I think you may be mistaken... Playing in the Premier
league alone or longer doesn't neceassary mean you become
a big club compare to those playing in the lower divisions... It
just mean you have manage well these last few years
only... And despite playing in the top level, very few supporters
still turn out to watch your club play... That's an indication of
how big or small you are... Bolton or Burnley are probably not much
difference... They both attract about the same amount
of crowd each match.
Of course history and club attendance is definitely one
good source to take as to judge whether a club is big or not... You
take Newcastle or even Leeds who are playing in League 1 (2
Divisions down)... These are bigger clubs than Bolton or Burnley
and I think you will agree with me... Even Sheff United or Wed
are as big a club as these two... And they still are. They
attract as many fans to their matches despite playing in
a less attractive lower league. And like Sunderland before
them, more will turn up if they reach the top level... For Bolton
or Burnley who are already in the top level,
unfortunately, still only manage what those in the lower league
gets. So we can assume that once they get relegated, their 20
thousand will become 15 and15 could become 10 thousand like
what Burnley was playing to 2 yrs ago only...
It's just that things have not been good these last few years
for those clubs that's all... But they are no different from
Burnley or Bolton... And probably bigger than them. Southampton was
in the top level for 27 yrs... But so what? They got relegated and
that's it... Gone. But I think they may still be bigger than
Bolton though... lol.
There are just so many examples out there... Nottingham Forest, West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Reading... We take Reading, they were in the
lower league... Then under Steve
Coppell, they manage to come up... They manage to survive their
first year... Then their 2nd year, they did really well and people
were singing the praise of Steve
Coppell of how good he was this and that and was another who could
succeed Fergie at United afterall he was an old boy... But he still
wasn't experienced. Then the next year, they went down...
So Owen Coyle brought Burnley up... He can also take any side
down like Alan Pardew as well... As they say, the difficult
part is not to take them up but to keep them in the top
level...
Yeah, Bolton attracted some known players or in your
term... "advanced years but still world class players" But how
did they got there? Was it because of the club or the
management skills of a certain Sam Allardyce that got
those you mentioned like Djorkaeff, Fernando Hierro, Campo,
Okacha, El Hadji Diouf, Gary Speed, Anelka all there in the
first place? Yeah, all signed by Big Sam if you are not
aware... All of them, even present day Kevin Davies was signed
by him...I don't think these players would have gone to Bolton had
they not met him and he manage to persuaded them to sign
for the club after having sold his vision for the
club to them... And since he left, did they got any of
"advanced years but still world class players" in to date?
The thing I read about how Owen Coyle got to the
Bolton job I think has not much to do with Burnley,
The Bolton chairman already wanted him before he
appointed Gary Megson 2 yrs ago. Just that he was 2nd
choice.
On Hodgson, I don't think he would have cost that much either...
Even now he just signed a 12 months rolling contract only... It
could have been lesser who knows... his salary maybe lesser than
$2.5m. Even Mark Hughes, who is currently out of a job and
have work wonders at Blackburn, would have been a better choice to
me... And the best thing is, there is no compensation required...
lol.
To me, its a risky choice with a lesser chance of surviving in
the longer term... and he may turn out to be another Steve Coppell or maybe worse... cannot even last
3 seasons...
