Fan power forced Megson out, admits Allardyce

SAM ALLARDYCE believes there was little Gary Megson could do to keep his job once Bolton’s fans had turned against him.

Megson was sacked on Wednesday after a 2-2 draw with Hull on Tuesday night left Wanderers 18th in the Barclays Premier League table.

Megson has endured a rocky relationship with the club’s fans almost from the moment he was appointed manager in October 2007 and was roundly booed during the match at the Reebok Stadium.

By contrast, Allardyce could not have been more popular with supporters throughout his hugely successful eight-year stint at Bolton, and the Blackburn boss believes that fan power has proved ultimately decisive in Megson’s fate.

“Unfortunately for Gary, the fans wouldn’t quite take to him – they didn’t quite endear themselves to him and they always felt there was something they disagreed with, no matter what he seemed to do,” Allardyce said.

“I always think that’s a very unfortunate situation because in the end, if your fans decide that they don’t like you then you’ve got very little chance of keeping your job, no matter how good you are.

“I think the fans definitely are a factor in whether the manager stays or goes. Inevitably, if the fans continue to be disgruntled it will always have an effect on bosses and whether it helps you stay in a job.”

Meanwhile Stoke manager Tony Pulis has given Megson his full endorsement and offered him a ‘job’ if he needs one.

Bolton are believed to have current Stoke assistant manager Peter Reid on their wanted list as a replacement for Megson.

Pulis is aware of the speculation surrounding Reid, but at present is more concerned with giving Megson, a personal friend, and helping hand back into the game. Megson worked unpaid for Pulis a few years ago while he was looking for work and the Stoke boss would be happy to make the same offer again.

Pulis said: “I will try to get hold of Gary to ask him to get involved, when he is ready there is a place for him here. There’s always a place for him.

“We have a soft spot for him, he was manager here and worked for me when he needed to.

“He may want to get some sun on his head now, but when he wants to put his boots on he can do that here.

“As for Peter (Reid) he is an ex-Bolton player, and if he was interested and they were interested, then fine. But I only want them to sit down with us and tell us like men.

“If Peter said he wanted to go to Bolton, I wouldn’t stand in his way. He has worked well here, but if he said wanted to go then that would be okay.” Whether Pulis loses his right-hand man Reid is open to debate but he added: “If anything happens Peter will tell me. He wants to be a manager again, but he will be decent enough to sit down and tell me.

“It is not for me to ask people what they are going to do, if there is anything happening he will let me know.”

Megson, for his part, is adamant that “people who know football” recognise the job he did at Bolton.

Megson said: “Despite all the stick I seem to have been getting from Bolton fans, I’ve been delighted that my peers and people who know football seem to say that it’s gone okay since I’ve been there.”

Meanwhile, caretaker boss Chris Evans and Hull manager Phil Brown both ruled themselves out of the running to succeed Megson yesterday.