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Given the situation which has escalated around him since walking through the doors 414 days ago, you wouldn’t blame Neil Lennon for having a few regrets.
Back in October 2014 improving Wanderers’ league position was certainly a matter of urgency and the club’s financial affairs could hardly have been described as rosy.
But the former Celtic boss had every right to think that with the right signings and a bit of luck on his side he could bring back the winning football that the Premier League infrastructure around him demanded.
Let’s not forget that the footballing world did a double take when Lennon – stock still sky high after his exploits north of the border – took on the challenge of a reviving a post-Dougie Freedman Wanderers.
His arrival was regarded as a coup for the club, and still is. Yet it is reasonable to ask whether he knew the full extent of the situation into which he was walking?
Lennon has always maintained his eyes were open when he accepted the job. Now, as his side sit rock bottom of the Championship and five points from safety with not a penny to spend in the transfer market, it is also entirely fair to ask whether he would make the same decision again.
“It’s a good question and the answer is I don’t know,” came his frank reply. “I was looking to get back in.
“I looked at the club and thought there was potential here.”
Lennon had known nothing but success as a manager at Celtic, albeit there were very different challenges he had to meet head on.
Since coming to Bolton he has mellowed. The intensity is still there but he has acclimatised to the less-pressured surroundings. Saying he has learned how to lose might be pushing it a bit far.
But the Northern Irishman still insists the challenge in front of him at Wanderers will make him a better manager, and that despite the huge financial obstacles that have been laid in front of him, he can still be a success.
“I probably need this experience myself,” he said. “I think you need to see both sides of the game.
“I see Jose Mourinho talking about that aspect as well and I’m never going to be as good as him.
“He is going through a difficult period for the first time in his glittering career and he seems to be handling it very well.
“So it is a real test of your own character.
“It’s important that you come through the other side and reflect on it, thinking it will stand you in good stead going forward.”
Faith is certainly being tested on the terraces, where serious doubts are held about whether there is enough quality in Lennon’s squad to climb clear of trouble. Some are even unconvinced that the manager himself is up to the task.
Lennon is trying to keep things in perspective, concentrating only on what he can affect on the field.
“This club has been through tough times before in the eighties and nineties,” he said. “Then they had a golden period for 15-20 years.
“Now we are in a bit of a difficult position again and sometimes it happens with football clubs.
“I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I think this will be resolved and the club can go forward.
“Sometimes you can over-analyse things a little bit.
“We’ve probably just spent a bit more than we should have done in the last three or four years.
“We have to cut back now and I have got to make sure we stabilise ourselves in the Championship.”
Lennon has seven games between now and January, where the hope is that new ownership will be able to inject funds for new signings.
The worry for many fans is that too much ground will be lost between now and then for any new arrivals to make a difference, which gives the manager the unenviable task of trying to inspire the underperforming players at his disposal to gain results, knowing some could become surplus to requirement.
He remains adamant, however, that results have not reflected performances.
“As a manager individual mistakes are out of your control,” he said. “But you have to give the players the confidence to go again and not dwell on it.
“We did play well for 70 minutes at Reading. Away from home we had good control of the game.
“We created really good chances as well. So maybe the rub of the green is going to come our way sooner rather than later?
“We need to make our own luck at times, though, and be a bit more clinical in front of goal.”
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Back in October 2014 improving Wanderers’ league position was certainly a matter of urgency and the club’s financial affairs could hardly have been described as rosy.
But the former Celtic boss had every right to think that with the right signings and a bit of luck on his side he could bring back the winning football that the Premier League infrastructure around him demanded.
Let’s not forget that the footballing world did a double take when Lennon – stock still sky high after his exploits north of the border – took on the challenge of a reviving a post-Dougie Freedman Wanderers.
His arrival was regarded as a coup for the club, and still is. Yet it is reasonable to ask whether he knew the full extent of the situation into which he was walking?
Lennon has always maintained his eyes were open when he accepted the job. Now, as his side sit rock bottom of the Championship and five points from safety with not a penny to spend in the transfer market, it is also entirely fair to ask whether he would make the same decision again.
“It’s a good question and the answer is I don’t know,” came his frank reply. “I was looking to get back in.
“I looked at the club and thought there was potential here.”
Lennon had known nothing but success as a manager at Celtic, albeit there were very different challenges he had to meet head on.
Since coming to Bolton he has mellowed. The intensity is still there but he has acclimatised to the less-pressured surroundings. Saying he has learned how to lose might be pushing it a bit far.
But the Northern Irishman still insists the challenge in front of him at Wanderers will make him a better manager, and that despite the huge financial obstacles that have been laid in front of him, he can still be a success.
“I probably need this experience myself,” he said. “I think you need to see both sides of the game.
“I see Jose Mourinho talking about that aspect as well and I’m never going to be as good as him.
“He is going through a difficult period for the first time in his glittering career and he seems to be handling it very well.
“So it is a real test of your own character.
“It’s important that you come through the other side and reflect on it, thinking it will stand you in good stead going forward.”
Faith is certainly being tested on the terraces, where serious doubts are held about whether there is enough quality in Lennon’s squad to climb clear of trouble. Some are even unconvinced that the manager himself is up to the task.
Lennon is trying to keep things in perspective, concentrating only on what he can affect on the field.
“This club has been through tough times before in the eighties and nineties,” he said. “Then they had a golden period for 15-20 years.
“Now we are in a bit of a difficult position again and sometimes it happens with football clubs.
“I don’t think it’s the end of the world. I think this will be resolved and the club can go forward.
“Sometimes you can over-analyse things a little bit.
“We’ve probably just spent a bit more than we should have done in the last three or four years.
“We have to cut back now and I have got to make sure we stabilise ourselves in the Championship.”
Lennon has seven games between now and January, where the hope is that new ownership will be able to inject funds for new signings.
The worry for many fans is that too much ground will be lost between now and then for any new arrivals to make a difference, which gives the manager the unenviable task of trying to inspire the underperforming players at his disposal to gain results, knowing some could become surplus to requirement.
He remains adamant, however, that results have not reflected performances.
“As a manager individual mistakes are out of your control,” he said. “But you have to give the players the confidence to go again and not dwell on it.
“We did play well for 70 minutes at Reading. Away from home we had good control of the game.
“We created really good chances as well. So maybe the rub of the green is going to come our way sooner rather than later?
“We need to make our own luck at times, though, and be a bit more clinical in front of goal.”
Source