Is Gary Megson Turning into Sammy Lee?

He isn`t stuttering yet, but it`s only a matter of time. With Gary Megson`s tenure as Bolton manager about to enter what is surely the last lap, the similarities with that of his predecessor are striking.

Results - They`ve been analysed to death both here and elsewhere. Suffice to say they aren`t good enough.

Tactics - After pledging to change Bolton`s style of play, Lee got indecisive. At Portsmouth, against a side who were highly effective on the break he went gung-ho to disastrous effect. Against Birmingham, a side it should have been possible to outplay, he reverted to route-one.

Megson can`t make his mind up either. Stoke had four centre-backs, so he played a direct game, straight into their hands (or onto their heads.) With Spurs as the visitors, Bolton played their most enterprising game for ages. That didn`t last long. Blackburn came to town and it was back to hoof-ball. Playing to the opposition`s strength has obvious flaws.

The dressing room (or lack of it) - Rumours of unrest with the players, still unsubstantiated, undermined Lee`s credibility fatally. Megson admits that 'one or two` are causing problems. If it`s just fringe players, why is that significant? Why mention it at all?

The killer - Whites supporters got irritated at Lee`s assertion that there were 'positives` as each defeat was inflicted on his side.

'People might have you think we were terrible for 90 minutes. But the reality is that we were pretty decent for the first 70,` Megson told the Bolton News after reviewing replays of his side`s capitulation at the weekend.

The Ginger One didn`t utter the 'P` word. He might as well have done.

The metamorphosis is well underway. If by the Fulham game Megson is a foot shorter, bears a resemblance to Chucky out of Child`s play and is speaking unintelligibly then it will be complete.

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