It took a quiet Saturday afternoon, when none of the Premier League's main protagonists played, for the press to become aware of the levels of disquiet at the Reebok. Booing started in the first half and only got worse when Dave Kitson waltzed through a crumbling defence to score. It hadn't let up by the final whistle, even though Matty Taylor snatched an equaliser from the penalty spot.
Needless to say, after a dreary and joyless game, the behaviour of the fans became the headline. Featured blogs, (normally Bolton-free areas), were struggling to get a grip on what the fans were unhappy about. If you only read BBC Sport, or whatever, you could be forgiven for thinking Bolton have been hovering above the relegation zone for the last ten years, because even when they were successful it didn't receive much coverage. Why are the fans so upset when their club survived last year?
The volume of response was staggering. Just on McNulty's BBC blog, both Bolton fans and fans of other clubs felt strongly enough to post a response. The consensus from other fans was that the Bolton fans were a disgrace. They're acting spoilt and petulant and they have no idea just how lucky they are. They don't deserve a team in the Premier League. Do they want to end up like Leeds, Southampton or Charlton?
The natural instinct of the Bolton fans was to fight their corner. The fact is, unless you've been to the games or followed Bolton Wanderers at all closely, it's difficult to convey just how bad this team is now.
Two seasons ago Bolton qualified for the UEFA Cup with a bruising, purposeful team that reflected it's manager's personality. Despite the what most people liked to think, Bolton weren't Wimbledon 2007, rather they were a team that played smart and to their strengths. They defended stoutly, they didn't make mistakes and they didn't let sides beat them.
Unfortunately, the only time Bolton played to an International audience via SKY, it was usually only when they played Arsenal or Chelsea, when the smart thing to do was to be abrasive. It isn't hard to see where the long-ball reputation came from.
At the end of that season, everyone knew Sam Allardyce had to leave. In his time at the club he achieved some remarkable things; a League Cup final appearance, a string of top-ten finishes and even European football. There was going to have to be some changes for the first time in a while.
Phil Gartside's first ever appointment in his time as Chairman was Sammy Lee, who was an unmitigated disaster. After coaching the team for so long as Big Sam's Little Sam, he was never really able to gain the respect of the players. Two months into the season, Little Sam was removed and Phil Gartside had a huge decision to make.
Instead of moving for an experienced top-flight manager (Roy Hodgson, then Finland manager), one of the country's best unsung managers (Reading's Steve Coppell - currently out of work), or even speculating on a young up-and-comer (Owen Coyle wanted the job, but instead Gartside recommended him to Burnley), Gartside reached for a guy who the previous season had been coaching at Stoke for free because he couldn't get a job.
Phil Gartside had a chance to give the fans a signal that he knew what he was doing, that he knew what was best for the club. And despite appearances to the contrary, it wasn't as if the Bolton fans expectations were sky high; they just wanted a team that was committed on the pitch.
I groaned when I heard Megson had got the job. It seemed to me that there was a distinct lack of imagination in the appointment, but I did try to get behind the team, even though Gary did nothing to endear himself to the fans. He was dour and negative, and his demeanour translated onto the pitch where a team that had finished 7th the year before was now struggling against relegation.
He had his finest moment on an amazing Thursday night in Munich, where he galvanised a hastily thrown-together team and left with a 2-2 result, but even that game was more about special performances by individuals, such as Kevin Davies (who decimated Brazil captain Lucio) and a flying Ricardo Gardner. (Allegedly, Megson picked the team on the morning of the game by lining the players up, tallest to shortest, and just counting to ten, but I wouldn't know about that).
Apart from ten minutes against Chelsea at the back end of last season, it's been downhill since then. The team has regressed and lost all confidence in their own ability. Megson's endless focus on defending has shown no tangible results on the pitch. This isn't a new story. Bolton have been playing really poorly for a while now, but nobody in The Media has noticed - until this weekend.
All of a sudden, stories like this are painting Bolton's fans as the bad guys - impatient, boorish and spoilt. While the fans are merely responding to months and months of declining results and performances, the stories in the press are focusing on the fans, not the man responsible for the performances on the pitch.
(Incidentally, in that article Gary Cahill does not "fire warning to Bolton's boo boys". He says it might affect some of the players, but maybe that's a sign that they're not Premier League players.)
I'm not saying it's good that this team is booed mercilessly, but you can't blame the people who pay to be at the games. Bolton have been brutal to watch for a long time, and it's getting harder and harder for fans to justify paying for Premier League football while the team is so bad. Bolton already have one of the smallest fanbases in the Premier League, and while Megson remains in charge of the club, fans are going to start staying away.
This is a fanbase that needs some hope and impetus, and most people would agree that you're not going to get that from Gary Megson.
RSS feed
