When was the last time we had a squad this poor?

[Lord Kangana]

Ibiza by any chance?

[twilight]

Ha Ha no, Lanzarote

[Prufrock]

Yup. Mavies, Danns and McNaughton the only ones I like. Two of them are triers and the other is never fit. As bad as it's been in my lifetime (though no worse than the year we went down. Never subscribed to the Petrov fuss and the rest of em were uninspiring.

[Worthy4England]

Yup. Mavies, Danns and McNaughton the only ones I like. Two of them are triers and the other is never fit. As bad as it's been in my lifetime (though no worse than the year we went down. Never subscribed to the Petrov fuss and the rest of em were uninspiring.

That would be Emperor Petrov and his new clothes...

[Prufrock]

He was shite, yes .

[jaffka]

Stuck in the last, was the subtle hint.

Hmmm...but ain't this thread inviting us to make those comparisons?

It is but for me the picture perfectly illustrates the idiot stuck in the past.

[adamworthy2002]

This is the worst squad I have ever seen.

[Gary the Enfield]

This is the worst squad I have ever seen.

Whereas this is the worst squat I have ever seen.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j& ... 9129,d.d2s" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[EverSoYouri]

Stuck in the last, was the subtle hint.

Hmmm...but ain't this thread inviting us to make those comparisons?

It is but for me the picture perfectly illustrates the idiot stuck in the past.

So, on a thread titled 'When was the last time we had a squad this poor?' your point is let's not mention the past?

[ChrisC]

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.

But Luke Raftery, who appears alongside him in the picture, posted a message on The Bolton News’ website in support of the 25-year-old Liverpudlian.

“This photo is of myself and Jay and has been taken off my Instagram. Jay was simply having a good time and enjoying a break from his work, he is only human,” he wrote.

“He was really friendly and carried himself as professional as you would expect.

“Needless to say the photo does not do him any favours but he was not as drunk as he appears in the picture.

“Everyone is entitled to a good party every once in a while. Cut the bloke some slack.”

Many readers of The Bolton News have also backed Spearing’s right to enjoy a break – with 59 per cent voting in an online poll that there had been an over-reaction towards the incident as of 5.15pm today.

It is understood Wanderers have spoken with the skipper about the situation but the club are yet to make official comment.

[IggyTheDawgster]

I'll cut him, and the rest of 'em some bloody slack when they start performing on the pitch. You earn your fecking holidays with hard work. Not a lot of that going on at the club at the moment.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's certainly the least inspired I've ever been watching this lot.

I remember the relegation side of 86-87 well, and whilst there were some truly shocking performances, as others have said there were players like Gavin, Oghani & Caldwell who could get you off your feet.

I'd liken this lot to the side Phil Neal had in his last year as they limped towards the end of the season with nowt to play for. With the brief exception of Andy Walker, they had little creativity or attacking threat and provided zero excitement. That side was crying out for someone new to come in and freshen things up. This one is too

I see the comparison with Neal's last season, HG, but only in that it was an underachieving squad. It included many decent players, most of whom were reinvigorated the following season by Rioch: Walker, Tony Philliskirk, Tony Kelly, Mark Patterson, Alan Stubbs, Jason McAteer, plus poor old Julian Darby whom Neal insisted on fielding through a run of form so terrible that some on the Paddock took home-made "11" substitute boards...

Even players we might not remember as golden, like Scott Green, Mark Seagraves, Phil Brown and David Burke, looked much better under the new boss. I guess that's part of the problem, or more positively part of the potential solution: for all the benefits brought by Rioch's signings McGinlay, Branagan and Lee (the latter of whom Neal had chased for seasons), it was arguably more importantly his improvement of the moribund squad he inherited that pushed us upwards.

It's entirely possible that that could happen again. I don't think these current players are entirely without merit, and looked at dispassionately rather than disappointedly, our strongest XI should be able to be both entertaining and solid. A squad playing poorly needn't necessarily mean a poor squad.

[Hoboh]

If I was Coyle I'd be looking for a new God the last one did now't for his career.

I think I hit the wrong thread sorry.

[jaffka]

God works in mysterious ways. Apparently.

[Andy Waller]

It's certainly the least inspired I've ever been watching this lot.

I remember the relegation side of 86-87 well, and whilst there were some truly shocking performances, as others have said there were players like Gavin, Oghani & Caldwell who could get you off your feet.

I'd liken this lot to the side Phil Neal had in his last year as they limped towards the end of the season with nowt to play for. With the brief exception of Andy Walker, they had little creativity or attacking threat and provided zero excitement. That side was crying out for someone new to come in and freshen things up. This one is too

I see the comparison with Neal's last season, HG, but only in that it was an underachieving squad. It included many decent players, most of whom were reinvigorated the following season by Rioch: Walker, Tony Philliskirk, Tony Kelly, Mark Patterson, Alan Stubbs, Jason McAteer, plus poor old Julian Darby whom Neal insisted on fielding through a run of form so terrible that some on the Paddock took home-made "11" substitute boards...

Even players we might not remember as golden, like Scott Green, Mark Seagraves, Phil Brown and David Burke, looked much better under the new boss. I guess that's part of the problem, or more positively part of the potential solution: for all the benefits brought by Rioch's signings McGinlay, Branagan and Lee (the latter of whom Neal had chased for seasons), it was arguably more importantly his improvement of the moribund squad he inherited that pushed us upwards.

It's entirely possible that that could happen again. I don't think these current players are entirely without merit, and looked at dispassionately rather than disappointedly, our strongest XI should be able to be both entertaining and solid. A squad playing poorly needn't necessarily mean a poor squad.

For me though Mr Barnet (and maybe it was through rose tinted NHS children's specs) is that at least those players above gave a toss. You could say they were crap and you'd probably be right, but you could never fault their application. (Maybe Frillyskirt?)

One of the main problems with us now, is that the whole club is so far detached from the fans that it just make things worse.

You might have found Tony Kelly in Maccys the day after a game but on the p**s in Ibiza, the day after another loss is rubbing our noses in it.

I can cope with a player not being good enough, but (like Beckford Vs Birmingham last season) when a player is clearly not trying and sulking, it does grate a bit.

[thebish]

You might have found Tony Kelly in Maccys the day after a game but on the p**s in Ibiza, the day after another loss is rubbing our noses in it.

is there any actual evidence that any of our current squad were "on the piss" in Ibiza?

[Bruce Rioja]

You might have found Tony Kelly in Maccys the day after a game but on the p**s in Ibiza, the day after another loss is rubbing our noses in it.

is there any actual evidence that any of our current squad were "on the piss" in Ibiza?

I do have good anecdotal evidence that Tony Kelly, every Monday after his weigh in with Rioch, would make his way directly to the Burnden Pie shop. Does that help?

[Lord Kangana]

You might have found Tony Kelly in Maccys the day after a game but on the p**s in Ibiza, the day after another loss is rubbing our noses in it.

is there any actual evidence that any of our current squad were "on the piss" in Ibiza?

Any evidence that they weren't?

[thebish]

You might have found Tony Kelly in Maccys the day after a game but on the p**s in Ibiza, the day after another loss is rubbing our noses in it.

is there any actual evidence that any of our current squad were "on the piss" in Ibiza?

Any evidence that they weren't?

I haven't seen any evidence either way...

if one photograph of a leery-looking bolton fan doing a selfie with Spearing = "the squad were on the piss in Ibiza", then folk are far too eager to find reason to claim that their noses are being "rubbed in it" (whatever "it" is!)

[Lord Kangana]

I think, (and I'm sure that Pru and Mummy will back me up on this) that on a balance of probabilities (and lets be honest they didn't commit murder, so we don't need to go uber pedantic with beyond reasonable doubt) its safe to assume that young men go to Ibiza overwhelmingly to go out on the piss.

They are young men.

They were in Ibiza.

And lets be honest, without needing to pick apart the exactitudes of exactly how pissed off people are with it, it is at best bad PR and a little crass.