All But Gone, But Always A Wanderer...

[ohjimmyjimmy]

Great article, i like how the Bolton spirit & the Coyle way comes across, and i think Gaz will be genuinely gutted to leave such a good atmosphere because he knows for the sake of his career he has to move, if he wants to win trophies, albeit to a place less 'fun'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... eague.html

Gary Cahill: No disrespect towards Bolton, but I'm ready for the Champions League
By John Edwards
Last updated at 1:03 AM on 14th April 2011

EXCLUSIVE It will be the biggest moment of Gary Cahill’s club career when he steps out at Wembley on Sunday but bigger ones beckon on even bigger stages.
England’s most recent full debutant knows it and is relaxed enough to discuss it on the eve of Bolton’s FA Cup semi-final against Stoke after hearing it from no less an authority than his own manager, Owen Coyle.

Sensing he was not alone in appreciating Cahill’s true worth, Coyle responded to the inevitable interest from other clubs by declaring: ‘Gary Cahill will outgrow Bolton Wanderers and will leave with my blessing.’

Those clubs are currently ‘circling’, according to a Bolton insider and Sportsmail understands Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are the most likely to swoop at the end of the season.

‘That was some statement by the gaffer but it’s only what he told me in his office, before it ever appeared in print,’ said Cahill, whose emergence has also been closely monitored by Manchester United, Tottenham and both Milan clubs.

‘It’s a bit weird in a way. Normally when there is transfer speculation, the manager comes out and says, “They can forget it — he’s going nowhere”.

‘But the thing about our manager is he’s not only ambitious for himself and his club, he’s ambitious for his players. He wants them to have the same drive and desire to get to the top. He expects us all to want to better ourselves.

‘So when all the speculation started last summer, he called me in for a chat. He checked first of all that it hadn’t turned my head, then he came out with this statement about outgrowing the club one day.

‘He just said, “Gaz, if you were happy just to tick along at your age there would be something wrong. You’ve got it in you to play at Champions League level and I honestly believe it’s going to happen for you”.

‘It was lovely to hear that, really flattering, and what he said has made it easier for me to contemplate moving on and taking another step forward in my career. If there is an opportunity to do something big you want to take it.

‘Let’s be fair, if Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United next week and they asked our gaffer to take over he would jump at it. And no-one would blame him. That applies in football as it does in life.

‘I would never disrespect Bolton after all they have done for me but I am ready for the challenge. I still speak to Jack Wilshere after his loan spell here and when I watched him in the Nou Camp the other week I couldn’t help thinking, “That’s where I want to be: testing myself against the best”.

‘I know there is extra pressure to deliver and prove you’re worth a place alongside top players but I like to think I could handle that.

‘At 25, I’m still young but I’m not exactly the new kid on the block. I have played enough Premier League games and gained enough international experience to be ready. I thought Jack did really well over there in Barcelona. I want to show I can hold my own in that company.’

Coyle’s highly individual approach to motivating his players suggests he, too, could be destined for the top. When defender David Wheater was waiting to complete the formalities of his move from Middlesbrough, Coyle challenged him to a game of table tennis. A touch of the Brian Cloughs?

‘No, he just loves playing table tennis,’ laughed Cahill. ‘Anyone who will give him a game, he’s happy to take them on because he’s not bad and always fancies himself to win.

‘But it is an indication of how he has built up an unbelievable atmosphere at the club; the best I have ever known. Things are serious when need be but everything we do during the week is enjoyable.

‘I speak to some players who complain that their managers are always working on shape. Three or four times a week; it’s how they want the team set up but it’s a bit like being in the classroom again.

The sessions Owen puts on are ones everyone wants to do: short, sharp games to get your fitness up and lots of shooting and passing.

Everything we do is with a ball and it is all enjoyable. Everyone comes in with a smile on their face and it stays that way because he’s got some real characters among his staff.

‘When you’re having a laugh and a good time it lightens the mood in the build-up to a game. He’s even got his own way of keeping any pressure to a minimum on matchdays.

‘There is no marching round the dressing room telling you to ping diagonal balls to one flank or the other or setting you specific tasks. No drilling technical stuff into you.

‘The message couldn’t be simpler: I’ve picked you for the team because I know what you’re good at so just go out and do it. Once he has settled on his starting line-up he trusts you implicitly to concentrate solely on what you’re best at.

'It does sound simple but the best plans usually are. And it works brilliantly because we all thrive on having the freedom to go out and express ourselves.’

Patience finally brought its reward at international level when the Sheffield-born centre back made his first England start against Ghana at Wembley. ‘Someone pointed out that it was 22 months after my first squad call-up,’ he said. ‘It has been a long wait and there have been times when I travelled to places like Kazakhstan in the hope of a cap and wondered whether it would ever happen.

‘But I wasn’t going to give up on the dream and, if anything, all those near-misses made me even more hungry.

‘When the chance finally arrived and there was positive feedback from the coaching staff afterwards it all felt worthwhile.

‘You always want a challenge, to test yourself and I’m hoping the next one is just round the corner.’


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[Lofthouse Lower]

Don't like it how the manager calls him 'Gaz'.

He has been a brilliant signing, and I think Coyle has to be congratulated for that ( ), and it will be sad to see him leave but let's just hope it's for a barrow-load of cash or someone decent in exchange (Kaka?).

One of few Bolton players that leaves us with my blessing.....Anelka being the ONLY other.

[BL3]

‘There is no marching round the dressing room telling you to ping diagonal balls to one flank or the other or setting you specific tasks. No drilling technical stuff into you.'

Wonder who he was referring to there?

[HMX]

Certainly not Megson.

'Ping' is too delicate for his language.

[TKIZ!]

I'll be gutted when he leaves because he's been immense for us, I'd hate him to go to the Bindippers or ManUre, Arsenal I could just about stand.

It would have to be for 'market value' so £20m and Owen could 'rebuild'. Wheater has been a decent replacement but Cahill is probably the best 'ball playing' CB I've seen at Wanderers

[jetsetwilly]

This is sadly what BWFC needs to be about. Buy them young and hope that they improve and sell for a profit. If the debtis to be managed, this is what we must get used to.

I would hope that Owen would look to get a young prospect in to grow behind Knight and Wheater. Maybe buy one more, then use the rest to service the growing debt

[BWFC_Insane]

This is sadly what BWFC needs to be about. Buy them young and hope that they improve and sell for a profit. If the debtis to be managed, this is what we must get used to.

I would hope that Owen would look to get a young prospect in to grow behind Knight and Wheater. Maybe buy one more, then use the rest to service the growing debt

I agree in principle with this. But remember the debt is to Eddie Davies so he will decide how much is spent and saved etc.

I imagine Eddie will his his 5M stake back plus a nice bit of interest. Owen will get the rest to invest as he sees fit.

[malcd1]

This is sadly what BWFC needs to be about. Buy them young and hope that they improve and sell for a profit. If the debtis to be managed, this is what we must get used to.

I would hope that Owen would look to get a young prospect in to grow behind Knight and Wheater. Maybe buy one more, then use the rest to service the growing debt

Unfortunately Willy, I agree with you. The vast majority of this money should be used to reduce our debt, and reliance on one person or even a bank. No one knows how long Eddie Davies has left so what will his family do after his death?

[keveh]

Great article and it's pretty obvious he'll be going in the summer.

But like LL said, I would hold nothing against him as he's is destined for bigger things. We'd also be minted!

[Prufrock]

Don't like it how the manager calls him 'Gaz'.

He has been a brilliant signing, and I think Coyle has to be congratulated for that ( ), and it will be sad to see him leave but let's just hope it's for a barrow-load of cash or someone decent in exchange (Kaka?).

One of few Bolton players that leaves us with my blessing.....Anelka being the ONLY other.

Eidur, Jensen, and defo Franny in there for me too.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Not Jensen. He was shit and a wanker to boot

[Prufrock]

He definitely wasn't shit. No idea on the wanker front, but I thought he was in a similar position to Eidur and Franny that we really needed the pennies?

The only ones who have gone with my blessing that they are good enough for miles better things are Eidur and Anelka.

[truewhite15]

I think the question is "how many of our players have gone on to better and brighter things WITHOUT our blessing?"

I can think of only 2. Mark Fish, and Michael Ricketts. Although to be fair, Ricketts's bright lights turned out to be significantly dimmer than he thought...

[Lofthouse Lower]

Jensen was shit. Soft, too

[TANGODANCER]

Per Frandsen didn't go with my blessing when we sold him to Blackburn. Probably not with his own either.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Didn't go with his blessing either

[TANGODANCER]

Didn't go with his blessing either

Snap.

[TKIZ!]

What's the beef with Jensen, LL? We didn't go up, we had to sell and he was a commodity. If we'd have gone up I doubt unlike say McAteer or Stubbs that he would have put a transfer request straight away

[Lofthouse Lower]

I don't disagree with the way he left or anything, I just never rated him.

[Lofthouse Lower]

I think the question is "how many of our players have gone on to better and brighter things WITHOUT our blessing?"

I can think of only 2. Mark Fish, and Michael Ricketts. Although to be fair, Ricketts's bright lights turned out to be significantly dimmer than he thought...

Sasa