Gary Megson was fired by Bolton on Wednesday with the club in the
Premier League relegation zone and after failing to convince the
fans he was the right manager.
The 50-year-old Megson was booed off the pitch Tuesday after
Bolton threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at home with Hull.
"I'm bitterly disappointed to lose my job but I don't think
the decision is unfair," Megson told AOL's Fan House Web site.
"There are 10 clubs in a battle at the bottom of the table, but the
other nine aren't having to operate under the same conditions and
circumstances that we are.
"I don't want to comment on the spectators."
Bolton is 18th in the standings on 18 points along with No.
17. West Ham and No. 19 Hull but with two games in hand.
"The decision has been taken in the light of the position the
club finds itself in the Premier League at the halfway point of the
season," Bolton said in a statement.
Megson joined Bolton in October 2007 as Sammy Lee's
replacement. His appointment was greeted with hostility by a
section of the club's fans. Despite successfully steering the team
away from the relegation zone in the 2007-8 season, he continued to
attract criticism.
"I still want to work again. Despite all the stick I seem to
have been getting from Bolton fans, I've been delighted that my
peers and people who know football seem to say that it's gone OK
since I've been there," Megson said. "When I came in we looked an
absolute certainty for relegation but we managed to stay up by the
skin of our teeth, while at the same time taking the club further
in Europe than it's ever been - with a reserve team."
Last season, Bolton finished seven points above the drop zone
in 13th place.
"There's had to be a lot of change off the field as well as
on it," Megson said. "We finished mid-table last year, and although
we're in the bottom three this year we're only five points off 10th
spot."
Assistant manager Chris Evans and first-team coach Steve
Wigley will take temporary charge of the team, which faces
fourth-tier club Lincoln in the third round of the FA Cup on
Saturday and Arsenal in the league next Wednesday.
