With or Without Dougie Freedman, Bolton Face Tough Times Ahead

Dougie Freedman's time in charge of Bolton has followed an undeniable, stark trajectory. Having begun so promisingly—taking the club from the lower reaches of the league to within one win of the play-offs in his first season—Bolton fans have watched in dismay as the team has faltered badly since then.

Occasional games—such as the 5-1 drubbing of Leeds at Elland Road last season—have provided chinks of light that have proved ultimately as frustrating as they have promising. After the 4-0 defeat to struggling Fulham, in which Wanderers failed to register a single attempt on target, it appears the Scot's time may be at an end, regardless of what happens in their home fixture against Bournemouth.

However, Trotters fans assuming a new manager will usher in a new dawn for the club are in for a very rude awakening. True, Freedman has made tactical errors, such as his use of a 4-5-1 system with strikers such as Joe Mason, who simply cannot be expected to play the physical target man role.

However, he has performed admirably in other areas. He has had virtually no funds at all to work with, and the club's finances are in such a perilous state that he has been operating almost solely with loans on a one-in, one-out basis for the last year. Given such constraints, he has done well to keep a relatively strong squad together, albeit one lacking consistency due to the reliance on the temporary recruits.

The team's spirit has only recently appeared to be waning, again a not insignificant achievement given the high personnel turnover and the uncertainty all the players must be facing about their future.

While it's not unreasonable to expect that a new manager may be able to inject a bit of motivation into the squad and bring in a new tactical outlook, laying all the team's failings at Freedman's door is a gross misrepresentation of the situation. After all, he enjoyed a significant honeymoon period before the realities of the club's limitations became fully apparent.

As thoughts turn to Freedman’s replacement, expectations must be tempered. The football world is now only too aware of Bolton’s financial situation, and few managers will be willing to work for such limited wages, either for themselves or for their transfer budget. Former player and academy director Jimmy Phillips is currently the frontrunner for the job, and it’s unlikely that Bolton will able to attract anyone more qualified. Phillips’ only managerial experience was a brief spell as caretaker before Freedman took over.

Bolton are at a pivotal point in their 137-year history. Regardless of what they do about Freedman, the lack of funds and the precipitously dropping quality of the squad means that no matter who the manager is, barring a huge achievement, they will remain in the Championship or fall further down the leagues

They must decide whether to stick with this current state of affairs or twist; go for broke, attempt to bring in some external financing (possibly by owner Eddie Davis selling the club), and start spending again. The rewards could be great, the pitfalls considerably worse, with the club already in a black hole of debt.

It’s an unenviable decision for the board to make, and whichever way they go, it’s tough to see a real light at the end of the tunnel.