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Neil Lennon saw enough in defeat at Sheffield Wednesday the other night to suggest his side could still scrap their way to safety.
“The only thing consistent about him is his inconsistency” – the Northern Irishman’s words on Liam Trotter after the final whistle, but equally he could be referring to almost anyone else in his starting 11.
Lennon, nor any of the fans heading to Nottingham Forest tomorrow know which Bolton Wanderers is going to turn up; and performances have been even more unpredictable on the road.
From the horrific 45-minute displays against Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, QPR or Rotherham to the more encouraging ones served up at Hillsborough, Blackburn or MK Dons, travelling away with the Whites has been a lottery with very little chance of success.
Lennon has had to keep faith. But whereas fans asked if the squad was playing for him at all after the home defeat against Huddersfield, there were signs on Tuesday the manager has not, to coin the dreadful football phrase, ‘lost the dressing room’.
“I get enthused by a performance like that – it’s night and day from the Huddersfield performance two weeks ago,” said the manager. “We went there and not many people gave us a prayer. We lost, and people should know me well enough by now that I hate it, but if we find that level more often we’ll be all right. There are other clubs around who lost heavily and they may start to struggle.
“If we can keep the core of the squad together and play like that then there’s no reason why we can’t get out of this yet.”
The six-point gap to safety appears a tough one to bridge for a side that has won just two of their opening 26 games. Yet Lennon insists it can be done if he can get some consistency in the right areas.
Gary Madine was a case in point against his former club, leading the line in a rugged way we have not seen since his early weeks at the Macron.
“He looked like a top, top player at Sheffield Wednesday,” Lennon agreed. “Now I have told him he can’t do that one in five, he has to do it three or four in five.
“If he plays like that, he makes us better.”
Forest are undefeated in 10 games in league and cup and have proved themselves, alongside Wanderers, as one of the division’s draw specialists with 11 tied games in 26 outings.
Prior to the arrival of Trotter on loan in November, Dougie Freedman’s side had been struggling. The midfielder played nine games and scored on his debut but returned without much fanfare to claim a surprise Whites starting spot against the Owls.
Freedman had planned to sign him on a permanent basis but the club’s transfer embargo made things difficult – and their loss could now be Bolton’s gain.
“You saw against Sheffield Wednesday what a really good player Liam can be,” Lennon said. “If he played like that he’d be in the team every week,” he said.
“He was determined and strong but we haven’t seen enough of that. We loaned him out to Nottingham Forest but he came back, hopefully, with the bit between his teeth.”
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“The only thing consistent about him is his inconsistency” – the Northern Irishman’s words on Liam Trotter after the final whistle, but equally he could be referring to almost anyone else in his starting 11.
Lennon, nor any of the fans heading to Nottingham Forest tomorrow know which Bolton Wanderers is going to turn up; and performances have been even more unpredictable on the road.
From the horrific 45-minute displays against Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, QPR or Rotherham to the more encouraging ones served up at Hillsborough, Blackburn or MK Dons, travelling away with the Whites has been a lottery with very little chance of success.
Lennon has had to keep faith. But whereas fans asked if the squad was playing for him at all after the home defeat against Huddersfield, there were signs on Tuesday the manager has not, to coin the dreadful football phrase, ‘lost the dressing room’.
“I get enthused by a performance like that – it’s night and day from the Huddersfield performance two weeks ago,” said the manager. “We went there and not many people gave us a prayer. We lost, and people should know me well enough by now that I hate it, but if we find that level more often we’ll be all right. There are other clubs around who lost heavily and they may start to struggle.
“If we can keep the core of the squad together and play like that then there’s no reason why we can’t get out of this yet.”
The six-point gap to safety appears a tough one to bridge for a side that has won just two of their opening 26 games. Yet Lennon insists it can be done if he can get some consistency in the right areas.
Gary Madine was a case in point against his former club, leading the line in a rugged way we have not seen since his early weeks at the Macron.
“He looked like a top, top player at Sheffield Wednesday,” Lennon agreed. “Now I have told him he can’t do that one in five, he has to do it three or four in five.
“If he plays like that, he makes us better.”
Forest are undefeated in 10 games in league and cup and have proved themselves, alongside Wanderers, as one of the division’s draw specialists with 11 tied games in 26 outings.
Prior to the arrival of Trotter on loan in November, Dougie Freedman’s side had been struggling. The midfielder played nine games and scored on his debut but returned without much fanfare to claim a surprise Whites starting spot against the Owls.
Freedman had planned to sign him on a permanent basis but the club’s transfer embargo made things difficult – and their loss could now be Bolton’s gain.
“You saw against Sheffield Wednesday what a really good player Liam can be,” Lennon said. “If he played like that he’d be in the team every week,” he said.
“He was determined and strong but we haven’t seen enough of that. We loaned him out to Nottingham Forest but he came back, hopefully, with the bit between his teeth.”
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