Originally Posted by Carradonna
Is this a permanent role or was he appointed caretaker boss?
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Permanent and for "as long as he wants it", according to Gartside.
Lee is 'better' than Big Sam - Gartside
Mon 30 Apr, 04:45 PM
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside believes Sammy Lee is better equipped to take the club forward than Sam Allardyce.Former England and Liverpool coach Lee has been appointed manager for "as long as he wants" after stepping up from his role as assistant boss.
Bolton moved swiftly to promote the 48-year-old after Allardyce's shock decision to quit after seven and a half years in charge.
Gartside is convinced the right man is in place. He said: "You take a key man out of a team but you replace him with someone who is even better. That's where I am at.
"I have known Sammy a long time. He is a good coach with great contacts. If you look at his credentials to what Sam's were when he joined, they are better.
"It's a better job today and I'm not sure you would have given it to Sam Allardyce now. Sammy has a reputation beyond where Sam was in terms of his international playing career.
"People do not get rewarded with coaching jobs like the one's Sammy's had unless you are good at what you do. He is very professional and a real players' man with a fantastic reputation."
Lee was also instrumental in former Liverpool strikers Nicolas Anelka and El-Hadji Diouf signing long-terms contracts at the Reebok Stadium, according to Gartside.
He said: "If you ask why Nicolas Anelka came to Bolton, he played at Liverpool under Sammy.
"One of the most important things about Diouf arriving here was because he knew about Sammy.
"You have got to look a bit deeper into what has happened at Bolton."
Lee signed an open-ended contract after rejecting an offer to coach England Under-21s on a full time basis last August.
Gartside said: "I was criticised for giving Sam a ten-year contract, so I just suppose I will carry on being silly.
"Sammy can stay as long as he wants. He was coaching England and had a great reputation. He has proved that while he has been here.
"Let's not kid ourselves, it (our progress) is not down to one man. It's down to a team of people and Sammy has been an integral part of that team. I had no hesitation in appointing him.
"He turned down the Under-21s because he wanted to concentrate on his work at Bolton. That shows the measure of the man."
Gartside gave a clue as to why Allardyce stepped down but dismissed suggestions it was due to lack of funds.
Instead he believes it could be due to the possibility of another European campaign.
Gartside said: "We enjoyed unprecedented success with Sam and getting a place in the UEFA Cup was the pinnacle of his achievements.
"I do not think Bolton fans thought we would be playing Marseille or Besiktas.
"To carry on doing that is a big ask. Maybe that is the reason he left knowing he would probably have to build for another campaign."
Lee will take charge of the team for the first time against West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday when Bolton will aim to take another step forward to securing a UEFA Cup place.
He admitted that part of his blueprint when he was approached by Allardyce to become his assistant was the chance to step up .
Lee said: "I asked if I would be considered for the post if Sam left. That was agreed and now I've got it.
"With two games left, the biggest thing is to keep the place steady and secure a spot in the UEFA Cup.
"It is my job to assure the players that everything will run as smoothly as before as we try to get what we can from the next two games."
Allardyce, meanwhile, has been linked to Manchester City.
When asked if he would be surprised if the former Bolton boss turned up at Eastlands, Gartside said: "I would not be pleased. We would have to look at the circumstances.
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I think that by "better" he actually means "cheaper". Time will tell I guess, but I think their fans need to accept that they can forget Europe for a while after next season. I think Allardyce walked because he could see the writing on the wall - no transfer funds over the summer plus Anelka probably getting himself away (definitely if there isn't a marked improvement to the squad) would have left him with about £8m for teambuilding and his best striker down the road. To give Allardyce his due, he's proved that he's very good at running a club within those kind of constraints but I bet that every season, he's wished he didn't have to.
I can see them becoming another Charlton myself - the club has been driven forward by the sheer force of Allardyce's personality over the last few years, coupled with his talent for spotting assorted knackers and kackers that he can rejuvenate and squeeze a decent season out of. Take that away and they are a mid-table side with limited funds and apparently limited ambition.
Best of luck to Sammy, but I don't see it happening for him there somehow.