Dougie says no go on permanent Craig Dawson deal

Craig Dawson's first Bolton Wanderers appearance came in the 2-1 win at home to Burnley. In total, Dawson has made six appearances for Bolton Wanderers, going the full 90 minutes in each of them. Over those last six games, Bolton Wanderers are undefeated with four wins and it's no coincidence.

Craig Dawson has four goals to his name in a Bolton shirt, all of which have come in the last three games, all of which were games that Bolton won. It's no wonder that the fans are clamoring for a Bolton Wanderers bid that will bring Dawson to the Reebok full time after his loan expires. Dawson was only signed for three months and Bolton fans are legitimately worried about the state of the defense when he goes.

Despite all that, Dougie Freedman has ruled out a permanent move for the prolific center-half. Speaking to the Bolton News, the manager said:

"We've not spoken to West Brom at all and I won't go back on my word.

"The deal was to bring Craig here for three months, develop him, give him some games, which is something they can't do right now. I'll stick to that.

"It's fantastic that the fans are saying that but being realistic, that wasn't the deal.

"The deal was to bring Craig here, he works hard in training and we develop him. We then send him back to West Brom and he'll remember us for what we have done for him.

"He's a good lad and he's still got a lot to learn. But let's not get excited. West Brom let him come out to us because he's not going to get in their side right now. He needed to get some experience.

"I told Craig the deal - I would bring him here, develop him as a player and send him back to West Brom better. That's still the deal."

Dawson's loan expires on April 27, the day of the season's penultimate match: a tough road match at top-of-the-table Cardiff City. Depending on Bolton's form leading up to that, Dawson's scheduled absence in the following match against Blackpool (and who knows, maybe the Playoffs), could have a big effect on the men in white. While a permanent deal seems out of the question, Bolton may be able to extend the loan for that extra few weeks.