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Mark Beevers reckons the whole club should get credit for Wanderers’ exemplary defensive record this season.
Phil Parkinson’s side set a new benchmark after conceding just 36 goals in 46 league games – a far cry from the previous campaign when they shipped 81 on route to relegation from the Championship.
Much of the spotlight has been shone on central defenders Beevers and David Wheater, who have been virtually ever-present. But the former Millwall man insists the praise should be shared around the camp for turning around the club’s fortunes.
“Obviously, a record like that is fantastic,” he told The Bolton News. “It’s great for the defenders whether that’s me, Wheats, or anyone else who played at the back this year.
“But I genuinely think the whole club deserves a pat on the back because it has been hard work, front to back.
“It has been a collective effort, we all mucked in. And to concede just 36 in 46 games is a brilliant effort.
“We’ve shared goals around at the other end and got praised for getting forward on the end of set pieces, so it’s only fair when you look at how a team defends that you point to Jay Spearing or Gary Madine and say they had a big hand in it too.
“The manager and his staff work hard on the shape of the team and we’ve changed up formations a couple of times this year. It has been really hard work.”
Wanderers’ players are currently on a short trip to Dubai after sealing promotion last weekend – a treat from chairman Ken Anderson.
“It’s nice of him – it has been a long old season for us,” Beevers said.
“In League One you have to go to some tough grounds. It’s not the life of luxury but you have to pick up results, and we have done.
“It’s been nice to see the fans celebrating and the mood around the place has been excellent. It’s nice to be able to get away and relax a bit before the hard work begins again.”
Phil Parkinson expanded on the Dubai trip, revealing Anderson had used it as an incentive to the players a few weeks ago in an effort to get them over the line to promotion.
“About two-and-a-half weeks ago the chairman said to me he’d like to come into the dressing room and have a chat with the lads,” he said.
“We’d said they might need a bit of a lift – and Ken went in and told the lads that if they got over the line I’ll take you away.
“Having been a player myself I know how that can lift you and the first thing Jay Spearing said after the game was: ‘Well Mr Chairman, where are we going?’
“That group of lads deserve a few days away to enjoy themselves.
“We’ve been on their case all season about living right and not going out too much. We’ve got that right most of the time… Sometimes we haven’t.
“But some players, managers and chairmen go through their whole careers without getting a promotion so it’s really important that while we plan for the future, we enjoy it.”
Asked for some of his defining moments of the season, Parkinson cast his mind back to August and the opening game against Sheffield United.
“Right up to Friday morning on the day before the game we had two teams picked because we didn’t know whether the Football League were going to register our new players,” he said.
“That was a gutsy performance and then we went and got our first away win at Wimbledon and backed it up with another one at Bristol Rovers, which was huge psychologically for the players and for the fans. When you haven’t won on the road for as along as we hadn’t, wins in those two tough games was a massive boost in confidence.”
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Phil Parkinson’s side set a new benchmark after conceding just 36 goals in 46 league games – a far cry from the previous campaign when they shipped 81 on route to relegation from the Championship.
Much of the spotlight has been shone on central defenders Beevers and David Wheater, who have been virtually ever-present. But the former Millwall man insists the praise should be shared around the camp for turning around the club’s fortunes.
“Obviously, a record like that is fantastic,” he told The Bolton News. “It’s great for the defenders whether that’s me, Wheats, or anyone else who played at the back this year.
“But I genuinely think the whole club deserves a pat on the back because it has been hard work, front to back.
“It has been a collective effort, we all mucked in. And to concede just 36 in 46 games is a brilliant effort.
“We’ve shared goals around at the other end and got praised for getting forward on the end of set pieces, so it’s only fair when you look at how a team defends that you point to Jay Spearing or Gary Madine and say they had a big hand in it too.
“The manager and his staff work hard on the shape of the team and we’ve changed up formations a couple of times this year. It has been really hard work.”
Wanderers’ players are currently on a short trip to Dubai after sealing promotion last weekend – a treat from chairman Ken Anderson.
“It’s nice of him – it has been a long old season for us,” Beevers said.
“In League One you have to go to some tough grounds. It’s not the life of luxury but you have to pick up results, and we have done.
“It’s been nice to see the fans celebrating and the mood around the place has been excellent. It’s nice to be able to get away and relax a bit before the hard work begins again.”
Phil Parkinson expanded on the Dubai trip, revealing Anderson had used it as an incentive to the players a few weeks ago in an effort to get them over the line to promotion.
“About two-and-a-half weeks ago the chairman said to me he’d like to come into the dressing room and have a chat with the lads,” he said.
“We’d said they might need a bit of a lift – and Ken went in and told the lads that if they got over the line I’ll take you away.
“Having been a player myself I know how that can lift you and the first thing Jay Spearing said after the game was: ‘Well Mr Chairman, where are we going?’
“That group of lads deserve a few days away to enjoy themselves.
“We’ve been on their case all season about living right and not going out too much. We’ve got that right most of the time… Sometimes we haven’t.
“But some players, managers and chairmen go through their whole careers without getting a promotion so it’s really important that while we plan for the future, we enjoy it.”
Asked for some of his defining moments of the season, Parkinson cast his mind back to August and the opening game against Sheffield United.
“Right up to Friday morning on the day before the game we had two teams picked because we didn’t know whether the Football League were going to register our new players,” he said.
“That was a gutsy performance and then we went and got our first away win at Wimbledon and backed it up with another one at Bristol Rovers, which was huge psychologically for the players and for the fans. When you haven’t won on the road for as along as we hadn’t, wins in those two tough games was a massive boost in confidence.”
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