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The Lancastrian axe has been swinging in recent weeks, as Bolton and Blackburn go in search of new managers having dispensed with the services of Owen Coyle and Steve Kean respectively. Here the Life’s a Pitch panel dissects and debates the wreckage at these historic clubs, who were both relegated from the Premier League last season.

Footballer-turned-journalist Adrian Clarke is certain that Mick McCarthy will be on the shortlist for one, or both, jobs, and predicts he’d make a particularly good fist of it at Ewood Park. “If they appointed Mick McCarthy, I’d immediately make Blackburn favourites for promotion,” says Adrian. “The squad is there, it’s all about the atmosphere around the place and creating the right team spirit and morale. They’ve got the best striker in the Championship in Jordan Rhodes, so someone will take the job and if it’s the right person, they’ll get them back to the Premier League, no problem.”

Over at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton are adjusting to life without Coyle, who, according to Ian Ridley of the Mail on Sunday, must have seen the writing on the wall. He says: “If you look into Bolton, this is a club that’s £110m in debt, owed primarily to the owner Eddie Lewis, so they can’t afford not to be in the Premier League. They’ve lost five of their first 10 games and are languishing near the bottom, so it’s been on the cards and you could sense it for a few weeks that a change might be made.”

The Guardian’s Dominic Fifield can’t believe how dramatically Coyle’s status in the game has fallen in the past 12 months. “This time last year, after Arsenal had suffered an awful start to the season, there were a few fans outside the Emirates saying ‘get rid of Wenger, we want Owen Coyle’,” reveals Dominic. “His standing has just completely disintegrated. I think there was a bit of naivety to it all, to be honest, certainly last season and, to a certain extent, in the Championship too. He wasn’t reacting in the right way with the team.”

Watch the full video discussion by clicking on the play button in the image above.

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