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Eality bites – and nowhere more so than Bolton Wanderers these days.
After failing to get any business done in the first fortnight of the transfer window, Neil Lennon is clearly feeling the pinch.
His growing frustration was summed up in the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United – the Northern Irishman admitting he was “running out of patience” at the lack of additions to a squad which is terribly shallow in places heading to Hillsborough this weekend.
Those same sentiments are being echoed on the terraces, the anxiety levels hiked further with the news Chung-Yong Lee suffered a hairline fracture of his leg at the Asia Cup and now faces a spell on the sidelines.
Reassuring overnight reports from Korea claim the 26-year-old playmaker will only be missing for three weeks – and optimistically suggest he could still feature in the Asia Cup final if South Korea make it.
But knowing the injury has occurred in exactly the same place as that horrific double leg break three-and-a-half years ago, it is no wonder the nerves are jangling among the fans.
Max Clayton, Mark Davies, Joe Mason, Rob Hall and Zach Clough are also missing for the Sheffield Wednesday trip, narrowing Lennon’s attacking options considerably.
The lack of width is a major concern to the Wanderers boss, especially given both of his full-backs, Josh Vela and Tim Ream, are also of the makeshift variety.
But the lack of creativity through the middle is also an issue which was highlighted against Leeds United.
One option is to push the in-form Vela forward and bring back Kevin McNaughton on the right side of defence.
The experienced Scot has struggled to overcome a hamstring injury but has now played twice for the development squad and is, in the manager’s opinion, “fully fit.”
However Lennon shuffles his pack, the annoyance he showed at the weekend is unlikely to subside until he manages to bring in a signing or two.
Whether it be because the club is restricted by Financial Fair Play or simply an unwillingness on owner Eddie Davies’s part to fund any more deals, all signs point to the fact Lennon needs to sell before he can recruit. And that has often been the hardest obstacle for Wanderers to negotiate in the last few years.
The Northern Irishman threatened to move on some of the players whose contract would be expiring at the end of the season.
Thus far only Medo Kamara – whose deal at the Macron has another 12 months to run – has lightened the financial load.
A percentage of the midfielder’s wage has been taken on by Maccabi Haifa but it appears more outgoings will be necessary before the Whites boss can think about recruiting a big name such as Celtic’s Kris Commons.
Rumours continue to circulate that skipper Jay Spearing will be next out of the door.
Added to the Premier League interest from Aston Villa and West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers – whose manager Gary Bowyer has tracked the midfielder’s progress from youth team level at Liverpool – have also joined his list of reported admirers. Cold, hard evidence of a bid from any of those clubs remains unseen.
Adam Bogdan is another regular name in the tabloid gossip columns, while Chung-Yong’s chances of a January move to Crystal Palace, or anywhere else, must have been dealt significant damage with the injury he received on international duty.
In fact, the only certain revenue in the next few weeks will be that gained from the FA Cup clash with Liverpool a week on Saturday.
Lennon pledged to get more bodies through the door by the end of this week but you sense Saturday’s sound-off will not be his last. While things look decidedly brighter on the pitch for Wanderers these days, off it they continue to be tight.
Source
After failing to get any business done in the first fortnight of the transfer window, Neil Lennon is clearly feeling the pinch.
His growing frustration was summed up in the aftermath of Saturday’s 1-1 draw against Leeds United – the Northern Irishman admitting he was “running out of patience” at the lack of additions to a squad which is terribly shallow in places heading to Hillsborough this weekend.
Those same sentiments are being echoed on the terraces, the anxiety levels hiked further with the news Chung-Yong Lee suffered a hairline fracture of his leg at the Asia Cup and now faces a spell on the sidelines.
Reassuring overnight reports from Korea claim the 26-year-old playmaker will only be missing for three weeks – and optimistically suggest he could still feature in the Asia Cup final if South Korea make it.
But knowing the injury has occurred in exactly the same place as that horrific double leg break three-and-a-half years ago, it is no wonder the nerves are jangling among the fans.
Max Clayton, Mark Davies, Joe Mason, Rob Hall and Zach Clough are also missing for the Sheffield Wednesday trip, narrowing Lennon’s attacking options considerably.
The lack of width is a major concern to the Wanderers boss, especially given both of his full-backs, Josh Vela and Tim Ream, are also of the makeshift variety.
But the lack of creativity through the middle is also an issue which was highlighted against Leeds United.
One option is to push the in-form Vela forward and bring back Kevin McNaughton on the right side of defence.
The experienced Scot has struggled to overcome a hamstring injury but has now played twice for the development squad and is, in the manager’s opinion, “fully fit.”
However Lennon shuffles his pack, the annoyance he showed at the weekend is unlikely to subside until he manages to bring in a signing or two.
Whether it be because the club is restricted by Financial Fair Play or simply an unwillingness on owner Eddie Davies’s part to fund any more deals, all signs point to the fact Lennon needs to sell before he can recruit. And that has often been the hardest obstacle for Wanderers to negotiate in the last few years.
The Northern Irishman threatened to move on some of the players whose contract would be expiring at the end of the season.
Thus far only Medo Kamara – whose deal at the Macron has another 12 months to run – has lightened the financial load.
A percentage of the midfielder’s wage has been taken on by Maccabi Haifa but it appears more outgoings will be necessary before the Whites boss can think about recruiting a big name such as Celtic’s Kris Commons.
Rumours continue to circulate that skipper Jay Spearing will be next out of the door.
Added to the Premier League interest from Aston Villa and West Brom, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers – whose manager Gary Bowyer has tracked the midfielder’s progress from youth team level at Liverpool – have also joined his list of reported admirers. Cold, hard evidence of a bid from any of those clubs remains unseen.
Adam Bogdan is another regular name in the tabloid gossip columns, while Chung-Yong’s chances of a January move to Crystal Palace, or anywhere else, must have been dealt significant damage with the injury he received on international duty.
In fact, the only certain revenue in the next few weeks will be that gained from the FA Cup clash with Liverpool a week on Saturday.
Lennon pledged to get more bodies through the door by the end of this week but you sense Saturday’s sound-off will not be his last. While things look decidedly brighter on the pitch for Wanderers these days, off it they continue to be tight.
Source
