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The cap had barely come off the bottle of water laid on for his first Wanderers press conference on Monday before Neil Lennon started laying down his markers.
In short, a club that had collectively started to feel sorry for itself since the start of the season would have to snap out of their malaise soon, or else.
There was a tone in the flame-haired Northern Irishman’s voice that made you believe the consequences of not falling in line with his way of thinking would not end well for the individual involved.
History shows that when Lennon inherited a mess at Celtic from Tony Mowbray, the axe fell swiftly on those who did not pull their weight.
Several players fell into that category under Dougie Freedman and while the Scot paid with his job, there is a degree of culpability in the dressing room that has not gone away as the players head to Birmingham City tomorrow.
Lennon has been quick to get down to business and recognises that while standards need to be raised, a team spirit also needs to be nurtured.
The hats may have gone on the training ground but the smiles are slowly returning.
They say the team that eats together, stays together, and that goes some way to explaining why the new manager wants his side to stay in a team hotel before every game – home and away – from here on in.
Breaking bread may be a good way to reintegrate a few of the squad who had strayed during Freedman’s final months.
Rob Hall, for example, was billed as the “future” of Bolton Wanderers by the man who signed him from West Ham last summer, but is a young man who has clearly been unhappy with his lack of opportunities ever since.
The 20-year-old – a former loan star at Birmingham who was until recently tipped to go back to St Andrew’s for more first team football – will be especially incentivised by the new manager’s arrival.
Jermaine Beckford may be in the same boat. Benched so often, whether scoring or not, under his former team-mate, he will probably feel now is his last chance to make a success of his Wanderers career.
Beckford has a good record against the Blues too, with four strikes in seven games against the Midlanders.
For Academy product Josh Vela, a midfielder carved out of the same no-nonsense iron as his manager, this could finally be the window he has been waiting for.
Banished to train with the development squad as he waited for a route out of the club on loan, his appearance on the club’s pictures from training on that first morning of Lennon’s reign was a welcome one.
While some may welcome the chance of a fresh start, others – those who were regulars under Freedman – know they need to find some form, and quick.
Lennon has already been linked with a handful of his former Celtic players and just as Freedman reached out to those he trusted at Crystal Palace, it is a smart bet that the new boss will look to reacquaint himself with some old friends in the coming months.
Places are up for grabs, once again, and two quick-fire away days at Birmingham and Charlton are perfect chances for the new boss to see how his side operate at close quarters.
Lennon refuses to rule anything out, including the play-offs.
“Nothing should surprise you in football,” he said. “I had a very good team at Celtic in my second season and we started the season terribly and were 15 points behind Rangers at one stage in October.
“We were 3-0 down at Kilmarnock and that was walking the fine line for me.
“Anyway, we managed to rectify it and went on to have a great run of wins.
“I'm not saying that's going to be the case here - that there's going to be a turning point - but certainly I've been in a position before where backs are against the wall and managed to turn it around.
“I want to use that experience myself to bring here.”
Source
In short, a club that had collectively started to feel sorry for itself since the start of the season would have to snap out of their malaise soon, or else.
There was a tone in the flame-haired Northern Irishman’s voice that made you believe the consequences of not falling in line with his way of thinking would not end well for the individual involved.
History shows that when Lennon inherited a mess at Celtic from Tony Mowbray, the axe fell swiftly on those who did not pull their weight.
Several players fell into that category under Dougie Freedman and while the Scot paid with his job, there is a degree of culpability in the dressing room that has not gone away as the players head to Birmingham City tomorrow.
Lennon has been quick to get down to business and recognises that while standards need to be raised, a team spirit also needs to be nurtured.
The hats may have gone on the training ground but the smiles are slowly returning.
They say the team that eats together, stays together, and that goes some way to explaining why the new manager wants his side to stay in a team hotel before every game – home and away – from here on in.
Breaking bread may be a good way to reintegrate a few of the squad who had strayed during Freedman’s final months.
Rob Hall, for example, was billed as the “future” of Bolton Wanderers by the man who signed him from West Ham last summer, but is a young man who has clearly been unhappy with his lack of opportunities ever since.
The 20-year-old – a former loan star at Birmingham who was until recently tipped to go back to St Andrew’s for more first team football – will be especially incentivised by the new manager’s arrival.
Jermaine Beckford may be in the same boat. Benched so often, whether scoring or not, under his former team-mate, he will probably feel now is his last chance to make a success of his Wanderers career.
Beckford has a good record against the Blues too, with four strikes in seven games against the Midlanders.
For Academy product Josh Vela, a midfielder carved out of the same no-nonsense iron as his manager, this could finally be the window he has been waiting for.
Banished to train with the development squad as he waited for a route out of the club on loan, his appearance on the club’s pictures from training on that first morning of Lennon’s reign was a welcome one.
While some may welcome the chance of a fresh start, others – those who were regulars under Freedman – know they need to find some form, and quick.
Lennon has already been linked with a handful of his former Celtic players and just as Freedman reached out to those he trusted at Crystal Palace, it is a smart bet that the new boss will look to reacquaint himself with some old friends in the coming months.
Places are up for grabs, once again, and two quick-fire away days at Birmingham and Charlton are perfect chances for the new boss to see how his side operate at close quarters.
Lennon refuses to rule anything out, including the play-offs.
“Nothing should surprise you in football,” he said. “I had a very good team at Celtic in my second season and we started the season terribly and were 15 points behind Rangers at one stage in October.
“We were 3-0 down at Kilmarnock and that was walking the fine line for me.
“Anyway, we managed to rectify it and went on to have a great run of wins.
“I'm not saying that's going to be the case here - that there's going to be a turning point - but certainly I've been in a position before where backs are against the wall and managed to turn it around.
“I want to use that experience myself to bring here.”
Source