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FOOTBALL rarely loses the ability to surprise you – I mean, last week Leeds United somehow convinced Marcelo Bielsa to work in the Championship – but Filipe Morais’ departure at Wanderers really caught me out.
There had been nothing to suggest the 32-year-old was to be cut adrift this summer, having played so regularly under Phil Parkinson.
Morais spoke in The Bolton News last month about feeling he had proved himself in the Championship, and even being able to step up another level.
They were not the words of a man who expected, even suspected, he would be on the free agent list in the summer. He had made 37 appearances in all competitions, filled in a few different positions, and – to the best of my knowledge – was not among the highest salaries in the squad.
Terrace opinion is split on whether it was the right decision. Yet even if you subscribe to the view Morais, at 32, was not the way forward for Bolton, you would still agree the heavy-handed way news of his departure was conveyed left an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
Sure, social media is an important part of the communications strategy in football these days but there is no way a player should switch on his Twitter app and find out he won’t be employed beyond June, as appears to be the case here.
Parkinson had spoken personally with each and every one of the players who left the building this summer, which delayed the process considerably. Fans were clamouring for a definitive ‘retained list’ but with players away on holiday it became a piecemeal affair.
Morais had been on a UEFA A Licence course in Northern Ireland alongside the likes of ex-Everton men Joleon Lescott and Steven Pienaar, former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson, so the delay in clarifying his future was not a surprise to those following the story. It had been a similarly slow burning situation last summer.
Had there been a breakdown in communication? It seems hard to believe in this day and age that a player could not be reached in Belfast just as easily as he could in Breighmet.
The club statement announcing the departure of seven players on May 24 made the following reference: “With the majority of the squad on overseas holidays, further meetings with the remaining out-of-contract players will take place in the next seven to 10 days.”
Nearly three weeks later, on June 13, Morais was released with that short but sweet message which raised questions of its own.
The EFL’s retained list was published the same morning, detailing players’ contractual situation as of May 19. It had no mention of Morais or indeed Sammy Ameobi, - for whom there has been no official word. It also confirmed a contract offer had been made to Under-23s defender Liam Edwards and that no other club in the division has fewer professionals on their books right now.
Many have reached the conclusion Wanderers were stalling to see if better options were available. Again, if Morais was oblivious, such an approach feels offside.
It could be that somewhere a mountain of voicemails from Ken Anderson and Parkinson is waiting on an answering machine, but I suspect that is not the case.
Whether manager and chairman were complicit is unclear. The club and player, when asked to comment further on the matter, have declined to do so.
Morais did plenty to help Bolton get promotion from League One and – in this reporter’s opinion at least – fulfilled an important role last season too.
But the ship has now sailed, and we look with interest to see what Wanderers offer as a replacement.
Everyone is anxious to see some progress made in the transfer market. You cannot fail to notice the lack of numbers in Bolton’s ranks compared with other clubs at this moment in time and though both summer additions – Erhun Oztumer and Jason Lowe – have been well-received, there is scope for a lot more business to be done. Including Ben Amos there are 13 senior players plus Jack Earing and Connor Hall.
We are a week away from pre-season tests, three weeks away from the first pre-season friendly at Atherton Colls, with the opening round of EFL Championship games commencing in 46 days.
After unceremoniously dispensing with The Postman, Wanderers really do need to deliver.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16299087.Postman__39_s_exit_leaves_Wanderers_with_plenty_to_deliver_this_summer/?ref=mrb&lp=4
There had been nothing to suggest the 32-year-old was to be cut adrift this summer, having played so regularly under Phil Parkinson.
Morais spoke in The Bolton News last month about feeling he had proved himself in the Championship, and even being able to step up another level.
They were not the words of a man who expected, even suspected, he would be on the free agent list in the summer. He had made 37 appearances in all competitions, filled in a few different positions, and – to the best of my knowledge – was not among the highest salaries in the squad.
Terrace opinion is split on whether it was the right decision. Yet even if you subscribe to the view Morais, at 32, was not the way forward for Bolton, you would still agree the heavy-handed way news of his departure was conveyed left an unpleasant taste in the mouth.
Sure, social media is an important part of the communications strategy in football these days but there is no way a player should switch on his Twitter app and find out he won’t be employed beyond June, as appears to be the case here.
Parkinson had spoken personally with each and every one of the players who left the building this summer, which delayed the process considerably. Fans were clamouring for a definitive ‘retained list’ but with players away on holiday it became a piecemeal affair.
Morais had been on a UEFA A Licence course in Northern Ireland alongside the likes of ex-Everton men Joleon Lescott and Steven Pienaar, former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and England international goalkeeper Paul Robinson, so the delay in clarifying his future was not a surprise to those following the story. It had been a similarly slow burning situation last summer.
Had there been a breakdown in communication? It seems hard to believe in this day and age that a player could not be reached in Belfast just as easily as he could in Breighmet.
The club statement announcing the departure of seven players on May 24 made the following reference: “With the majority of the squad on overseas holidays, further meetings with the remaining out-of-contract players will take place in the next seven to 10 days.”
Nearly three weeks later, on June 13, Morais was released with that short but sweet message which raised questions of its own.
The EFL’s retained list was published the same morning, detailing players’ contractual situation as of May 19. It had no mention of Morais or indeed Sammy Ameobi, - for whom there has been no official word. It also confirmed a contract offer had been made to Under-23s defender Liam Edwards and that no other club in the division has fewer professionals on their books right now.
Many have reached the conclusion Wanderers were stalling to see if better options were available. Again, if Morais was oblivious, such an approach feels offside.
It could be that somewhere a mountain of voicemails from Ken Anderson and Parkinson is waiting on an answering machine, but I suspect that is not the case.
Whether manager and chairman were complicit is unclear. The club and player, when asked to comment further on the matter, have declined to do so.
Morais did plenty to help Bolton get promotion from League One and – in this reporter’s opinion at least – fulfilled an important role last season too.
But the ship has now sailed, and we look with interest to see what Wanderers offer as a replacement.
Everyone is anxious to see some progress made in the transfer market. You cannot fail to notice the lack of numbers in Bolton’s ranks compared with other clubs at this moment in time and though both summer additions – Erhun Oztumer and Jason Lowe – have been well-received, there is scope for a lot more business to be done. Including Ben Amos there are 13 senior players plus Jack Earing and Connor Hall.
We are a week away from pre-season tests, three weeks away from the first pre-season friendly at Atherton Colls, with the opening round of EFL Championship games commencing in 46 days.
After unceremoniously dispensing with The Postman, Wanderers really do need to deliver.
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/16299087.Postman__39_s_exit_leaves_Wanderers_with_plenty_to_deliver_this_summer/?ref=mrb&lp=4
