To the surprise of many he was appointed late Oct 2012 - nearly two years ago to a team which consisted of a Premier League squad. We were favourites for promotion at the beginning of the season, yet the start had been disappointing under Coyle. The brief though was simple as per his GMR interview shortly after his appointment - promotion. The start was disappointing and although we went on a strong run in the early part of 2013, even the play-offs were found to be beyond our grasp, such had been the poor start in his first 2/3 months.    

 

We started the following season second favourites for promotion. What followed was the clubs worse start in over 100 years and people fearing the unthinkable - relegation. Although things picked up slightly in the New Year, when the season had effectively ended, the play-offs were never in sight and another disappointing season came to a close.  

 

This current season has once again started in a disappointing manner and worse then last years at the current time - 1 point from 3 games. DF tried to hoodwink everyone at the start of the season by stating that the fans and the clubs expectations are aligned - no they are not. 

 

Common themes throughout his tenure are inconsistent/negative team formations, players playing out of position and a general lack of entertainment.  He has also proved himself on numerous occasions to be tactically inept and I can barely remember him making a positive impact with a sub. 

 

He now claims that he now has a fantastic honest bunch of players. Unfortunately they are not very good at doing what they are paid to do - play football and they are yours.  

 

We are fast approaching D-day, and the indications are clearly there for all to see. DF is not the man for this club and is clearly out of his depth. Indeed in this day and age he has been very lucky to last this long.  

 

A decision needs making quick and there are far more experienced Managers with better CV's currently out of work. Billie Davies springs to mind.

 

Come on Eddie get your finger out and put DF and the fans out of our misery.            

I'd give him until the end of September and if we're not in the top half or very close to it then it's time for a new manager, the club needs a lift from somewhere, the ground was like a morgue last night. 12k Bolton fans last night I dread to think what it will be for Sheff Wed and Rotherham

Edited August 20, 201411 yr by Tyldesley White

It was a baffling decision at the time, and has been a disaster of biblical proportions since. Like a film you've watched 10 times, you know how it ends, and yet there are the blind faith brigade that keep hoping for the alternative ending to the inevitable car crash. Money is no more an issue than it was for the promotion seasons of Rioch, and Allardyce (for fucks sake we had Ian Marshall then!). Astute signings, tactical acumen, and a settled team won us out.

 

Don't want to hear anymore about 10 games, it's as much a stuck record as Freedmans inability to settle on a team. He should have been fucked off after missing the target of his first season

Edited August 20, 201411 yr by mourinho

It will take a miracle for him to pull it back from where we are imo.

 

The only way forward is to bring somebody else in.

 

I don't see much point in giving him anymore games as well tbh.

I'd give him until the end of September and if we're not in the top half or very close to it then it's time for a new manager, the club needs a lift from somewhere, the ground was like a morgue last night. 12k Bolton fans last night I dread to think what it will be for Sheff Wed and Rotherham

Can see Rotherham being our lowest league attendance ever the reebok/macron.

 

This Jordan Ibe chap needs to hit the ground running and get bums off seats to save DF's tenure.

 

I really hope things click into place now with this signing. That's in Dougies head more than anywhere else btw.

I feel the PG must carry a large part of the blame.

It is his third failed appointment following SA. To remove DF will not only be very expensive, it will be an acceptance of his serial failures. I agree also that as a football manger, tactician and motivator, he is worse than Megson or Coyle. Never understood why he was so highly thought of.

We're fucked!

I feel the PG must carry a large part of the blame.

It is his third failed appointment following SA. To remove DF will not only be very expensive, it will be an acceptance of his serial failures. I agree also that as a football manger, tactician and motivator, he is worse than Megson or Coyle. Never understood why he was so highly thought of.

We're fucked!

 

Dougie is in last year of contract so cant be that expensive surely?

 

I can see us just writing another season off and letting him go at the end sadly.

We started the following season second favourites for promotion.

 

for the hundredth time that isn't true.

I like Douglas. He seems like a good bloke and seems to know what he's talking about. But the same problems on the pitch keep cropping up and that worries me. I think he is determined to get us playing in a style that doesn't work with the players we've got.

 

I don't call for managers heads because it is pretty pointless and I doubt Bolton will sack him, more like let his contract run down. But surely it has gone beyond the point of repair now? I can't see him turning it round enough for us to compete in the top half of the league and we really should have a chance of doing that.

Can see Rotherham being our lowest league attendance ever the reebok/macron.

 

This Jordan Ibe chap needs to hit the ground running and get bums off seats to save DF's tenure.

 

I really hope things click into place now with this signing. That's in Dougies head more than anywhere else btw.

Potential gor 1, 500 or so Rotherham fans may just postpone that record until later in the season

Potential gor 1, 500 or so Rotherham fans may just postpone that record until later in the season

Last night "looked" the emptiest in the home ends that I can remember at the Ree-cron

 

I'm not having it that there was over 12,500 there

Last night "looked" the emptiest in the home ends that I can remember at the Ree-cron

 

I'm not having it that there was over 12,500 there

 

The upper tiers were very sparse. Getting to the point where we would be better having upper tiers closed!

Last night "looked" the emptiest in the home ends that I can remember at the Ree-cron

 

I'm not having it that there was over 12,500 there

 

and the gap in the north/east corner is as big as have ever noticed

 

and you can tell there's less down the front of the north

 

upper tiers look as sparse as they did last season

Dougie is reaching judgement time with me now. The style of football is overly negative, he seems to drown the players in tactics, we have no balance in the team or squad and he appears to lack the man-management skills to motivate players.

 

I hope he manages to reverse my thoughts from this precipice with good results and performances over the next month. If not, I'll be on the Freedman out bandwagon with no turning back by late September/early October.

Just when he's been on the brink we seem to pluck a result out. Probably win at Brighton and Leeds.

Just when he's been on the brink we seem to pluck a result out. Probably win at Brighton and Leeds.

I think I need some of whatever you have been shooting up. It cant be legal whatever it is

Official attendances include season ticket holders whether they're there or not + all freebies.

Just home from work and wondering

 

 

WHYS THAT CUNT STILL IN A FKIN JOB??

Talks between palace and malky Mackay have broken down, we can only pray....

Anyone find any odds on David Flitcroft being our next boss??

 

Nailed on fact.

Anyone find any odds on David Flitcroft being our next boss??

 

Nailed on fact.

Couldn't find that but in looking I have found odds for our top scorer this season:

 

Craig Davies 11/8

Beckford 6/4

Mason 7/1

 

Seems like pretty good odds for mason to me. Unless we sign some proven goal scorer (I wish) then I reckon mason will score the most over a full season

With Freedman and his cohorts in charge, we will be relegated this season, or be very very close to it.

 

I don't think the club can afford to sack him. But then again, can the club afford not to sack him.

 

He is too negative, on the TVs in the concourse last night at half time it showed 69% possession for Boro. That for a home match is a nightmare, against a team that on paper were no better than us.

 

The team do not appear to have any confidence, and don't look as though they are comfortable playing to his system. We desperately need midfield players who can keep hold of the ball and pass now and again to someone in a white shirt. Players who are not dispossessed with a slight nudge.

 

I cannot for the life of me see any way out of this mess.

 

I thought I would never say this but even Megson set up the side better than Freedman, and played better football.

 

 

I thought I would never say this but even Megson set up the side better than Freedman, and played better football.

 

You're probably right.

Talks between palace and malky Mackay have broken down, we can only pray....

 

...that he doesn't come here.

Serious question - and this absolutely isn't aftertiming - but is ANYONE genuinely surprised that this hasn't worked?  Was it not blindingly obvious that this was a big punt on behalf of the club, an 'anyone must be better than Coyle' naive option?  Freedman's stock was at its optimum at the time due to Palace flying high (with some good players, but as palace fans will tell you after some time under Freedman not playing well) - some might say Coyle himself had similar stock in the recent past, and at a national level - but with very little genuine managerial pedigree to back this up.  

 

Fast forward two years and all we've (consistently) seen are strange decisions, excuses, cliches and apparent evidence of a strategy that looks to be based as much on fortune and probability as it is on managerial influence.  Sure, there will be good games, purple patches - EVERY manager has them - but the underlying substance, and performance which his stewardship can directly influence, has to be evaluated over time, rather than isolated games.

 

I hoped and prayed the punt would come off - I've stood there time and again and supported him and the team - pointless and aimless not to - but I just can't be convinced that this was not going to be the most likely outcome.  And I can't remember hearing ANYTHING that made me think we were undergoing a different, mid/long-term strategy - and therefore expectations and patience levels would have to change.

 

Am I on the fkin moon??  if we're being honest were we not all in the 'crossing our fingers - what's the worst that can happen' camp?

 

Disenfranchised of Daubhill.

Lets have some realistic replacements...

 

Eddie Howe? Would he come ere?

 

Phil Brown?

 

Dave Flitcroft?

 

Steve Clark?

 

Chris Houghton?

 

Gary Neville?