Lets Get Behind The Team!!!!
Last updated : 29 January 2009 By Matt Bottom
Megson has been under pressure from day one at the Reebok with many fans never giving him a chance. Even when the team have had good wins some fans credit the players but not the manager. However, when the team crumble on the pitch it is Megson alone who takes the slack.
Megson has been constantly attacked by a section of Bolton Wanderers supporters who turned on him after seeing their team blow a two-goal lead against Blackburn Rovers last night.
But Megson himself has stated he never told the team to sit back and drop as deep as they did, saying, "We wanted to keep our shape and get the next goal after the break but we ran out of steam and they got the goal and the momentum and we started to panic a bit and not push on like we did in the first half."
Megson, a cautious manager, who can play defensive teams especially away from home, has not done a bad job since he took charge at the Reebok stadium. Signing great players such as Cahill, Steinsson and Taylor to name a few, he has shown a good brain in the transfer market, while engineering great victories against Stoke, Portsmouth, West Ham, Sunderland and Middlesbrough - I believe he has not recieved the credit he has deserved during his tenure as Bolton boss.
Megson finally commented on the terrible abuse, "I've had to cope with it for a long time and I don't like it."
"It's pathetic. The reaction to myself is absolutely astounding. I am disappointed in it.
"The supporters at this club have made their feelings known about myself from day one. They are well-documented and regularly made apparent.
"But each time it's not gone well for us they do it again. The players dislike it and I dislike it. When the fans are slaughtering me and saying what they are saying, it reflects on what the players are doing. It makes the players angry, but we've had to cope with it for a long time. I really believe it is having an adverse effect on the team's performance.
"A lot of teams can be viewed as a few points off the top few, but also in relegation trouble - of which we're one. There are clubs who are down there who have spent £70-£90million, but are below us. I don't hear the same reaction from their fans. You have to wonder about the intelligence of these people - it has to be heard to be believed.
"As a football club and as a dressing room, we have to try to keep that negativity away from what we need to try and do. And will I ever win them over? No chance.
"I kept them up after having five points from ten games, I've taken the wage bill down. I haven't spent a lot of money in doing that. I think it works out at £2.5m. Others have spent around £90m. But if your face doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. You have to accept that."
At the end of the day we all have our own opinions but one thing is for certain - the behaviour of some of the fans who are giving this abuse is disgusting and definately no good for the team.
Even if you think Megson is the worst manager in the history of the club - this personal and terrible abuse for one man can have no positive impact at all. The damage it could do and is doing in the short term let alone the long term is very worrying.
Alienating the players/team/manager from the supporters can only be a bad thing for the club as a whole and can only make matters worse in our goal to be better. And believe me that is not only our goal (the fans) but I can guarantee you it is the goal of Gary Megson also.
Give the man a break and try to be postive on Saturday. Let's get behind the team and support whoever wears the white shirt and whoever leads the team out. We are as one - one team - one club.
I just hope Gary Megson and his players know that this neanderthal behaviour from some of the fans is only a small section and not the feelings of every single Wanderers supporter.
You do have support Gary Megson and Bolton Wanderers and I for one are going to give it to you this Saturday against Tottenham. Who's with me?...................
COME ON YOU WHITEMEN!
