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Neil Lennon has issued a plea to Wanderers: Spend now, or suffer the consequences.
The Whites boss delivered a frank assessment of the club’s recent slide, as his team sit rock bottom of the Championship with just one win from their opening 12 games, admitting a “lack of quality” is starting to bite.
Wellington Silva became the latest player to be added to the injured list, with the Brazilian winger likely to miss a number of weeks after limping out of Tuesday night’s home defeat against Birmingham City with a hamstring injury.
And while his absence intensifies a search for attacking reinforcements that has already gone on for weeks – Lennon has revealed his frantic hunt is being conducted without knowing how much he actually has to spend.
Owner Eddie Davies has put the club up for sale at a reported fee of £30million but could see that value affected if the Whites slide into League One.
Parties, at home and abroad, have enquired about a takeover but The Bolton News understands that none have yet reached an advanced stage.
Asked whether Davies must now speculate to accumulate, Lennon feels there is no option but to somehow try and bolster the squad.
“Otherwise we could get cast adrift and it will be a long season,” argued Lennon. “But I do think there is plenty of football to be played.”
Asked whether he knew what budget he has for a new striker, Lennon revealed that there had been no clarification from board level.
“I don’t know how much I have got – whether that’s from the owner or the chairman,” he said. “We have talked about players and are endeavouring to bring one in. It’s been like that for the last couple of weeks.
“I speak to the chairman every day so it’s not like he’s not taking calls or shying away from anything. We are working away to bring players in, and that’s the truth.”
Wanderers were asked to comment on Lennon’s quotes, made directly after the Birmingham game, but have declined at this stage.
But the confusion only adds to the alarming state of affairs at the Macron Stadium, where pressure on the manager has built significantly in the last couple of weeks.
Lennon is also looking for help from within, with the performances of some of his senior players falling below his expectations.
“We have to change it – whether that’s personnel in the squad or by bringing people in,” he said.
“It’s possible, we’re working away at it, but if we can’t afford players then we can’t afford them, that’s the reality. I don’t want to bang on about that – it might just be the reality of it – but the players we have must do better at home.
“Obviously I carry the can and the responsibility for the performances but some players have to do better under the pressure.
“I’m unhappy – and I can’t keep thanking the fans, going to them and asking for patience because it’s a results-driven business. I understand that.
“The performance against Birmingham was short of what I have been used to, and how we’ve been performing for a while, so it’s a setback.”
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The Whites boss delivered a frank assessment of the club’s recent slide, as his team sit rock bottom of the Championship with just one win from their opening 12 games, admitting a “lack of quality” is starting to bite.
Wellington Silva became the latest player to be added to the injured list, with the Brazilian winger likely to miss a number of weeks after limping out of Tuesday night’s home defeat against Birmingham City with a hamstring injury.
And while his absence intensifies a search for attacking reinforcements that has already gone on for weeks – Lennon has revealed his frantic hunt is being conducted without knowing how much he actually has to spend.
Owner Eddie Davies has put the club up for sale at a reported fee of £30million but could see that value affected if the Whites slide into League One.
Parties, at home and abroad, have enquired about a takeover but The Bolton News understands that none have yet reached an advanced stage.
Asked whether Davies must now speculate to accumulate, Lennon feels there is no option but to somehow try and bolster the squad.
“Otherwise we could get cast adrift and it will be a long season,” argued Lennon. “But I do think there is plenty of football to be played.”
Asked whether he knew what budget he has for a new striker, Lennon revealed that there had been no clarification from board level.
“I don’t know how much I have got – whether that’s from the owner or the chairman,” he said. “We have talked about players and are endeavouring to bring one in. It’s been like that for the last couple of weeks.
“I speak to the chairman every day so it’s not like he’s not taking calls or shying away from anything. We are working away to bring players in, and that’s the truth.”
Wanderers were asked to comment on Lennon’s quotes, made directly after the Birmingham game, but have declined at this stage.
But the confusion only adds to the alarming state of affairs at the Macron Stadium, where pressure on the manager has built significantly in the last couple of weeks.
Lennon is also looking for help from within, with the performances of some of his senior players falling below his expectations.
“We have to change it – whether that’s personnel in the squad or by bringing people in,” he said.
“It’s possible, we’re working away at it, but if we can’t afford players then we can’t afford them, that’s the reality. I don’t want to bang on about that – it might just be the reality of it – but the players we have must do better at home.
“Obviously I carry the can and the responsibility for the performances but some players have to do better under the pressure.
“I’m unhappy – and I can’t keep thanking the fans, going to them and asking for patience because it’s a results-driven business. I understand that.
“The performance against Birmingham was short of what I have been used to, and how we’ve been performing for a while, so it’s a setback.”
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