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Neil Lennon’s first task under new ownership will be to prove cracks that have appeared in the dressing room are repairable in the relegation fight.
The Wanderers boss has dug in his heels under pressured circumstances in the last few weeks as evidence of unrest surfaced within the squad.
Rows with Gary Madine and Josh Vela have hit the headlines as Lennon imposed his authority by dropping them from his team in unceremonious fashion.
Lennon has not been afraid to voice public concern over players’ form either – with Wellington Silva and Zach Clough given the short shift.
Calls for the new ownership to make a change of manager are on the up despite widespread sympathy with the treatment he has received at the hands of the previous board in his 18 months at the club.
It is up to Lennon now to show the problems that have arisen are more to with a deficiency within his squad, rather than one in his own coaching make-up.
Wanderers have 10 games left to save their Championship status and there has been some indication from new chief executive Dean Holdsworth there will be no rush to make a decision on changing the manager.
That could give Lennon the security he has so severely lacked in the whole takeover process, which has surely played a big part in the issues that have developed behind closed doors.
Naturally a combative character, the Northern Irishman’s fighting spirit proved to be a breath of fresh air when he came to the ailing club in October 2014 but questions have arisen in the last few months about whether that approach has been counter-productive in a squad struggling for confidence.
Under normal circumstances Lennon would have been able to bring in different characters to address any imbalance. But shackled with a draconian transfer embargo he has had to rely on a central spine of players he can trust in a dogfight, and stick with them despite varying degrees of form.
That has not been popular with supporters – as trusted warhorses like Emile Heskey, Dorian Dervite and Darren Pratley appear to have been selected more for their physical attributes than their recent form.
Likewise Madine, Vela and Wellington have been axed for big games as the manager looked to make a point on his own authority within the club, which has been consistently undermined by speculation about Phil Brown’s return to the North West.
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The Wanderers boss has dug in his heels under pressured circumstances in the last few weeks as evidence of unrest surfaced within the squad.
Rows with Gary Madine and Josh Vela have hit the headlines as Lennon imposed his authority by dropping them from his team in unceremonious fashion.
Lennon has not been afraid to voice public concern over players’ form either – with Wellington Silva and Zach Clough given the short shift.
Calls for the new ownership to make a change of manager are on the up despite widespread sympathy with the treatment he has received at the hands of the previous board in his 18 months at the club.
It is up to Lennon now to show the problems that have arisen are more to with a deficiency within his squad, rather than one in his own coaching make-up.
Wanderers have 10 games left to save their Championship status and there has been some indication from new chief executive Dean Holdsworth there will be no rush to make a decision on changing the manager.
That could give Lennon the security he has so severely lacked in the whole takeover process, which has surely played a big part in the issues that have developed behind closed doors.
Naturally a combative character, the Northern Irishman’s fighting spirit proved to be a breath of fresh air when he came to the ailing club in October 2014 but questions have arisen in the last few months about whether that approach has been counter-productive in a squad struggling for confidence.
Under normal circumstances Lennon would have been able to bring in different characters to address any imbalance. But shackled with a draconian transfer embargo he has had to rely on a central spine of players he can trust in a dogfight, and stick with them despite varying degrees of form.
That has not been popular with supporters – as trusted warhorses like Emile Heskey, Dorian Dervite and Darren Pratley appear to have been selected more for their physical attributes than their recent form.
Likewise Madine, Vela and Wellington have been axed for big games as the manager looked to make a point on his own authority within the club, which has been consistently undermined by speculation about Phil Brown’s return to the North West.
Source
