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Puzzled Neil Lennon is searching for answers after seeing his side drift from play-off outsiders into relegation possibilities in the space of a month.
The manager pledged a full inquiry into a meek and desperate defensive performance at Nottingham Forest but was struggling to explain why Wanderers’ fall from grace had been so abrupt.
Prior to the gritty goalless draw against Liverpool in the FA Cup in mid-January, many believed a late run on the top six was possible.
But since the titanic double-header against the Reds ended in defeat, the Whites have taken just three points in four games and more importantly leaked 13 goals.
Talk of promotion has vanished, replaced with worries of a return to the bottom three, where the Northern Irishman found them after succeeding Dougie Freedman back in October.
Lennon is as surprised as anyone that many members of his team have reverted back to the shaky form they showed under his predecessor – ironically sitting in the opposite dugout at the City Ground.
The squad travelled to Spain for some warm weather training last week, making the City Ground slump all the more difficult to fathom.
The manager knows, however, that with no wriggle room in his budget to bring in more players he must find a solution to his team’s defensive problems from within, and fast, before the six-point gap on the bottom three is reduced further.
“I’m trying to understand it,” he told The Bolton News. “People are letting the game go, not getting after people.
“The team spirit seems to be lacking and the togetherness that was there before seems to have gone for some reason.
“Some individuals have gone off the boil. They have lost some confidence and I need them to get it back quickly because I have to go with what I have got.”
After seeing Andy Lonergan, Tim Ream and Filip Twardzik added to his lengthy list of injured players, Lennon could be forgiven for thinking someone up there doesn’t like him.
The former Celtic boss has never had such a lack of options. He has, however, had his back against the wall as a manager before and that is why he is determined to see Wanderers out of their current slump.
“I’ve never experienced anything in terms of the injured players but I’ve had tough times,” he said. “I was 15 points behind Rangers in October – and 3-0 down at Kilmarnock thinking ‘you know what, this isn’t very good'.”
Lennon’s Celtic went on to snatch a point against Kilmarnock, the manager later admitting he came within a goal of considering his position at Parkhead.
“All of that was in a very intense atmosphere and this is a different test,” he said. “But this is a great challenge and I’m ready for it.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing but it’s not a reflection on me.
“I will take responsibility for results but I won’t take responsibility for that performance. We prepared the team as best we can.
“Now you can change personnel – and we did that today. We brought Matt Mills back thinking we’d be more secure but we weren’t, and it wasn’t just the back four, the midfield were really poor too.”
Winger Liam Feeney was one of the few players to escape the manager’s ire.
“Feeney has been unbelievable – even in the 85th minute he’s running 70-80 yards to put a cross in.
“If I had 10 of him, I’d be fine, but I don’t. The rest of them are wishy-washy.”
Lennon wants to take the first step to recovery tomorrow night when his side travel to the Riverside Stadium to take on a Middlesbrough side stung by a defeat against Leeds United on Saturday.
“They have been beaten and they will be looking for a reaction,” he added.
“It’s a must win game, they all are, just to get us back on track.”
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The manager pledged a full inquiry into a meek and desperate defensive performance at Nottingham Forest but was struggling to explain why Wanderers’ fall from grace had been so abrupt.
Prior to the gritty goalless draw against Liverpool in the FA Cup in mid-January, many believed a late run on the top six was possible.
But since the titanic double-header against the Reds ended in defeat, the Whites have taken just three points in four games and more importantly leaked 13 goals.
Talk of promotion has vanished, replaced with worries of a return to the bottom three, where the Northern Irishman found them after succeeding Dougie Freedman back in October.
Lennon is as surprised as anyone that many members of his team have reverted back to the shaky form they showed under his predecessor – ironically sitting in the opposite dugout at the City Ground.
The squad travelled to Spain for some warm weather training last week, making the City Ground slump all the more difficult to fathom.
The manager knows, however, that with no wriggle room in his budget to bring in more players he must find a solution to his team’s defensive problems from within, and fast, before the six-point gap on the bottom three is reduced further.
“I’m trying to understand it,” he told The Bolton News. “People are letting the game go, not getting after people.
“The team spirit seems to be lacking and the togetherness that was there before seems to have gone for some reason.
“Some individuals have gone off the boil. They have lost some confidence and I need them to get it back quickly because I have to go with what I have got.”
After seeing Andy Lonergan, Tim Ream and Filip Twardzik added to his lengthy list of injured players, Lennon could be forgiven for thinking someone up there doesn’t like him.
The former Celtic boss has never had such a lack of options. He has, however, had his back against the wall as a manager before and that is why he is determined to see Wanderers out of their current slump.
“I’ve never experienced anything in terms of the injured players but I’ve had tough times,” he said. “I was 15 points behind Rangers in October – and 3-0 down at Kilmarnock thinking ‘you know what, this isn’t very good'.”
Lennon’s Celtic went on to snatch a point against Kilmarnock, the manager later admitting he came within a goal of considering his position at Parkhead.
“All of that was in a very intense atmosphere and this is a different test,” he said. “But this is a great challenge and I’m ready for it.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing but it’s not a reflection on me.
“I will take responsibility for results but I won’t take responsibility for that performance. We prepared the team as best we can.
“Now you can change personnel – and we did that today. We brought Matt Mills back thinking we’d be more secure but we weren’t, and it wasn’t just the back four, the midfield were really poor too.”
Winger Liam Feeney was one of the few players to escape the manager’s ire.
“Feeney has been unbelievable – even in the 85th minute he’s running 70-80 yards to put a cross in.
“If I had 10 of him, I’d be fine, but I don’t. The rest of them are wishy-washy.”
Lennon wants to take the first step to recovery tomorrow night when his side travel to the Riverside Stadium to take on a Middlesbrough side stung by a defeat against Leeds United on Saturday.
“They have been beaten and they will be looking for a reaction,” he added.
“It’s a must win game, they all are, just to get us back on track.”
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