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Neil Lennon insists Wanderers have made forward steps during his first year in charge.
Today marks the manager’s first anniversary at the Macron Stadium but just one glance at the league table tells you why there is little cause for celebration.
Third bottom after 10 games and with just one win all season, the Whites boss is facing criticism for the first time since he walked through the doors.
But Lennon believes the club is making progress, albeit slower than he would have liked, and is convinced he can rise to the challenge of helping Wanderers climb the table.
“This has been a challenge since day one but I knew it would be,” he told The Bolton News. “Progress is there but it has been slow.
“It has been frustrating from my point of view because you want to come in and change the world. The realisation is you can't.
“It is not an easy job. It has been difficult replacing the quality of player we have had to let go because we haven't had the money to spend. But that's the challenge of working with the players we have.
“I think there is improvement, it isn’t as fast as we’d like, but it’s there.”
Lennon inherited a team last season that was second bottom in the table with five points from 10 games, but his initial impact had fans dreaming of a play-off charge.
Wanderers rose to 13th before a New Year slump in form, prompted by a horrendous list of injuries to key players.
“That really did bring us back down to earth with a bump,” he said. “We were looking good at one stage and you thought ‘maybe there’s a chance here’ but with everything that went against us injury-wise it was difficult.
“This season has been up and down. When you come from a club like Celtic, you are used to it being smooth, with strength in depth and a bit of money to spend.
"Your weekends are good because you are winning all the time.
“Now, it has been different and that adjustment has been slow but it is the realisation of the job. Everyone is in the same boat.
"I don't like losing. You never get used to that. That is just the nature of the personality I am. It is difficult to accept but it is the reality of how difficult this league is."
Source
Today marks the manager’s first anniversary at the Macron Stadium but just one glance at the league table tells you why there is little cause for celebration.
Third bottom after 10 games and with just one win all season, the Whites boss is facing criticism for the first time since he walked through the doors.
But Lennon believes the club is making progress, albeit slower than he would have liked, and is convinced he can rise to the challenge of helping Wanderers climb the table.
“This has been a challenge since day one but I knew it would be,” he told The Bolton News. “Progress is there but it has been slow.
“It has been frustrating from my point of view because you want to come in and change the world. The realisation is you can't.
“It is not an easy job. It has been difficult replacing the quality of player we have had to let go because we haven't had the money to spend. But that's the challenge of working with the players we have.
“I think there is improvement, it isn’t as fast as we’d like, but it’s there.”
Lennon inherited a team last season that was second bottom in the table with five points from 10 games, but his initial impact had fans dreaming of a play-off charge.
Wanderers rose to 13th before a New Year slump in form, prompted by a horrendous list of injuries to key players.
“That really did bring us back down to earth with a bump,” he said. “We were looking good at one stage and you thought ‘maybe there’s a chance here’ but with everything that went against us injury-wise it was difficult.
“This season has been up and down. When you come from a club like Celtic, you are used to it being smooth, with strength in depth and a bit of money to spend.
"Your weekends are good because you are winning all the time.
“Now, it has been different and that adjustment has been slow but it is the realisation of the job. Everyone is in the same boat.
"I don't like losing. You never get used to that. That is just the nature of the personality I am. It is difficult to accept but it is the reality of how difficult this league is."
Source