PHIL Gartside has thrown his full backing behind Dougie Freedman – admitting that this is a tough time to be a manager at Bolton Wanderers.

The chairman believes the man he chose to succeed Owen Coyle in October 2012 is coping well amidst pressing financial circumstances.

Incoming Financial Fair Play rules have limited the extent to which club owner Eddie Davies can fund new players and despite Wanderers showing little sign so far of making a push for the promotion places this season, Gartside is content with the job Freedman is currently doing.

“Dougie has had a tough job since he came in,” he said. “FFP has made it more difficult to give him funds but he’s comfortable with it. He’s restructured the club and changed the training ground.

“He cares about bringing youth through and at his last club he showed he wants to work with young and hungry players. From my point of view I think he has done a damn good job.

“He’s also a young British manager and we don’t have enough of those. “ Gartside believes it will take time to build a squad that is capable of reaching the Premier League and has asked for time from the club’s fans.

“Be patient with us,” he said in an interview with BBC Radio Manchester.

“It is a tough time and it is difficult for everyone but we want to be back in the Premier League.

“We have got a great benefactor in Eddie Davies who has been here for 15 years and he’s not easing up.

“We’ve got to be patient to allow us to develop into that team again.”