ALL the uncertainty is over at Wanderers now and the new manager Dougie Freedman has started work and like everyone with the Whites at heart, I hope he is a success.

It is good he can get down to business because so many names were bandied about before he was appointed last week and you don’t want that going on for too long.

I was fortunate to be on a radio phone-in with Dougie on Monday after he was unveiled and what struck me was how single-minded he seems.

He is positive about the job here and very smart. He has obviously looked at the bigger picture.

I know some have questioned why he would leave a Palace team flying high to come to a struggling Wanderers but he has seen, like we all know, that this is a bigger club.

It is a Premier League club in all but name at present and spent more than a decade at that level.

It was a no-brainer for him but he will know it won’t be easy getting back there out of a tough Championship.

All the signs for me are good, though.

He worked well on a shoestring at Palace and while he may not have lots of money available here, it will be there in January if he needs it, I’m sure.

It is different to Palace and he sees that; I’m sure that is what tempted him here because he talked on Monday about looking at the bigger picture and the long-game.

There has been talk of him being young for a manager and not having experience but you gain experience on your path as a player.

If he went and did his badges now, he could be there with people from all walks of life who want to get their coaching qualifications.

He has done his training by playing the game for so long and by being in dressing rooms and working under different managers. That’s what you do, you take things from all the managers you work under and form your own style.

That is what he has done at Palace and had success, so hopefully he can bring that magic touch here.

It was interesting to hear he spoke with another manager in the shape of Owen Coyle and he recommended the job.

That is just the measure of the man that he would do that.

Many people would be bitter and aggrieved at losing their job, let alone answer the phone to someone planning to take it after them. But not Owen. As difficult as it must have been, he told Dougie all about what was there and in place at Wanderers and I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.

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WHAT a great run the Under-18s are on after another win against Norwich at the weekend.

David Lee and Tony Kelly, as well as head of academy Jimmy Phillips, are doing fantastic work.

All the hard work and finance that was pumped in to the system to build up the academy is now starting to bear fruit and we have players coming through who have the potential to play for the first-team.

In six months, some could be on the fringes of the first-team squad with a manager like Dougie Freedman who likes to blood youth and believes if you are good enough, you are ready enough.

Sometimes that’s when you learn most about young players when you throw them in at a higher level.

One thing that will always go in their favour is the fact the fans will be right behind them at Wanderers.

It is one of their own coming through and I always believe a kid who progresses through the ranks has more of a feel for the club; their heart and soul is with Bolton Wanderers and the loyalty is there from the outset.

Hopefully, this bunch who are doing so well can produce a few stars of the future.

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EVERYONE has a clean slate under Dougie Freedman and no one needs to hear that more than Marvin Sordell.

I was interested to read what Dougie said about Marvin getting a chance, and I hope he takes it.

Let’s be honest, since he arrived he has been disappointing and we haven’t really had the return for what we paid for him.

But Dougie believes he can get the best out of him and you can hardly doubt his confidence after what he has done with the youth at Palace.

He likes to help young players and give them a chance.
I hope he can get Marvin firing because that would be a huge boost for us up front.

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IT’S hardly the easiest of starts for Dougie on Saturday against the new league leaders Cardiff.

Malky Mackay has done a fine job there but we need to beat them if we have any ambitions of climbing the table.

There is no honeymoon period for Dougie; it is in at the deep end.
But if his aim of promotion is to be realised, we need to beat the top teams to claw back the gap.

There are some really good games coming up for us in that respect and if we hit the ground running under the new manager, we can make ground up quickly.

If we can be in the play-off positions or thereabouts by the end of the year, it would put us back in the frame for the second half of the season.

A bit of wheeling and dealing in January and then a good run and who knows where we may end up?