Home
Goodness knows what else this season has got left to throw at Neil Lennon but tomorrow should tell us what fight he has got left in reserve.
Whether washed out by a late rally at Wolves, or just sick of forecasting another turning point in the campaign, the Northern Irishman was not as thrilled as he perhaps should have been after a decent display at Molineux.
He went through the motions of a post-match media briefing but is clearly growing weary of the routine. This morning, his assistant Steve Walford will be taking the regular press conference ahead of the Rotherham game at the Macron.
For the manager not to be front and centre for such an important match is rare, yet perhaps understandable. We have gone past the point where words are enough, Wanderers now need action.
Asked on Tuesday night if the late fightback could serve as inspiration in the relegation battle Lennon gave a smirk as if to suggest he’d been in this position before.
“I hope things are turning for us,” he said. “But let’s say I have had a few false dawns with this group and I don’t want to count my chickens.”
Lennon isn’t the only one worn down by the inconsistency. His relationship with Bolton’s supporters has been put in limbo; many sympathise with his plight while others know there is little chance of change in the current financial climate.
Escaping relegation could yet win over those doubters. Lennon knows that could be taken out of his hands if administration is sought but cannot afford to dwell on it.
Rotherham is a game in which the manager could really use his team pulling together.
On Boxing Day they produced a frankly embarrassing performance at the New York Stadium that brought about the most angry reaction from supporters we have yet seen this season.
“I can’t help but feel we owe them one,” Lennon told The Bolton News. “Every game is big for us from here on in, but especially this one.
“It’s a good motivation for us, or at least it should be. If we beat Rotherham we are right back in the mix so we have to go into it in a positive frame of mind.”
There are few more positive than Wellington Silva, if his first interview is anything to go by.
The little winger, on loan from Arsenal, said all the right things when he came out to speak on Tuesday night and urged his team-mates to relax under high-pressured circumstances.
“We know the game is very important,” he said. “We have to work.
“We have to believe we can play good football and take three points at home.
“We have to enjoy the game more, pass the ball, play with confidence, because we have a good team and I think we will finish this season higher in the table.”
Wellington has taken some time to adjust to the cut and thrust of Championship football and, in the manager’s own opinion, still needs to work on his fitness.
He does, however, possess the kind of skills and character that could set him apart in a tense game, as tomorrow’s promises to be.
And though a Premier League contract at Arsenal beckons at the end of the season, the Brazilian is adamant his thoughts remain at the Macron and not the Emirates.
“I am here until the end of the season and I don’t speak with the other team,” he said.
“I think of this club. When I have finished the season I will speak to them.
“I concentrate on Bolton, continue to work and help the club. They gave me an opportunity to play in England and opened a door for me. They said they needed my help.
“I have two years more at Arsenal but my head is here and I believe we will stay in this league.”
Wellington is also convinced there is enough quality in the Bolton squad to avoid relegation and believes his own performances will improve now he is over a long-term hamstring injury.
“I have played in Spain before but here it is more difficult,” he said. “The players are stronger and harder.
“My injury was hard. But now I am back and I want to help the team more.
“Of course I think we will survive. I believe the team has good players but we need more luck.”
Source
Whether washed out by a late rally at Wolves, or just sick of forecasting another turning point in the campaign, the Northern Irishman was not as thrilled as he perhaps should have been after a decent display at Molineux.
He went through the motions of a post-match media briefing but is clearly growing weary of the routine. This morning, his assistant Steve Walford will be taking the regular press conference ahead of the Rotherham game at the Macron.
For the manager not to be front and centre for such an important match is rare, yet perhaps understandable. We have gone past the point where words are enough, Wanderers now need action.
Asked on Tuesday night if the late fightback could serve as inspiration in the relegation battle Lennon gave a smirk as if to suggest he’d been in this position before.
“I hope things are turning for us,” he said. “But let’s say I have had a few false dawns with this group and I don’t want to count my chickens.”
Lennon isn’t the only one worn down by the inconsistency. His relationship with Bolton’s supporters has been put in limbo; many sympathise with his plight while others know there is little chance of change in the current financial climate.
Escaping relegation could yet win over those doubters. Lennon knows that could be taken out of his hands if administration is sought but cannot afford to dwell on it.
Rotherham is a game in which the manager could really use his team pulling together.
On Boxing Day they produced a frankly embarrassing performance at the New York Stadium that brought about the most angry reaction from supporters we have yet seen this season.
“I can’t help but feel we owe them one,” Lennon told The Bolton News. “Every game is big for us from here on in, but especially this one.
“It’s a good motivation for us, or at least it should be. If we beat Rotherham we are right back in the mix so we have to go into it in a positive frame of mind.”
There are few more positive than Wellington Silva, if his first interview is anything to go by.
The little winger, on loan from Arsenal, said all the right things when he came out to speak on Tuesday night and urged his team-mates to relax under high-pressured circumstances.
“We know the game is very important,” he said. “We have to work.
“We have to believe we can play good football and take three points at home.
“We have to enjoy the game more, pass the ball, play with confidence, because we have a good team and I think we will finish this season higher in the table.”
Wellington has taken some time to adjust to the cut and thrust of Championship football and, in the manager’s own opinion, still needs to work on his fitness.
He does, however, possess the kind of skills and character that could set him apart in a tense game, as tomorrow’s promises to be.
And though a Premier League contract at Arsenal beckons at the end of the season, the Brazilian is adamant his thoughts remain at the Macron and not the Emirates.
“I am here until the end of the season and I don’t speak with the other team,” he said.
“I think of this club. When I have finished the season I will speak to them.
“I concentrate on Bolton, continue to work and help the club. They gave me an opportunity to play in England and opened a door for me. They said they needed my help.
“I have two years more at Arsenal but my head is here and I believe we will stay in this league.”
Wellington is also convinced there is enough quality in the Bolton squad to avoid relegation and believes his own performances will improve now he is over a long-term hamstring injury.
“I have played in Spain before but here it is more difficult,” he said. “The players are stronger and harder.
“My injury was hard. But now I am back and I want to help the team more.
“Of course I think we will survive. I believe the team has good players but we need more luck.”
Source