Dougie Freedman underlines Premiership ambitions at Bolton

DOUGIE Freedman claims Bolton’s long-term potential persuaded him to end a long and successful association with Crystal Palace.

Freedman left the south London outfit last week to succeed Owen Coyle at the Reebok Stadium, despite Wanderers lying 16th in the npower Championship and Palace riding high in fourth. Saturday’s loss at Middlesbrough dropped Bolton – many observers’ favourites to earn an instant return to the Barclays Premier League – to 18th position with 15 points from 13 outings.

But the 38-year-old insists he has moved to further his career with a club geared towards top-flight football. “It was a decision I made for the long game,” Freedman said when addressing his first press conference as Bolton manager yesterday afternoon. “I’ve got a long-game strategy where I feel this club will give me the tools that will get us to the Premier League.

“Crystal Palace have been fantastic for me. I was there as a player and as a manager and I’ve got a real bond with the fans. I feel that I owed this opportunity to myself and my family. It’s not really what they [Palace] are lacking, it’s what Bolton have got. I don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed to say that promotion is the key to the season.”

Such goals may sound a touch lofty for a team 13 points behind leaders Cardiff – the side Freedman welcomes to the north west for his first game at the helm this weekend. Indeed, it was Freedman and not Wanderers chairman Phil Gartside that forced the issue of promotion during the interview process.

“The chairman played it down,” he said. “It was me – my hunger and desire to succeed that was asking him the questions in terms of what tools have I got to succeed. I think it’s a wonderful squad. I’m going to try and figure out why certain players are not performing to their potential. I’ve come to a wonderful club with a great tradition and I believe we should be playing there [the Premier League].”

When news of his departure broke, Palace chairman Steve Parish spoke of Freedman having an “obsession” with the Premier League. While the phrasing does not sit well with him, Freedman did little to hide his burning ambition. “Steve Parish puts words in people’s mouths – he won’t put that in my mouth,” he added. “I am a young manager in a rush, I won’t hide that. I’m very ambitious and I do want to manage right to the top level. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having some desire.”