Well, our 11 year stint is finally over.
We've experienced some good times, and bad times. The last 5 years have mostly been bad.
This season has been mainly bad.
We endured a horrendous start with injuries stacking up in Holden, Lee, Mears, Ricketts, Alonso etc
We then saw an absoloutely horrendous beginning to the season.
Played the top 5 whilst our squad was at its weakest.
Won 3 out of 16...awful.
Some players recovered, and we began to turn it around, so much so that Owen Coyle recieved manager of the month, we got 27 points from the next 22..
But then, we stopped winning and losing. And despite not drawing 1 of our first 19 games, we drew far too many in the final of games stretch, with games against Swansea, West Brom, Sunderland and finally Stoke meaning we had faltered at the end, the time when it was so important.
There are two sides of the fence this season, those who believe Coyle is at fault for everything, he should have done much better, we should be much higher.
Those who believe he is doing all he can in an extremely difficult position, injuries, poor finances etc.
The fact is, relegation has been looming since 2007/08, and the fact we've lasted as long as we did is incredible.
The wage bill is twice as large as the one when we had Okocha, etc and were finishing 6th. Thanks to Megson and Gartside.
We've spent money, but having players such as Knight, Robinson, Steinsson etc on long contracts and ridiculously high wages meant we were in a position where we could not trade...we had been a 'buying' club, and were paying for it.
No matter what people believe, those who think Coyle has done a bad job, will feel relegation justifies their opinion, and those who think injuries have depleted our squad too much to compete will feel their opinions are also justified. So literally, both sides of the fence believe they are 'right'.
Despite all this rambling.. one thing is for certain, we are currently in a position to re-build back from the Championship. Our wage bill is about to take a huge drop for two reasons, firstly the relegation wage lower clauses will take effect, secondly a large portion of our ageing high earners will be leaving. I believe that by just selling 1 player, (Hopefully Mark Davies to Newcastle) we can pretty much assure we dont suffer huge spiralling rises in our debts. We wont be able to sign players, but thats not really needed. I believe a nucleus of
Bogdan
Riley/Mears/Ream/Wheater/Ricketts/Alonso
Lee/Eagles/Vela/Pratley/NRC/Holden/Wylde
Ngog/Sordell
has the ability to compete for promotion next season. I dont think that Holden nor Lee will go, i dont think any team will want to buy them, knowing they have been out for so long. But then, someone may very well take that risk.
We can all agree that we will be back in August, and we will be cheering on that team hoping to get us back there, we know we can do it...
and unless we have an incredible injury record like this season, (We have 256 weeks worth of injury this season, only Arsenal and United have more) i think we can get straight back up!!
COME ON YOU WHITE MEN!
Its a funny old game.
posted on 13/5/12
We wont do a Coventry..dont fear.
posted on 13/5/12
I know we're all gutted tonight whichever side of the Coyle debate we were on. I was and remain pro-coyle BUT if he goes then I will remain a Trotter through and through and I won't argue with such a decison be it resignation or dismissal.
Whomever takes the job for next season faces a huge challenge and will get my complete support and I would ask all my fellow Pro Owen fans (however many of us are left that is) to do the same if it comes to that.
To the anti-Owens I would say that IF he stays I would ask you to do the same as we strive to come back up.
Not unconditionally because no one deserves that and the truth is Owen Coyle was at the helm when we went down but give him the first few games of next season to see if he's learned the lessons of this one. I think the opening six should do it and if we aren't in the top three then I will be the first to call for his head,
In truth I'm only giving him this much support because in our last nineteen games we took twenty seven points which suggests to me he was at least moving in the right direction. That it was too little too late is a shame. Had we taken that same tally from the first nineteen we'd have finished on 54 points, top half and happy.
We didn't, it's over and now we face a new challenge. Like I said if Owen is replaced I won;t argue despite being a supporter of him personally. But if he stays I'd hope we can ALL get behind him and the team as a whole to help get us off to a flier next term,
posted on 13/5/12
You can make all the excuses you like on OC's behalf ...but the simple fact is ...
Stay up - Got away with it, and hope that lessons have been learnt;
Go down - There's no way this squad should have finished in the bottom 3 ...with or without Holden, Lee etc.etc. the stigma of consigning Bolton to the Championship after all these years .. and so carelessly ... that cannot be forgiven .
posted on 13/5/12
It's amazing how I've tried to give a fair view of everything, including how the Coyle in and Coyle out fans perceive things, equally.
Find an excuse there please?
Or find where this was biased?
Or are people reading what they want to read so they can moan?
posted on 13/5/12
Coyle's remit for which he has been paid a million pounds this season:
"Maintaining and improving the Football Clubs' status in the Premier League will remain the the key objective..." - PA Gartside, 7th October 2011.
---
Epic fail. Next please!!
posted on 13/5/12
Tryin' to placate 2 sides of an argument (fence sitting) rarely pays off. As RB says above ..there was one objective that HAD to be met. It wasn't. There's nothing more to add, and no more games to turn it around. Some were proved right about this season ...some were proved wrong ...but we ALL lost out today, so there's no comfort for anyone ...
posted on 13/5/12
Got to say HH, that is one of the most seriously blinkered and naive articles I've read on here in a long time...
You've simply championed all the things you've said on here all season, even when the end result is relegation.
Sorry to do the whole age thing again, but this relegation thing can sometimes not be pretty.. I've seen a few... None with £100m+ of debt mind...
posted on 13/5/12
Or are people reading what they want to read so they can moan?
You have just written a pro coyle article after we have been relegated and say people are moaning. Damn right they are and with good reason.
posted on 14/5/12
I haven't written a pro Coyle article.
I've given a brief account of TE season, given the thoughts on both sides of the fence, and then spoke about our chances of promotion next season..
Was not trying to create a pro article at all, and i actually havent, and I think many anti-Coyle fans have chosen to 'read' between the lines because I've defended him in the past. Unfortunately, a few have put 2 and 2 together here and come up with 256.
posted on 14/5/12
You've forgotten to blame the officials for our relegation HH ......
Oh ... doesn't matter ..Owen's got that base covered