"You can't guarantee you'll win, but how do you take away excuses for failure?"

[OzzieMandias]

Excerpt from an article about Bolton behind the scenes:

 

When Forde was recruited by Allardyce and his then assistant, Phil Brown, in 1999, Bolton had an ambitious Championship side, a fine new stadium but a decrepit training ground. Steered by the manager, with Forde overseeing development in the background, they have finished eighth, sixth and eighth in the top flight over the past three years and their ability to attract such players as Nicolas Anelka, Jay-Jay Okocha and Youri Djorkaeff to a small town near Manchester is remarkable. The full-time backroom staff has swollen from five to 21, covering coaching, medicine, sports science, performance analysis and administrative support.

 

"And the scouting operation has gone through the roof," said Forde. "We've created a no-excuse environment which will allow our players to flourish. The squad has gone from 80% British to 80% foreign and we ensure whoever we bring here can settle. It's about the small things: opening bank accounts, finding schools or houses, showing them where they can eat out or where their local mosque or church is.

 

"But we also offer a unique experience. At one stage our squad boasted 25 championships, two World Cups and seven Champions Leagues. Fernando Hierro had played for Real Madrid for 14 years but his desire to plan for a career beyond playing - like Gary Speed - meant that he recognised us as a fantastic opportunity to learn from our coaching, sports-science and game-analysis techniques.

 

"Last year every member of our squad had played on average for six different teams, eight managers and in 250 games. We looked at where they had each been most successful and picked out anything we could from that environment we could replicate here. It's a very deductive process, but it might be the smallest thing. A player might have come from a bigger club where he was a fringe player and he might relish having a bigger role here.

 

"Our screening process is so extensive. We recruit possibly eight players every year on, say, an average wage of £1m. If you went into the private sector, the due diligence around recruiting someone on that amount would be incredible, but we're making the same investment here so we have to be as thorough. It's actually quite difficult to sign for this club because of the due diligence we undertake."

 

Those recruited benefit from a revamped training ground, complete with tranquil suites with Chinese medicine techniques to hand. The international players are accompanied by club masseurs, fitness staff or nutritionists when abroad with their countries. "We can't control the environment they're in when they're away but we can influence it. We want to keep them thinking: 'I am a Bolton player.' It's about making the players feel wanted and creating the conditions for success. You can never guarantee you'll win, but how can you take away the excuses for failure?"

 

Full article at: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2036021,00.html

[Rich]

Jesus, now THAT's a set-up.

 

If a club/town the size of Bolton can achieve what they have been on that sort of money and with that number of fans, imagine what a similar/replica ideal could achieve at NUFC? This is why I get frustrated with the current board, more than anything else, because we are simply not as well-equipped as our rivals.

[Guest Knightrider]

That is why I'd have Big Sam here in a shot. That article is just the tip of the iceberg. Their methods are unique to them and the system Big Sam has created is arguably the best in world-football - all without a budget and working from a small town near Manchester. Amazing stuff. I also hear their academy is going through changes too along those lines, he will make sure Bolton will always be a top club, if never a big one.

[Guest Knightrider]

I'be said this before and I'll say it again: Sam Allardyce would be number one on my list to replace Roeder. I would even foresake results on the pitch for a behind the scenes set-up like the one Bolton have because you can guarantee in a couple of years time, the club would benefit from that set-up massively, and if not Allardyce himself, the next manager. Aye, sack Roeder, appoint Big Sam and allow him carte blanche to do what he wants, what we need.

[OzzieMandias]

It certainly puts our inability to establish a foundation for success into perspective.

[Parky]

Nice find Ozzie. Probably everything we don't do sadly. :-[

[Baggio]

Luckily for Allardyce he wasn't under any sort of pressure at Bolton, he could afford to have a few poor years at Bolton while he put all this in place.

 

No manager will have that benefit here.

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

[Keefaz]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

 

Not really. But it did make me laugh.

 

It's nowt to do with the style of football is about giving the player everything they need so they are 100% able to perform to their best ability. In fact, the title of thread sums it up, really.

[thomas]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

petition for admin to rename Invicta_Troll

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

 

Not really. But it did make me laugh.

 

It's nowt to do with the style of football is about giving the player everything they need so they are 100% able to perform to their best ability. In fact, the title of thread sums it up, really.

 

 

Right. So they have the some of the world's former best players, they treat them the bestest out of every other club, and they STILL only manage 8th? That's some achievement tbh.

[SEMTEX]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

 

Not really. But it did make me laugh.

 

It's nowt to do with the style of football is about giving the player everything they need so they are 100% able to perform to their best ability. In fact, the title of thread sums it up, really.

 

 

Right. So they have the some of the world's former best players, they treat them the bestest out of every other club, and they STILL only manage 8th? That's some achievement tbh.

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

Bolton play shit football, Allardyce is corrupt. End of thread.

 

Not really. But it did make me laugh.

 

It's nowt to do with the style of football is about giving the player everything they need so they are 100% able to perform to their best ability. In fact, the title of thread sums it up, really.

 

 

Right. So they have the some of the world's former best players, they treat them the bestest out of every other club, and they STILL only manage 8th? That's some achievement tbh.

 

and? surely the chinese medicine and welcome pillows should compensate for their lack of pace?

[Keefaz]

That's such a weak argument it's barely worth replying to. Given how limited Allerdyce is tactically, the fact that a lot of their players are actually B-list, 8th is a good finish for them. Take away these facilities and they could well be lower half of the table.

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

That's such a weak argument it's barely worth replying to. Given how limited Allerdyce is tactically, the fact that a lot of their players are actually B-list, 8th is a good finish for them. Take away these facilities and they could well be lower half of the table.

 

a whole 2 places lower? how many points between 8th and 15th right now?

[Guest elbee909]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

 

More like the Chinese buffets.

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Chinese fucking medicine? Aye that's why we're shit isn't it?

 

 

More like the Chinese buffets.

 

all the chinese burns from the disgruntled fans tbh

[Keefaz]

That's such a weak argument it's barely worth replying to. Given how limited Allerdyce is tactically, the fact that a lot of their players are actually B-list, 8th is a good finish for them. Take away these facilities and they could well be lower half of the table.

 

a whole 2 places lower? how many points between 8th and 15th right now?

 

What? There was 12 points difference at the end of last season if you want to talk about something that makes sense.

[Guest Knightrider]

Keefaz, I wouldn't say Big Sam is tactically weak, in fact I'd say he's quite strong in that area. Maybe not in the class of Benitez and Mourinho but no worse than Wenger or Fergie. I rate him highly and Vic, Bolton don't play shite, certainly no more shite than what we play under Roeder anyway

[Keefaz]

Maybe tactically weak was a bit strong, but his tactics are limited. How about that?

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Keefaz, I wouldn't say Big Sam is tactically weak, in fact I'd say he's quite strong in that area. Maybe not in the class of Benitez and Mourinho but no worse than Wenger or Fergie. I rate him highly and Vic, Bolton don't play shite, certainly no more shite than what we play under Roeder anyway

 

but they are the bestest club in the world and are 8th. We are the shittest in the world and we're 11th. Go figure

[Guest Invicta_Toon]

Maybe tactically weak was a bit strong, but his tactics are limited. How about that?

 

his tactics are bent, how about that?

[Keefaz]

I wonder if, when you're having a chat with your mates, you ever reach over, grab each one of them by the neck and try to shit down their throats? Cos' that's what you do in every discussion on this fucking board.

[Guest Knightrider]

Maybe tactically weak was a bit strong, but his tactics are limited. How about that?

 

Fair enough but for me, the correct tactics for any manager to apply are ones that gets the best out of the players (playing to their strengths) which is exactly what Big Sam does. His tactics lack the variation of say Mourinho's but then Mourinho is dealing with cultured footballers and can afford to be flexible.

 

This is a personal gripe of mine, this whole Bolton play shite football and play the long ball game. They don't, no more than Chelsea and Liverpool anyway, but because they have less eye candy on display than the those two direct teams (which is what Bolton are effectively) they aren't as appealing to watch. When Bolton play at a high tempo mixing it up they can be a joy to watch at times. They are a far better team than us an almost every level, mind that isn't saying much.

[Guest Knightrider]

Keefaz, don't bite man.