Why I Think Phil Brown is the Man for Bolton Wanderers

Yesterday Bolton Wanderers chose to dispense with the services of Neil Lennon after an eventful 18 months in charge of our wonderful club.

The ex-Celtic manager did his best in very trying circumstances, but was ultimately proven to be lacking in terms of his signings, tactics and approach to the trials and tribulations of managing a challenging club such as ours.

With attention turning to Lennon's replacement, I'm well and truly in the Phil Brown camp, and what a camp it is.

The former Bolton Wanderers and Blackpool right back has served his time in the game, earning his stripes as assistant to Colin Todd and the great Sam Allardyce before striking out on his own with Derby County in 2005.

Bolton have chosen to ignore experience and go with youth with their past few appointments. Owen Coyle, Dougie Freedman and Neil Lennon were all largely untested in the managerial world and sometimes that inexperience showed. When Lennon joined the club it was at the expense of Chris Hughton. When Dougie Freedman was appointed it was instead of Mick McCarthy. With hindsight that might not have been the best decision.

So Brown represents an experienced choice.

He also represents a successful one. After a reasonably poor time at Derby he bounced back in style with Hull City, leading them to the Premier League for the first time in their history. They began the season in fine form, although safety was achieved at the last possible minute.

It fell apart for Brown at Hull the following year when some poor choices both tactically and in terms of signings did for his time at the club. A short spell at Preston North End followed, and ended with his resignation in 2011.

He has however rebuilt his reputation in less-than-glamorous surroundings with Southend United - then of League Two. In the next two seasons, Brown led Southend to consecutive play-off competitions, eventually seeing the club promoted to League One in May 2015.

This season they are a mere four points from the Play Offs, and means that the club have every chance of earning a second successive promotion.

So Brown has had his ups and downs, but the way that he has recovered from his failures speaks volumes to me about his character. This same character is a definite plus point along the way - he has the personality to cope and deal with some of the more troubling members of the Wanderers first team squad.

His Southend team plays with a mixture of youth and more experienced players, something that he would have to employ again should he return to Bolton Wanderers as manager.

Therefore I contend that he is an excellent choice for the club. He knows us, we know him, and he knows the surroundings in which we find ourselves.

Deano, you know what to do.