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Frustrated, angry and fearful for their future – but Neil Lennon has ordered his Wanderers to concentrate their pain in the right manner this weekend against Fulham.
After a much-improved performance at Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night, a little ray of hope has appeared in what was looking a very desperate slide towards relegation last weekend.
A point at The Valley, though earned from 2-0 down, still leaves the Whites six points adrift of safety.
But after laying his cards on the table in a team meeting hours before Tuesday night’s game and conveying to the squad exactly what they are playing for, he is confident after seeing the reaction that all hope is not yet lost.
“Not from where I’m standing,” he told The Bolton News. “I want them to battle but I want them to play as well and I was pleased with what I got.
“I think to come back from 2-0 down speaks volumes for some of the characters. We had it out with them at a team meeting on Tuesday morning and laid it out for them.
“We played some good stuff at times and I was pleased with the physicality as well.
“We came out on top of a lot of battles.
“We showed that it means a lot to play for the club – we have been asking that of them for a while.
“We need to use this situation to our advantage. Everyone is writing us off and that’s a great incentive to go and prove people wrong.”
Finances have dominated the agenda of late at the Macron Stadium and will continue to do so until the ownership issues have been solved.
The knock-on effect on the pitch has been visible in the last few weeks where players, who were not paid in November and are unlikely to be again this month, have seen their confidence shaken.
But Lennon has been able to rely on the backing of Wanderers fans, who were once again out in force at The Valley in impressive numbers for a wet Tuesday night in South London.
“I have got to say the fans were amazing,” he said. “Even at 2-0 down they gave their team great support and we’re lucky to have them. I hope some of them went home with a smile on their face.
“Considering the situation we’re in, to get that turnout and level of support means a lot.”
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After a much-improved performance at Charlton Athletic on Tuesday night, a little ray of hope has appeared in what was looking a very desperate slide towards relegation last weekend.
A point at The Valley, though earned from 2-0 down, still leaves the Whites six points adrift of safety.
But after laying his cards on the table in a team meeting hours before Tuesday night’s game and conveying to the squad exactly what they are playing for, he is confident after seeing the reaction that all hope is not yet lost.
“Not from where I’m standing,” he told The Bolton News. “I want them to battle but I want them to play as well and I was pleased with what I got.
“I think to come back from 2-0 down speaks volumes for some of the characters. We had it out with them at a team meeting on Tuesday morning and laid it out for them.
“We played some good stuff at times and I was pleased with the physicality as well.
“We came out on top of a lot of battles.
“We showed that it means a lot to play for the club – we have been asking that of them for a while.
“We need to use this situation to our advantage. Everyone is writing us off and that’s a great incentive to go and prove people wrong.”
Finances have dominated the agenda of late at the Macron Stadium and will continue to do so until the ownership issues have been solved.
The knock-on effect on the pitch has been visible in the last few weeks where players, who were not paid in November and are unlikely to be again this month, have seen their confidence shaken.
But Lennon has been able to rely on the backing of Wanderers fans, who were once again out in force at The Valley in impressive numbers for a wet Tuesday night in South London.
“I have got to say the fans were amazing,” he said. “Even at 2-0 down they gave their team great support and we’re lucky to have them. I hope some of them went home with a smile on their face.
“Considering the situation we’re in, to get that turnout and level of support means a lot.”
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