HE'S up and down like a Jack-in-a-Box and it's a in-house joke that his blood pressure won't stand the strain.

Last season at Blackpool, his enthusiasm led to him twice being 'sent off'.

But Phil Brown has no plans to curb his touchline antics.

He doesn't play any more but a change of role hasn't diluted his passion for the game and his determination to enjoy life.

The serious switch from captain to coach has simply given him greater powers of influence over the pleasure Bolton Wanderers are aiming to bring to thousands of devoted fans.

"It's an extension of the captaincy," he explains. "It's part of my job to make sure the players are playing with smiles on their faces.

"And if the players are smiling you can be sure the fans will be smiling too."

Brown believes a happy dressing room is a key factor in generating success on the field. "It's all part of the recipe for success!" he insists.

By common consent, he was single-handedly responsible for the team spirit that helped lead Wanderers out of the wilderness of the lower divisions. But as Colin Todd's chief coach, he now assumes greater responsibility.

Brown is undaunted by the challenge or by the suggestion that he will be handicapped by lack of experience and familiarity.

"I've been both surprised and pleased how well things have gone so far," he admits. "Colin's standards are very high and I can only learn from him in the way I did last year working alongside Sam (Allardyce) at Blackpool.

"I've had no problems dealing with any of the players. In fact, I've found it much easier than I expected, contrary to what some people were suggesting when I took the job. Managers and coaches who knew I was coming back said the players I knew from my time here before would be the biggest problem. But people like John McGinlay, Keith Branagan, Alan Thompson and the others have been very responsive to what I've had to say.

"And newcomers like Chris Fairclough, who got a championship winners medal, have been brilliant. He certainly hasn't suggested he isn't satisfied with the way things have gone - but I wouldn't expect anything else from such a smashing bloke and a good pro.

"Actually, I don't feel I have anything to prove to any of the players. I've just got to prepare them, get them functioning as a team and make them believe that we are doing the right things."

Brown has already learned a lot from his year as No 2 at Blackpool and he knows that there is a limit to the influence he can exert from the dugout.

He says: "The hardest part of the job is the 90 minutes. You can push them and prod them but once they cross that white line, it's all down to them.

"I can't go on there and lead them.

"But it makes it easier knowing I am working with quality players. When I first came here as a player I remember being impressed by the standard of the lads who were here - players like Steve Thompson. I'd been knocking around the basement with Hartlepool and Halifax and suddenly I was working with much better players.

"And I've been impressed again. No disrespect to Blackpool but there were times when I asked players to perform certain functions and they couldn't do it. The lads here are actually doing things above and beyond what I'm asking."

There's still no substitute for hard work, though. Wanderers reverted to a physically demanding pre-season regime, which Brown believes will pay dividends now that the serious business has started.

"I'm working with class players but they've been put through their paces, as people round Bolton will probably have noticed during the summer," he explains. "They've been up and down the steps at Rivington and on tough cross country courses around Entwistle.

"It's been physically and mentally demanding - and only the strong will come through."

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