Bolton’s 34 year old number one keeper, Jussi Jaaskelainen is reported today to have had a behind-the-scenes bust up with Owen Coyle over the appointment of goalkeeping coach Phil Hughes.
The report in the Daily Mail states that the Finnish international’s mentor at Bolton Fred Barber had been surplus to requirements and had been asked to leave the Reebok.
Coyle naturally wanted to bring in his own backroom staff and we now know of course that was the whole of our former managerial team including goalkeeping coach Phil Hughes.
It would appear that Jaaskelainen spent just half-an-hour training with Hughes before realising it was not going to work. The keeper stormed off giving Coyle an ultimatum, reinstate Barber or I’m leaving!
It looks like Coyle has been forced into a corner with Barber now being asked to return.
Bolton’s official website now list both Barber and Hughes as joint-goalkeeping coach but it seems a recipe for disaster with Hughes still taking his place on the bench for the games but Barber now in control of day-to day training.
This looks like a weak compromise with Bolton now having to pay the salaries of two goalkeeping coaches when they only clearly needed one! That will please the chairman, Phil Gartside with the club in financial difficulty and debt.
This looks like typical player power if true and you would think it will certainly have weakened Coyle’s influence in the future with his players.
Would would happen if some of his key players now complained for example about Steve Davis with a similar ultimatum either now or in the future?
This news crowns a poor start for Coyle at his new club. Without a win yet and smarting over the two defeats by Arsenal he has also had to backtrack over remarks he made about the Gallas challenge against Mark Davies in the midweek match at the Emirates. Play continued and the Gunners got an equaliser to make the score 2-2 before going on to win the match 4-2.
Coyle though in his post-match interview chucked a wobbly stating that Gallas should have beeen sent-off.
He said at the time:
‘It was closer to an assault than a tackle.There was no doubt it was a free-kick. It was a terrible foul and normally would have resulted in a red card.
‘The referee is an honest man who will realise he has made a horrendous mistake.
‘Arsenal carried on and scored and it puts fair play out of the window. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth.’
A few days later though when he had reflected on his comments he felt it necessary to tone down his remarks and is now quoted as saying:
‘Having looked at it I don’t think William Gallas purposely went to hurt Mark Davies.I think it was badly timed, simple as that but we have to move on.’
You have certainly done a lot of moving on recently Mr Coyle most of it in the wrong direction. My heart bleeds for you!
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