Spearing celebrating our start to the season.

The players were back in training Monday morning

Boggersbelief wrote:The players were back in training Monday morning

With plenty of Bloody Mary's, Andrews Liver salts and aspirins? 

Natasha's mole told me they were giggling during laps and singing "Guantanamera". Make of that what you will.

Back to the beach for volley ball now. The lads are feeling fine and up for it today a good old traditional English fry up washed down with vodka and orange sorted out the dodgy guts and sore heads.

WANDERERS have launched an internal investigation after photos of captain Jay Spearing on holiday in Ibiza emerged on social networking sites on Monday night.

The recently-appointed club captain was pictured revelling at a party in the luxurious Ocean Beach resort just 24 hours after the 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, which left the club three points adrift in the Championship relegation zone.

Players had been given two days off by the club but the fact Spearing was snapped on a sunshine getaway angered fans, who registered their discontent to The Bolton News.

“One point in 15 and our captain is living it up in Ibiza,” wrote Wanderers fan Daniel West.

“It’s another damaging blow for supporters’ morale,” added Lee Chadwick.

The controversy comes just a few days after Jermaine Beckford came in for heavy criticism for saluting fans of his former club Leeds during Saturday’s game.

Spearing returned to training on Tuesday morning with the rest of the squad and the matter has been brought to the attention of manager Dougie Freedman, who was assisting Scotland Under-19s last night in their friendly against the Czech Republic.

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Sluffy wrote:WANDERERS have launched an internal investigation after photos of captain Jay Spearing on holiday in Ibiza emerged on social networking sites on Monday night.

The recently-appointed club captain was pictured revelling at a party in the luxurious Ocean Beach resort just 24 hours after the 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, which left the club three points adrift in the Championship relegation zone.

Players had been given two days off by the club but the fact Spearing was snapped on a sunshine getaway angered fans, who registered their discontent to The Bolton News.

“One point in 15 and our captain is living it up in Ibiza,” wrote Wanderers fan Daniel West.

“It’s another damaging blow for supporters’ morale,” added Lee Chadwick.

The controversy comes just a few days after Jermaine Beckford came in for heavy criticism for saluting fans of his former club Leeds during Saturday’s game.

Spearing returned to training on Tuesday morning with the rest of the squad and the matter has been brought to the attention of manager Dougie Freedman, who was assisting Scotland Under-19s last night in their friendly against the Czech Republic.

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At least Dougie has been spending his days off sorting out the Scottish kids rather than sorting out his own mess at BWFC. What's more important? Charity work must come first eh!

The players had two days off. He spent, I assume, about 3-4 hours with the Scottish team.

What season changing activity could he have done in that time?

Hipster_Nebula wrote:The players had two days off. He spent, I assume, about 3-4 hours with the Scottish team.

What season changing activity could he have done in that time?

Looking at our current position, quite a lot!

Fair enough if you think that. 

I take the point they could have been in and had a couple of sessions though. But at some point the players would have been off, they don't train 24/7 and DF isn't sitting in the Macron 24/7 at some point he would have been at home, getting some more coaching experience is hardly a bad way to spend your down time.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:The players had two days off. He spent, I assume, about 3-4 hours with the Scottish team.

What season changing activity could he have done in that time?

It's more about what signal it sends out.

If I were Freedman and somebody from the SFA had rung me up and said "How do you fancy coming up here and helping out with the U19's during the international break?" I would had said "No thanks."

And I would have explained my decision along the lines of -

"The Bolton fans are after my blood because we're shit at the moment and look like we can't buy a win.

I think it's probably best if I stay here and try and make it look like I'm taking the team's league position seriously and at least trying to work out how to improve it.

If I go swanning off to join you lot for a completely meaningless U19's game, it may suggest to them that I don't really give a fuck about how Bolton are doing and I'm only focused on what's best for me."

But I'm not him.....

You might take that view, but honestly he is the manager and any experience he can gain... in management and coaching surely benefits Bolton, especially when some players are on Int duty and the rest are not at work. It leaves a bitter taste that the players are off but they would be at some point anyway. Spearing is the main offender IMO feeling as if he's earned a piss up abroad, but as I say, he no doubt would have been in a british club anyway? 

DF could have done more prep work for the next game sure, but the fans think he's "shit" anyway so surely it wouldn't have made a jot of difference. 

from what I read on twitter fans think the players/coaches should be at Bolton 24/7. It was similar with Rob Hall and Sordell tweeting, they'd always get replies "why are you tweeting and not training?!?!" The same reason i suspect they were tweeting and not sitting at their desk.

Again though, it's about communication or more accurately, a lack thereof.

If DF had done a quick telephone interview with Iles before he headed off for Scotland in which he explained that he was doing it in the hope of picking up a couple of tips and possibly scouting some young talent, nobody would have cause to complain about it.

But yet again, all we hear is a one-liner from the BN which tells us he's off to Scotland and this leaves him open to criticism.

It's pure naivety on his part which gives his detractors more ammo to fire and he could and should have handled it differently, for his own benefit if not that of the fans.

Breadman wrote:Again though, it's about communication or more accurately, a lack thereof.

If DF had done a quick telephone interview with Iles before he headed off for Scotland in which he explained that he was doing it in the hope of picking up a couple of tips and possibly scouting some young talent, nobody would have cause to complain about it.

But yet again, all we hear is a one-liner from the BN which tells us he's off to Scotland and this leaves him open to criticism.

It's pure naivety on his part which gives his detractors more ammo to fire and he could and should have handled it differently, for his own benefit if not that of the fans.

I would go further than naïve Bred, more like plain stupid. However, given our experience of his managerial skills over the last (almost) 2 years, why would we expect anything less?

Reebok Trotter wrote:Was it Charnock Richard by any chance? I only ask because I have noticed a number of players park their personal vehicles there on night matches and some away games.

You're right, it was Charnock Richard. The place was nearly deserted and I think I was the only person in there who recognised who they were. Sadly, they were very polite and courteous so I had to embroider the story a bit. 

I completely disagree but hey ho.

Don't see why he should be informing the bloody BN of his every move just to make sure some fickle fans dont cry about him doing 3-4 hours of coaching. 

Fact is the fans don't like him and will criticise absolutely everything he says or does. Maybe thats where the naivety comes in, but it really is a sad state of affairs. 

The fans will be calling for webcams in his office next. But again I'm obviously in the minority so fair enough, just dont see this as the slightest bit egregious, certainly compared to swanning off to Ibiza. He IS a football coach (whatever you think of him)

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I completely disagree but hey ho.

Don't see why he should be informing the bloody BN of his every move just to make sure some fickle fans dont cry about him doing 3-4 hours of coaching. 

Fact is the fans don't like him and will criticise absolutely everything he says or does. Maybe thats where the naivety comes in, but it really is a sad state of affairs. 

The fans will be calling for webcams in his office next. But again I'm obviously in the minority so fair enough, just dont see this as the slightest bit egregious, certainly compared to swanning off to Ibiza. He IS a football coach (whatever you think of him)

Again, like DF, you've completely missed the point.

If you're under pressure and people are looking for excuses to have a pop at you, you don't make it easy for them.

If I thought a two minute phone call would be enough to allow me to do what I wanted without fear of criticism, I'd make it in a heart beat.

And the fact that he can't see this is what concerns me the most about this whole situation.

Maybe, JAH is right and he's just thick.

These two issues are just more evidence that the club has totally lost touch with the fans.

A simple statement from Dougie saying he was disappointed with his club captain getting pissed up in Ibiza and the matter would be dealt with internally would have been the obvious response. But this is Dougie's Bolton where there doesn't seem to be an ounce of discipline.

Breadman wrote:

Hipster_Nebula wrote:I completely disagree but hey ho.

Don't see why he should be informing the bloody BN of his every move just to make sure some fickle fans dont cry about him doing 3-4 hours of coaching. 

Fact is the fans don't like him and will criticise absolutely everything he says or does. Maybe thats where the naivety comes in, but it really is a sad state of affairs. 

The fans will be calling for webcams in his office next. But again I'm obviously in the minority so fair enough, just dont see this as the slightest bit egregious, certainly compared to swanning off to Ibiza. He IS a football coach (whatever you think of him)

Again, like DF, you've completely missed the point.

If you're under pressure and people are looking for excuses to have a pop at you, you don't make it easy for them.

If I thought a two minute phone call would be enough to allow me to do what I wanted without fear of criticism, I'd make it in a heart beat.

And the fact that he can't see this is what concerns me the most about this whole situation.

Maybe, JAH is right and he's just thick.

no I didn't miss the point. Respect the opinion just completely disagree. 

It's getting to the mob mentality point now. I do hope DF leaves soon for his own sake and we can get someone else in to "support" because I actually like the guy.

Hipster_Nebula wrote:

no I didn't miss the point. Respect the opinion just completely disagree. 

It's getting to the mob mentality point now. I do hope DF leaves soon for his own sake and we can get someone else in to "support" because I actually like the guy.

The manager has made no effort to engage with the fans. What a knob.

I bet no Ipswich players were getting pissed in Ibiza this week.

predictably awful comeback.

he's engaged at the fans forums, he even did a live radio call in just after he got the job to be told he wasn't the right man and they preferred Phil Brown. 

the fans hate the manager and what he says but they want to hear more of it? They hate the chairman and want him to talk to them more? There's always more you can do as a club in the community but I wont speak to that as I don't live there. 

People can say "it would have cleared it up" but you know very well it wouldn't have, the fans would have slagged him just the same.