Interim manager speaks following confirmation of Bolton’s relegation from the Sky Bet Championship
Jimmy Phillips spoke to the media, after Bolton Wanderers’ relegation from the Sky Bet Championship was confirmed with defeat at Derby County.
The Trotters were well beaten at the iPro Stadium, with the home side running out 4-1 winners on what a thoroughly disappointing afternoon.
Zach Clough netted the solitary Bolton goal, converting from the penalty spot after substitute Mark Davies had been sent tumbling inside the area.
Speaking in his post-match press conference Phillips covered the below points.
On the outcome of the game…
Today was confirmation of the season everyone has witnessed. We played a Derby team who were first to every ball and wanted it more than us. It was only when Emile Heskey came on that we had any real attacking threat. With all due respect to Emile, that’s where we are at the moment in time. It’s just gone from bad to worse.
On the remainder of the season…
We have another month of football ahead of us. We’ve got to make sure we turn up and apply ourselves in the right manner between now and the end of the season. It’s about building for the future. We have to make sure we don’t capitulate. We will continue working on the training ground every day to make sure that doesn’t happen.
On longer term plans…
Now that the confirmation is there that we are going to be playing League One football, I would imagine that the new owners will put their plan into action. The sooner we have a clear indication of which direction the club is moving in the better. I would imagine there will be significant changes, both on and off the field. Going forward, I feel we need to have a more athletic group of players. I think that will be the key to being successful next season.
On his reign as interim manager so far…
Since I took interim charge of the team it has been disappointing, there’s no doubting that. We’ve tried to give the players a structure and gameplan to work within and that hasn’t seemed to work. For large periods of games we haven’t been competitive. We’ve tried a few different systems, formations and tactics. We’ve given some of the younger players a go, tried some experience in the side. As of yet we haven’t had a response to solving our problems, but we will continue to try.
On the season as a whole…
It has been a really sad year. The only positive thing we can say about this season is that we still have a football club called Bolton Wanderers, because at one stage that was seriously doubtful. A club that means so much to me, it’s sad to see us where we are right now, but we have to believe that we will come back.