Big Sam - Would you want him back at Bolton?

Following a post on teamtalk.com, a Blackburn fan asked if we'd ever consider having Big Sam back as manager, as his face didn't seem to fit at the Dingles. I think his post was a knee-jerk reaction to a heavy defeat. Sound familiar? Anyway, I was wondering, as tomorrow was supposed to be Sam's second return, what the feelings were on here. Would you want Sam back?

For me, he will forever be a legend in my eyes for what he did for Bolton, both as a player and obviously a manager. However, would I want him back at Bolton? I'd have to say no.

While he's given us matches against teams I'd never have dreamed of playing in my wildest dreams e.g. Bayern Munich and Marseilles to name but two, I'm very much a believer in don't go back. True, nothing would please me more than for Sam to come back 'home' and win us the FA Cup a la Harry Redknapp at Pompey. Sadly, I cannot see him recreating anywhere near the feats he achieved before at Bolton. To be honest, I doubt that we'd be much higher, if at all, than we are with Megson. It's a sad fact of football that, while Bolton finished 6th and qualified for the UEFA Cup, or whatever it is called now, with the money City have to throw at it now, not to mention Villa, Spurs etc and the likes of Everton & Sunderland etc, to achieve 4 consecutive top 8 finishes, as we did under Sam, is unthinkable! I'd be concerned that if Sam returned and produced the type of football we were used to, but, most importantly, without the results, he'd tarnish the legacy he created. That is something I would not want to see.

From what I can see, Big Sam has done a similar job as Megson at the same stage; taken over a club following a long term and successful manager; taken over from a new, yet inexperienced, manager, who had the club heading for the drop; kept them up. Followed that up with another season of survival albeit with frustrating and ultimately mind numbingly boring football. Again, cos the face don't fit, that isn't good enough.

Don't get me wrong, I can't see us progressing much under Megson and it does seem to be one step forward, ten steps back but anyone following Allardyce was on a hiding to nothing and the reaction following any form of defeat these days is often ridiculous.

We can debate this till we're blue in the face but giving Sam what would be an unprecedented amount of money on what was a pipe dream would be suicide for a club our size. Moving the Newcastle was a logical step as they had the funds we didn't to fuel his ambitions. Shame they have ridiculous fans and a moronic owner. I'd be lying if I said that it wouldn’t have been weird tomorrow seeing Sam sitting in the 'wrong' dugout but I don't think that him returning would work sadly.

Anyone else want a return of Sam as manager? Would it work? Where do you think we’d be if he had stayed as manager?

Well given that Sam has today said the club doesn't have the ambition to match him I doubt this is something we need to consider in any great detail.

Or to put it another (more accurate) way, the fat cunt decided he was better than us so he needs to hack his own way through the woods.

he's also a thieving bastard who stole from us (as well as ironing boards from B+Q....I've not forgot) and lined his own and his sons pockets......!

Not what I heard, but if Eddie Davies had given him the £12m quid that Jan we would quite possibly have got in the Champions league, Sam would have got the England Job instead of McCalren, England would have got to the Euro's, who knows maybe won them, we would have been able to attract a better standard of manger, got bought out by some greasy Arabs and currently be playing Adebyor and Tevez up front! Maybe not quite that, but we would have been a different club, well done Mr Davies and the poisoned dwarf Gartside.
Actually I heard the animosity between Gartside and Big Sam was rather more personal.

I see that you were having another of your dreams Tim.

Don't go back is my belief, so no on Sam returning. He believes his own hype and is putting it about that we wouldn't back him to push us on to CL football. 12 Million is mentioned above but the fact is it would have required more like 20 million to progress from the first round(s).

Sam wouldn't have succeeded as England boss with his style of football, IMO. In fact, his style of football was really starting to bore the shocks off most fans, hence the shine of getting into the Prem had dulled for a fair few fans. Some continued to go to games while the gates started to drop for those that opted to stay away.

What kind of football is it when you tell players not to shoot from outside the penalty area and having everyone track back constantly and having the likes of JayJay used as a long throw specialist who you've told to "knock it off with your stepovers and fancy moves!"

Megson's football can be very dull and result in negative results; however, this season we've seen some better football from the players so I have to hope that things will improve on both the attractive football AND points front.

Sam doesn't need encouraging with his ego. Leave it over at Rovers.

Sam didn't get the England job because the FA were concerned he had no plan B and would simply play the usual football-by-numbers and choose players based on Prozone stats rather than instinct.

Judging by the fact that he played route one at Newcastle and is now doing the same at Blackburn it looks like the FA were right.

After his heart operation I can't see him holding much attraction for clubs. His biggest asset was his excitability!

He won't be at the game today - that says it all.

His heart condition sounds more to do with his diet than with excitability, so the stent should do the trick for him so long as he changes his eating habits.

A stent is required when cholesterol builds up in the arteries and they have to open up the blockage. My mum's had this procedure, and a friend of mine had it early last year, too.

Apparently the operation went well and the gravy valve and caramel sluice were successfully attached.

breezeblock wrote:Sam didn't get the England job because the FA were concerned he had no plan B and would simply play the usual football-by-numbers and choose players based on Prozone stats rather than instinct.

Judging by the fact that he played route one at Newcastle and is now doing the same at Blackburn it looks like the FA were right.

I'm quite disgusted by that, breeze. How can go around spouting such scandalous and ficticious nonsense and still manage to sleep at night?

I mean, really... saying things like "the FA were right". That's clearly a contradiction in terms.