Against a backdrop of abuse, Gary Megson could have been forgiven for wondering what he had let himself in for last night as he got a first glimpse of the Bolton Wanderers team whose ailing fortunes he has been charged with transforming.

Having signed a 2½-year contract just hours earlier, Megson was spared being thrust straight into the fray, but as he watched on as the Reebok Stadium’s most attentive spectator, the former Leicester City, Nottingham Forest and West Bromwich Albion manager will have been left in no doubt about the size of the task facing him after a 1-1 draw with SC Braga in their opening Uefa Cup group F game failed to paper over the cracks of Bolton’s disappointing season.

Phil Gartside, the chairman, was insistent yesterday that Megson is the man to unite a discontented dressing-room and lift the club off the bottom of the Barclays Premier League, but most Bolton supporters do not appear to share his sentiments and, as the cries of “Sack the board” and “You don’t know what you’re doing” that had circulated before kick-off gathered momentum during a forgettable game, it was hard to remember such widespread opposition to a managerial appointment.

Perhaps the swaths of empty seats and the cacophony of boos had dissuaded Gartside from parading Megson in front of the fans. There was no formal introduction.

That will come this afternoon and then the crucial Barclays Premier League game at home to Aston Villa on Sunday, when Megson will hope to get a warmer reception.

Instead, Megson quietly took his seat in the dugout and watched on as Archie Knox, who has been in temporary charge since Sammy Lee’s departure as manager last week and will stay on as a coach under Megson, orchestrated proceedings from the technical area.

It must have been a strange experience for a man who is usually so animated on the touchline, but if Megson gleaned any lessons against Braga, the most important might have been the need to cultivate relations with the team’s star players, one of whom gave Bolton the lead in the 67th minute before the Portuguese side equalised four minutes from time.

El-Hadji Diouf, the Senegal forward, had been on the pitch only six minutes when he was given enough space at the far post to head home Kevin Davies’s cross.

The decision to omit Diouf from the starting line-up, along with Kevin Nolan, was partly understandable given the enormity of the Villa game, but it was not well received by the fans and, if Megson is to improve where Lee failed, he must not isolate the former Liverpool forward or his captain, as his predecessor did.

Braga should have had a penalty in the 71st minute when Zé Manel was clearly upended by Andy O’Brien, but the visiting team eventually drew level when César Peixoto picked out Jailson, who thrashed the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen to heighten the sense of melancholy that permeated the Reebok Stadium, although many of the 10,848 who did bother to turn up last night had already taken their leave by then.

Lee was not a popular choice and, by again plumping for another figure who does not have the support of even half the fans, Gartside appears to be taking another huge risk — even if he does not see it that way.

“I have spoken to the staff and the players and we are all committed to getting behind Gary and turning around our fortunes,” the chairman said.

“We feel Gary is the right man to take Bolton forward. “I have paid particular attention to his career and he has demonstrated to me that he is prepared to roll his sleeves up.

“He has the right temperament for a battle, which this season is undoubtedly going to be.”

At least no one can disagree with that.

Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): J Jaaskelainen — N Hunt, A O’Brien, A Meïté, G Cid — D Guthrie (sub: E-H Diouf, 61min), G McCann, G Speed, R Gardner (sub: Andranik Teymourian, 82) — K Davies, N Anelka. Substitutes not used: A Al-Habsi, J O’Brien, K Nolan, D Braaten, M Alonso. Booked: Cid

Braga (4-3-3): P Santos — J Pereira, P Jorge, Rodriguez, C Peixoto — Vandinho, A Madrid (sub: Jailson, 76), Castanheira (sub: Stélvio, 68) — Jorginho, R Linz, Wender (Zé Manel, 67). Substitutes not used: Dani, J Tomás, C Fernandes, Anilton. Booked: Castanheira

Referee: D Ceferin (Slovenia).