out for SS and his staff, and he'll probably want a couple of players in by Monday night.

So once again well done SB and the board, investors etc.

[jmjhb]

An hour late but better than never

[GhostoftheBok]

An hour late but better than never

Hideously unreliable.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

An hour late but better than never

Thanks mate. Do take care.

[BWFC_Insane]

See he’s labelled as head coach. Which Evatt was initially appointed as but I’m sure was later changed to first team manager.

I wonder if there will be a director of football appointment in the future?

[nicholaldo]

jmjhb - the only source that matters.

SSWA

[TonyDomingos]

jmjhb - the only source that matters.

SSWA

SSSWA surely?!

[nicholaldo]

jmjhb - the only source that matters.

SSWA

SSSWA surely?!

Oh, aye.

SSSWA

[GhostoftheBok]

One of the great things is the clear energy difference between Evatt and Schumacher. Evatt had been here 4 1/2 years and had clearly been beaten down over the past year. Schumacher is so enthusiastic he can't even control his eyebrows. He looked like he was ready to take on the world.

Schumacher walks into a functional club with a really good squad and he brings with him what looks like a vast reserve of energy.

I hope we absolutely smash Reading on Saturday. Momentum could be huge for us.

[TANGODANCER]

It's official. Schumacher it is. https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/

[BWFC_Insane]

Yeah nobody knows if it will work here or not. You never know for sure with managers. But whilst they held onto Evatt too long, they have done the best I think that could be done in the circumstances with Schumacher. And you can only say in the end well done to Sharon and the hierarchy for doing it. All you can do is make the best decision. They’ve done that. Let’s just hope it works out as we all hope it does.

I like the cut of his jib so far, energy and hunger to win and achieve. Let’s hope it’s a good fit all round.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

See he’s labelled as head coach. Which Evatt was initially appointed as but I’m sure was later changed to first team manager.

I wonder if there will be a director of football appointment in the future?

Evatt changed from head coach to manager after Phoenix left. So it's interesting that we've gone back - but as I said, one of the boxes that Schumacher ticked was "has worked under a DoF type" - Dewsnip at Plymouth, Walters at Stoke. Let's hope he has more of a Dewsnip relationship with Markham than a Walters one - although Walters came in after Schuey, whereas Markham has been directly involved in hiring Schuey.

[brommers95]

Over the moon with this. It was an absolute no-brainer and has been for about three months. I was getting slightly nervous with it ‘dragging on’ that we were going to do something stupid and appoint someone not named Steven Schumacher.

Anyway happy days. Going to be a frantic few days in the transfer market and then we crack on and get promoted.

Steven Schumacher’s Super White Army

[Prufrock]

A new dawn has broken, has it not?

[GhostoftheBok]

Over the moon with this. It was an absolute no-brainer and has been for about three months. I was getting slightly nervous with it ‘dragging on’ that we were going to do something stupid and appoint someone not named Steven Schumacher.

Anyway happy days. Going to be a frantic few days in the transfer market and then we crack on and get promoted.

Steven Schumacher’s Super White Army

Nice to see you back on here, Brommers.

[GhostoftheBok]

A new dawn has broken, has it not?

By the time Evatt went he'd imploded. He'd spent the last year saying all the wrong things and the core group he'd promised promotion to no longer believed him.

Schumacher comes in fresh, obviously thrilled to be here and with the ability to say to the lads, "I can get you out of this division, because I've already done it." Furthermore, he can also say "Look at what I've done for players like Azaz and Whittaker. My staff and I can do that for you too."

That should be plenty of motivation for a lot of these lads. He can, with some credibility, say "You can trust me to deliver. Now show me I can trust you to deliver." I expect to see a reaction to that kind of challenge on Saturday, even if he will put it in a much more positive way.

Some of the lads won't do for him and we'll see some turnover in the summer, regardless of where we are. He's a good manager and they're good players, so we now have a good chance of getting out of this league in the next 18-30 months. Would love for that to be this season.

[Armchair Wanderer]

A new dawn has broken, has it not?

By the time Evatt went he'd imploded. He'd spent the last year saying all the wrong things and the core group he'd promised promotion to no longer believed him.

At times like these, simple folk like myself get a bit confused when all the players are seemingly upset he's gone and yet joyously happy to be winning at Huddersfield. I'd assumed that some players must've been unhappy (say, Dion) but I personally haven't heard of any discontent. That's an interesting take, one that I haven't personally read before. Makes sense. Feeling slightly less confused now.

Pragmatism sounds like the word. Pragmatism and four at the back, maybe.

[Worthy4England]

I think as Pru says, there correlation and causation....Spin it how you will!

[Harry Genshaw]

Happy with this news. Just feels right. Fair play to the board and Schumacher's people too - talk about keeping your cards close to your chest, no leaks and nowt given away had many thinking it might not be happening.

[Worthy4England]

Happy with this news. Just feels right. Fair play to the board and Schumacher's people too - talk about keeping your cards close to your chest, no leaks and nowt given away had many thinking it might not be happening.

I have to say, Harry, I'm not sure it was the worlds best kept secret and I doubt most thought it wasn't happening at some point, despite "normal shit that happens" that extends the timeline a bit. Just we're not close to the "hitch" so make our own demons, amplified by bullshit on the internet.