Happy Anniversary .... now get a job you idle b'stard

[bobo the clown]

On 29th December 2009, exactly a year ago today, Bolton played bottom-of-the-table Hull and took a deserved 2-0 lead,

The tactics changed as the team looked to hold onto this lead and, inevitably we were pulled back to 2-1. On around 75m our manager, Gary Megson decided to shore up our defence by withdrawing Ivan Klasnic and replace him with Gavin McCann.

I have, honestly, never heard such a cacophony from the home fans. The decision was booed from all sides, by people of all ages and previous opinions about the man .... and it was not McCann that was being booed.

I looked up at where Eddie Davies and Phil Gartside were sitting. They both shifted in their seats, held their chins in their hands and gave each other a small, but clear, look. Megson was history. Whether Hull equalised or even if we went on to score again, really didn't matter. The faintest hold he still had on his position was ended the moment he decided on that change.

Hull did equalise, of course and we were firmly in the botton three with them.

The next morning, according to later reports, Megson got a call from Gartside asking him to stay away from training that day but arrange to meet with him to discuss severance arrangements. The ginger tosspot then began a round of media sessions in which he whinged to all & sundry and, you will recall, all & sundry agreed that he'd been badly treated. There were plenty of people saying how wrong the club was back 12m ago. Let some of those employ him.

Subsequent interviews showed that the manager was on a 12m rolling contract so was due to be paid for the coming 12m. He was not paid 12m up-front, but was put on 12m notice and paid monthly. That, I assume, ends on 31 December. From New Years Day he'll have to get his own gardner and find work of his own. I understand there are a few vacancies.

12m later, with a somewhat more attractive playing style and a slightly higher points total and league position the atmosphere in the club could not be more different.

What a difference a year makes.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Does that mean no more gardening leave payments?????

[seanworth]

Not much need for gardners in January anyhooo

[Eire_Trotter]

Title of the thread say's it all .

[Mar]

Megson could've got a job by now but I doubt he'd've been paid more than we have been paying him. Judging from all the baying from the fans and the amount of desire to have him ousted from the team it looks like a good job for Megson will be hard to come by. A championship team will no doubt be likely to take a punt but judging from our reaction, Leicester City's reaction and the reaction of Nottingham Forest it looks like no set of fans will be safe from his effects.

Hopefully Megson will learn the err of his ways and start building a few bridges with fans. I sincerely doubt it though.

[Wandering Willy]

FOM.

Tonight would be a great night to show how far we have come.

COYWM.

[bobo the clown]

Megson could've got a job by now but I doubt he'd've been paid more than we have been paying him.

Well, it's not like I'm privy to the contract details,l but from what has been said it's clear that, had he taken up alternative employment he'd have forgone our continuing payments to him.

As said here, he presumably would have struggled to get more than we were paying him.

He seemed to see that as us "preventing" him taking other work. No. Just that he'd have stopped being paid by us.

Git (him .... not you !!)

[Lofthouse Lower]

£150,000 per month for a year is not a bad deal for such a talentless shit.

[Choppers]

I love how everyone agrees he was a bit hard done by but nobody has re-employed him or even suggested him for another job yet.

The man had an eye for a player and nothing more. Always treated the fans of the club as an inconvenience rather than something worth treasuring.

One name sums up the difference between during Megson and after Megson : Elmander.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Only if that player wasn't Shittu. Or Riga.

[boltonboris]

£150,000 per month for a year is not a bad deal for such a talentless shit.

How so? £1.8 Million per year?

[Choppers]

Only if that player wasn't Shittu. Or Riga.

Yeah, because no manager has ever signed a few duds.

Lets not forget who purchased most of the team we are so enjoying watching right now.

Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Mark Davies, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander, Klasnic, Chung-Yong.

All Megson signings.

I'm not going to defend him, but lets not act c*nts here about his eye for a player.

[H. Pedersen]

It's very interesting to compare the game that got Megson sacked to the game we just won against West Brom. Up by a goal against a promoted team and under pressure. Megson takes off a striker for a defensive midfielder and pisses away two points. Coyle takes off a defensive midfielder for an attacking midfielder and we score.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Brian Laws just sacked. Perfect timing for Meggo to return

[boltonboris]

Only if that player wasn't Shittu. Or Riga.

Yeah, because no manager has ever signed a few duds.

Lets not forget who purchased most of the team we are so enjoying watching right now.

Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Mark Davies, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander, Klasnic, Chung-Yong.

All Megson signings.

I'm not going to defend him, but lets not act c*nts here about his eye for a player.

Nobody can really question his signings.. Just how much he was willing to advise the board to pay them!

during the Sunderland game, did anybody hear Alan Smith givce Megson credit for where we are now?

"8 of these players were Megson signing, so credit where it's due"

Erm.. The team that was 19th at the time, but are now 6th (5th at the time).. I'll give Coyle credit for this team thanks!

[boltonboris]

Brian Laws just sacked. Perfect timing for Meggo to return

What a beautiful twist of fate that would be!

[Lofthouse Lower]

Only if that player wasn't Shittu. Or Riga.

Yeah, because no manager has ever signed a few duds.

Lets not forget who purchased most of the team we are so enjoying watching right now.

Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Mark Davies, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander, Klasnic, Chung-Yong.

All Megson signings.

I'm not going to defend him, but lets not act c*nts here about his eye for a player.

Nobody can really question his signings.. Just how much he was willing to advise the board to pay them!

during the Sunderland game, did anybody hear Alan Smith givce Megson credit for where we are now?

"8 of these players were Megson signing, so credit where it's due"

Erm.. The team that was 19th at the time, but are now 6th (5th at the time).. I'll give Coyle credit for this team thanks!

Have a read of the Les Padfield book, Choppers - it states that Megson himself decried Shittu as a bad'un, before pitching up and giving him a beefy three year deal.

[H. Pedersen]

Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson, Mark Davies, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander, Klasnic, Chung-Yong.

. . .

I'm not going to defend him, but lets not act c*nts here about his eye for a player.

It's easy to have an eye for a player when you have more money to spend than any previous Bolton manager could have dreamed of.

[H. Pedersen]

Have a read of the Les Padfield book, Choppers - it states that Megson himself decried Shittu as a bad'un, before pitching up and giving him a beefy three year deal.

Can you explain that a bit more EL?

[Lofthouse Lower]

The book is at home, I'll dig it out later and quote directly, but Padfield describes how he rated Shittu as no better than a pub player, and Megson agreed, and then expresses his shock when he signs him up anyway