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When Neil Lennon walked into Wanderers, he had every reason to think he would receive the same kind of financial backing as his predecessor Dougie Freedman.
While the outgoing Scot had rid the club of many of its Premier League excesses, cut loose the likes of Martin Petrov, Marvin Sordell and David Ngog, his budget remained positively healthy compared to the present day.
Freedman made great play of his cost-cutting and yet he spent big on the likes of Jay Spearing (£1.5million), Rob Hall (£700,000 including bonuses), and Medo Kamara (£750,000) – not to mention some eye-watering wages to retain the likes of Zat Knight or sign Jermaine Beckford.
He was the last Bolton manager to spend real cash – £10,000 to bring in promising youngster Kaiyne Woolery from Tamworth – but claimed in an interview with the Nottingham Post earlier this week he had survived on “free transfers”.
Lennon has done just that. Though funds have been spent in other ways – more than £1m in agents’ fees, for example – the cash available to the current Wanderers boss has not matched the sums he was promised.
As such he has been granted some leeway from the Whites fans rarely afforded to a manager who has won just two of 28 games in league and cup this season.
Lennon comes face to face with Freedman, now in the dugout at Nottingham Forest, this afternoon. But the Northern Irishman believes the job of managing Bolton Wanderers has changed considerably in the 15 months since he inherited it.
“They are two totally different situations,” he told The Bolton News. “I haven’t had a penny to spend and I’ve taken millions off the wage bill.
“That wasn’t what I envisaged when I kept them up last year. I’d come in bottom of the league and I was hoping we’d be able to spend a bit of money and make a stronger case for moving up the table but that hasn’t been the case at all.
“Initially we took about £7million off the wage bill and now we’re in a position where we have to sell players too so it’s a lot more difficult than it was this time last year.”
With a slight glimmer of hope on the horizon on the financial front, hopes are high that administration can now be avoided and that a buyer is not far away.
Judged by a club on a more financial footing Lennon will have to show he can get results to keep the club in the Championship, and he is now casting an eye to possible loan signings in February, if money allows.
“It would be nice,” he said. “You are fighting for air at the moment and trying to keep the players as focussed as possible. It has been very difficult in the last few months.
“But we’re not giving up on it. I think we are capable of winning games but the players need to show some consistency. They gave us some encouragement on Tuesday night because some of their attacking play was very good to watch.”
Wanderers showed some spirit in defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night and head to the City Ground looking for the same kind of performance, with a better outcome.
They are also looking to avenge last season’s 4-1 thrashing in a farcical game that saw Matt Mills – now in a Forest jersey – sent off, and Emile Heskey fill in at centre-half.
“We were poor that day. Regardless of how it went, it’s important we get something out of this game because of the situation we find ourselves in. If we play like we did on Tuesday night, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.
“There is still a lot to play for, still a lot of points to be won. But we need to find some consistency.
“The players have shown they can do it, and having Mark Davies back in the squad – if he’s in the right frame of mind – will definitely strengthen us as well.”
Heskey is set to return to the squad after a calf injury but a scan has shown up a hip problem for Zach Clough and he has been pulled out of training for the next couple of games.
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While the outgoing Scot had rid the club of many of its Premier League excesses, cut loose the likes of Martin Petrov, Marvin Sordell and David Ngog, his budget remained positively healthy compared to the present day.
Freedman made great play of his cost-cutting and yet he spent big on the likes of Jay Spearing (£1.5million), Rob Hall (£700,000 including bonuses), and Medo Kamara (£750,000) – not to mention some eye-watering wages to retain the likes of Zat Knight or sign Jermaine Beckford.
He was the last Bolton manager to spend real cash – £10,000 to bring in promising youngster Kaiyne Woolery from Tamworth – but claimed in an interview with the Nottingham Post earlier this week he had survived on “free transfers”.
Lennon has done just that. Though funds have been spent in other ways – more than £1m in agents’ fees, for example – the cash available to the current Wanderers boss has not matched the sums he was promised.
As such he has been granted some leeway from the Whites fans rarely afforded to a manager who has won just two of 28 games in league and cup this season.
Lennon comes face to face with Freedman, now in the dugout at Nottingham Forest, this afternoon. But the Northern Irishman believes the job of managing Bolton Wanderers has changed considerably in the 15 months since he inherited it.
“They are two totally different situations,” he told The Bolton News. “I haven’t had a penny to spend and I’ve taken millions off the wage bill.
“That wasn’t what I envisaged when I kept them up last year. I’d come in bottom of the league and I was hoping we’d be able to spend a bit of money and make a stronger case for moving up the table but that hasn’t been the case at all.
“Initially we took about £7million off the wage bill and now we’re in a position where we have to sell players too so it’s a lot more difficult than it was this time last year.”
With a slight glimmer of hope on the horizon on the financial front, hopes are high that administration can now be avoided and that a buyer is not far away.
Judged by a club on a more financial footing Lennon will have to show he can get results to keep the club in the Championship, and he is now casting an eye to possible loan signings in February, if money allows.
“It would be nice,” he said. “You are fighting for air at the moment and trying to keep the players as focussed as possible. It has been very difficult in the last few months.
“But we’re not giving up on it. I think we are capable of winning games but the players need to show some consistency. They gave us some encouragement on Tuesday night because some of their attacking play was very good to watch.”
Wanderers showed some spirit in defeat at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday night and head to the City Ground looking for the same kind of performance, with a better outcome.
They are also looking to avenge last season’s 4-1 thrashing in a farcical game that saw Matt Mills – now in a Forest jersey – sent off, and Emile Heskey fill in at centre-half.
“We were poor that day. Regardless of how it went, it’s important we get something out of this game because of the situation we find ourselves in. If we play like we did on Tuesday night, we’ll give ourselves a good chance.
“There is still a lot to play for, still a lot of points to be won. But we need to find some consistency.
“The players have shown they can do it, and having Mark Davies back in the squad – if he’s in the right frame of mind – will definitely strengthen us as well.”
Heskey is set to return to the squad after a calf injury but a scan has shown up a hip problem for Zach Clough and he has been pulled out of training for the next couple of games.
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