Darren Pratley: Act now or face the drop again

Darren Pratley reckons Wanderers must be prepared for a bumpy ride in League One – or face a “double drop”.

After relegation was confirmed on Saturday, the Whites know now they will be playing third-tier football next season for the first time since 1993.

Club skipper Pratley spent 12 months playing in the division for Brentford earlier in his career and knows first-hand that making an immediate return to the Championship will not be an easy task.

Wanderers have only once played at a lower level – in 1987/88 – but Pratley warned that unless provisions are made, another relegation is not beyond the realms of possibility.

“The club has to act now,” he told The Bolton News. “Anyone who thinks we’re going to go down then come back up easily has another think coming.

“It’s a harder league to get out of, there are no international breaks, more games and Bolton are going to be the team that everyone wants to beat. Teams will see the Macron as a nice day out.

“We need to start planning now and getting a positive vibe around the club.

“We have got younger players coming through and they will make mistakes, so we have to protect them, they are our future.

“Next year is going to be so hard. If people think we are going to come straight back up – I think we could easily end up doing a double drop like Portsmouth if we don’t get it right.”

Wanderers’ wage bill will be reduced in the summer as a number of contracts expire, including those of David Wheater, Neil Danns, Liam Feeney and Emile Heskey.

But costs remain high and unless the club can shed high earners their wage bill will already eclipse any team in League One before another signing is made.

Wigan Athletic’s wage bill is currently the highest in the division, at around £9million, although they are still aided by parachute payments from the Premier League.

The salary cap restricts clubs to spending 75 per cent of their turnover but Pratley accepts he and other senior players could be put up for sale.

“I have got two years left on my contract so it’s up to the club whether they want to carry it through,” he said.

“I am not stupid or naïve, I know the club will slash the budget because they need to. They will want to bring in fresh blood too.

“Until I get told otherwise I am contracted to Bolton.”

Source

pack your bags now Dazza you'll be on your way before long, Captain my arse

How can he suddenly be not contracted to Bolton if he doesn't come to a voluntary agreement to terminate?

Obviously if he's waiting for someone to tell him he's not putting himself forward to leave by mutual consent.

And I'd be amazed if any of the players do it voluntarily. Don't suppose the club had anything to announce after yesterday's "critical" meeting with the players on this matter?

wanderlust wrote:How can he suddenly be not contracted to Bolton if he doesn't come to a voluntary agreement to terminate?

Obviously if he's waiting for someone to tell him he's not putting himself forward to leave by mutual consent.

And I'd be amazed if any of the players do it voluntarily. Don't suppose the club had anything to announce after yesterday's "critical" meeting with the players on this matter?

That's where I am with it.

It's all well and good coming out with all this "tough talking rhetoric", designed to appeal to happy-clapping knuckle draggers like Soul Kitchen and his ilk, but the fact remains that if the players concerned don't want to go, there's cock all Anderson, Holdsworth or anybody else can do about it.

They have legally binding contracts which the club are duty bound to honour.

Perhaps he needs to look at his own contribution on the park this season and ask himself has he given value for money?
He's not alone in this respect but he's hardly led by example.
He needs to look at how Holding and Feeny have performed and realise his shortfall.