Time For A Change

The last time I spoke about Bolton we had just got a well deserved away win at Sheffield Wednesday and I had hoped it was going to be a start of a good run of results, alas that was not to be the case. In fact the optimism ended the next game with a 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace, OK it was a close loss to a penalty too, however it was a performance that lacked desire and direction. A home game verses Leeds was next on a rainy Tuesday evening, this being a 2-2 draw. It had started so well with a Kevin Davies goal on 14 minutes, but a header from Byram made it 1-1 at half time in a game we had dominated. In the second half we started in a very lacklustre manner and it was no surprise when Leeds scored again, once again we found ourselves chasing a game, we did manage to draw level but so very nearly threw it away when Leeds hit the bar in the dying seconds.

Next up was Millwall away and no disrespect to them a game I fully expected us to win. Millwall slightly edged the first half and took the narrowest of leads into the break following a Henderson goal on 18 minutes. But we soon drew level after the break when Chris Eagles buried a low free-kick from just outside the area. Eagles had the opportunity to net his second from the penalty spot on 60 minutes, but this time his and our luck was out as his spot-kick was hammered over the bar, leaving Millwall to snatch the three points in the dying moments of the game.

After this run off bad results I was again in utter despair but for a change the owners of the club felt the same and decided it was time for a change and sacked our manager Owen Coyle.

It was the ideal time to do this as it was 2 weeks till our next game. As soon as the sacking happened the bookies were banding around the usual names but the club quelled the gossip by putting Jimmy Phillips in temporary charge. Jimmy Phillips’ first game in charge was Bristol City at home and with the sacking came a air of optimism, but that soon evaporated when we were trailing by two goals with 20 minutes played through Steven Davies’ early brace, but with Chris Eagles’ free-kick reducing the arrears going into half-time we then produced a spectacular second-half showing to win 3-2. Going into the next game at Wolves rumours were that Crystal Palace manager Dougie Freedman was going to join us. The game started well with us scoring early on, but with two quick Kevin Doyle goals we were behind at the break. But in the second half we totally dominated the play and the reward for the endeavour, pressure and quality of play finally came in injury time as Mark Davies struck a deserved equaliser. For the next game at Middlesbrough we were watched from the stands by new manager Dougie Freedman throughout the full game. Things had been looking good for us at the break as we went in with a 1-0 lead through Chung-Yong Lee. But with a great second half by Middlesbrough and two from Scott McDonald, a tap-in on 66 minutes and a close-range header five minutes before full-time – decided the game in the home side’s favour.

The Dougie Freedman era started with a home game to top of the table Cardiff. But by half-time it was not looking good, we looked lacking in ideas and were 1-0 down. However with some minor tactical tweaks and subs transformed us totally. The introduction of David Ngog was key, he was thrust into the action from on 63 minutes and he found the back of the net from an acute angle with virtually his first touch. However, it was ruled out for offside, he was soon heavily involved in our equaliser when he was brought down in the area, and fellow sub Petrov made no mistake from the spot, we were celebrating again five minutes later as Mark Davies’ cross found its way to Ricketts whose attempt was flicked in by Ngog, to give us the lead with just under 20 minutes remaining.

We were camped in our own penalty area as the closing stages unfolded, but there was still time for second-half hero Ngog to get sent-off as we hung on for all three points. We secured another point at home in a 0-0 draw against high-flying Leicester City, as Dougie Freedman continued his unbeaten start to life at the Reebok. The last game we played Freedman extended his unbeaten start as manager to three matches after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Blackpool. We twice went in front, firstly through Mark Davies’ third goal of the season on 17 minutes, however Tom Ince’s curling effort got Blackpool back level less than two minutes later. Chung-Yong Lee came off the bench to give us the lead for the second time deep into the second-half, scoring from close-range after good build-up play from Chris Eagles. But Blackpool rescued a point late on when substitute Nathan Delfouneso poked in from close-range after the ball had fallen loose inside the penalty area following Stephen Crainey’s free-kick.

Although Dougie Freedman has not set the place alight just yet there are encouraging signs. He has given us more fight and has made us more organised and harder to beat. I can see early green shouts of recovery, but I'm not getting too carried away.