Exiled Ipswich Town senior duo Kayden Jackson and Jon Nolan are understood to be furious at Paul Lambert's claims about them at this morning's press conference.
Lambert, confirming our story that the pair have been made to train with the Under-23s in recent weeks, said the two players had 'let the club down, let themselves down and let their team mates down'.
The under-pressure Blues boss said: "I won’t have any player come to me and say to me that they’d rather be home with their wife and kids. If that’s your mentality you’re better doing it. What do we do? Let people play when they want to play? I need players that are going to die for here."
However, when asked which of the players that statement referred to, he said he wouldn't be answering any more questions on the subject.
The EADT and Ipswich Star understands that both players are furious that their professionalism has been called into question by a manager who has often spoke about 'protecting' players in public.
It's understood that Nolan, having been substituted in the 1-0 home loss to Sunderland, was subsequently told he wasn't in the team for the following match at Crewe.
After training with a point to prove on the Friday, he travelled up to Crewe with the rest of the squad and only discovered he wasn't even on the bench when the team-sheets went out the next day.
On the Monday morning, a frustrated Nolan asked Lambert why he had been taken to Crewe to be the emergency 19th man - traditionally the role of a young player gaining experience - when he could have been home with his wife and six month old baby.
Lambert is understood to have reacted angrily and told the five-goal midfielder he could find a new club.
Rotherham, Peterborough and Wigan are understood to have been among the clubs to show deadline day interest in the 28-year-old, only for the club to knock back their approaches.
Meanwhile, Jackson is understood to be bemused as to why he's being punished.
Lambert slammed the striker for a 'horrendous' early red card tackle in the Sunderland game, with the 26-year-old apologising publicly afterwards.
He was subsequently made to train with the Under-23s though and, even with his three-game suspension up, continues to do so.
Lambert claimed this morning that there was no transfer interest in both players before the window shut, but that's at odds to general manager of football operations Lee O'Neill confirming to TWTD that there had been a deadline day bid for Jackson from Huddersfield.
That offer, like the interest in Nolan, was rebuffed.
Jackson has already taken to Twitter to defend himself. He wrote: "Seen talk of me training with the u23s due to transfers not materialising and me wanting out of Ipswich. I am a PROFESSIONAL football player and will always carry myself as such. Wherever I am, my desire to win and perform for my club will never be questioned."
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