Home
NEIL Lennon admits he will not know how high to set his targets next season until he has been able to boost his squad.
The Wanderers boss has seen a steady stream of players depart the Macron Stadium this summer to reduce the wage bill but is yet to make an official signing in the opposite direction.
While the likes of Matt Mills, Jermaine Beckford, Craig Davies and Andy Lonergan are yet to be replaced, financial constraints appear more visible than ever, and that has prompted an air of concern among Whites fans about what next season might have in store.
It has also been picked up by the bookmakers, who have ranked Bolton as one of a handful of clubs expected to struggle.
Although Lennon is currently bound by his budget and seemingly restricted to free transfers this summer, he remains optimistic.
Last season’s 18th-placed finish fell well below his own expectations, even though he was only installed as manager in October. But how high the Whites boss is setting the bar next season will depend on what type of players he can bring to the club.
“The only target I’ve set is that I want to improve,” he said.
“I won’t be able to set out any targets until I know what kind of squad I’ve got to finish with.
“We’re in the process of building that at the minute but we’re very excited for next season and the challenges that lie ahead of us.”
Having earned his managerial spurs in very different circumstances at Celtic, where European qualification and silverware were the benchmarks of success, the challenge faced by Lennon this season is a new one on him.
And the Northern Irishman admits he may need to have some patience before being able to build a side capable of mounting a promotion push to match his own Premier League ambitions.
“This is a totally different concept than the one I was used to as a manager at Celtic,” he told the club. “I wouldn’t say I was starting from scratch but we’re building a squad to take us to where we want to be.
“Now that could take us a bit of time, who knows? It could happen for us next season.
“That’s the unpredictability of football but I’d like to think we’d be in a lot better position this time next year.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13324659.Wanderers_beat_former_boss_Freedman_in_pursuit_of_top_target/
The Wanderers boss has seen a steady stream of players depart the Macron Stadium this summer to reduce the wage bill but is yet to make an official signing in the opposite direction.
While the likes of Matt Mills, Jermaine Beckford, Craig Davies and Andy Lonergan are yet to be replaced, financial constraints appear more visible than ever, and that has prompted an air of concern among Whites fans about what next season might have in store.
It has also been picked up by the bookmakers, who have ranked Bolton as one of a handful of clubs expected to struggle.
Although Lennon is currently bound by his budget and seemingly restricted to free transfers this summer, he remains optimistic.
Last season’s 18th-placed finish fell well below his own expectations, even though he was only installed as manager in October. But how high the Whites boss is setting the bar next season will depend on what type of players he can bring to the club.
“The only target I’ve set is that I want to improve,” he said.
“I won’t be able to set out any targets until I know what kind of squad I’ve got to finish with.
“We’re in the process of building that at the minute but we’re very excited for next season and the challenges that lie ahead of us.”
Having earned his managerial spurs in very different circumstances at Celtic, where European qualification and silverware were the benchmarks of success, the challenge faced by Lennon this season is a new one on him.
And the Northern Irishman admits he may need to have some patience before being able to build a side capable of mounting a promotion push to match his own Premier League ambitions.
“This is a totally different concept than the one I was used to as a manager at Celtic,” he told the club. “I wouldn’t say I was starting from scratch but we’re building a squad to take us to where we want to be.
“Now that could take us a bit of time, who knows? It could happen for us next season.
“That’s the unpredictability of football but I’d like to think we’d be in a lot better position this time next year.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/wanderers/13324659.Wanderers_beat_former_boss_Freedman_in_pursuit_of_top_target/