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AFTER the all protests, the chants, the banners and the jeers on home turf this season – Neil Lennon is in a good position to ask fans to give peace a chance.
Another man bearing his surname once sang about starting over but that was the message being sent out to the Wanderers faithful as the new manager prepares to step out at the Macron Stadium for the first time this afternoon.
Brentford provide the opposition but, in truth, it could be any of the 23 Championship clubs heading to Winter Hill.
The next 90 minutes will be about reconciliation; a chance for the club to start rebuilding the relationship with their most precious asset.
And no-one is better placed to call for a fresh start than the Northern Irishman whose mere arrival a fortnight ago was enough to begin the healing process.
Lennon knows full well results and little else will start filling the empty seats but he has walked into a daunting situation at Wanderers well aware of the divisions that had arisen.
“One the challenges when I came here was to try and unite people again,” he told The Bolton News. “I know there was a little bit of disenchantment.
“Going forward I know some people have vented their frustrations at Phil (Gartside) and Eddie (Davies), for whatever reason, but I don’t want that any more. If people want someone to blame, blame me. I take responsibility now for results and performances because I’m the manager.
“Ideally I want this club united. I want the fans to get behind us and there be a connection between us and the supporters because it has been missing a little bit.”
The Reebok had its ‘roar’ but it has hard to attribute any alliteration to the re-christened Macron, aside from some quite understandable moans.
The manager’s arrival has proved a welcome distraction to the negativity that had enveloped the club in recent months, inside and out.
However the stark reality is that Wanderers remain in the bottom three and Lennon knows any number of words will not change that situation for the better.
Today’s crowd will be far removed from a packed out Parkhead – but Lennon is convinced he can foster the same sort of hostile environment by improving the end product on the pitch.
“I can only do it with performances and results,” he said, when asked how he intended to mend bridges with the supporters. “I’m not laying down challenges to anyone. If we win games, the people will come.
“There is a huge amount of pride in this town for the club and the team and it has to start with us against Brentford.
“The players should show their appreciation for the fans, which we have done in the first two away games.
“We have got to start making this stadium a difficult place to come.
“Home form at my previous club Celtic was huge whether it was playing domestically or in European football.
“So I’m really looking forward to the experience of managing at home here - I’m loving the challenge that lies ahead.”
While Lennon sampled defeat for the first time in charge at Charlton on Tuesday night he has been pleased at the speed his players have got on task.
For all the possession and chances at The Valley, the lack of a finishing touch or a calm head around the penalty area cost a Bolton team once again.
But Lennon is adamant he will raise the standard of performance to match the top class infrastructure still owned by the club.
And with the promise of an ultra-positive atmosphere this afternoon, the Whites boss will again ask his players to rise to the occasion.
“The place has got everything going for it,” he said. “The stadium is fantastic the pitch is immaculate, it would grace any stadium in the world, so it’s a case of saying to the players ‘go out there and express yourselves again.’
“We’ll have however many thousand people in the ground and 95 per cent of them will be roaring us on and willing us to succeed.
“They need to embrace it, enjoy it, and that’s what we’ll be drumming into them, whilst appreciating that winning games is a very hard thing to do.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/11559271.Lennon_s_looking_for_home_comforts_at_Wanderers/
Another man bearing his surname once sang about starting over but that was the message being sent out to the Wanderers faithful as the new manager prepares to step out at the Macron Stadium for the first time this afternoon.
Brentford provide the opposition but, in truth, it could be any of the 23 Championship clubs heading to Winter Hill.
The next 90 minutes will be about reconciliation; a chance for the club to start rebuilding the relationship with their most precious asset.
And no-one is better placed to call for a fresh start than the Northern Irishman whose mere arrival a fortnight ago was enough to begin the healing process.
Lennon knows full well results and little else will start filling the empty seats but he has walked into a daunting situation at Wanderers well aware of the divisions that had arisen.
“One the challenges when I came here was to try and unite people again,” he told The Bolton News. “I know there was a little bit of disenchantment.
“Going forward I know some people have vented their frustrations at Phil (Gartside) and Eddie (Davies), for whatever reason, but I don’t want that any more. If people want someone to blame, blame me. I take responsibility now for results and performances because I’m the manager.
“Ideally I want this club united. I want the fans to get behind us and there be a connection between us and the supporters because it has been missing a little bit.”
The Reebok had its ‘roar’ but it has hard to attribute any alliteration to the re-christened Macron, aside from some quite understandable moans.
The manager’s arrival has proved a welcome distraction to the negativity that had enveloped the club in recent months, inside and out.
However the stark reality is that Wanderers remain in the bottom three and Lennon knows any number of words will not change that situation for the better.
Today’s crowd will be far removed from a packed out Parkhead – but Lennon is convinced he can foster the same sort of hostile environment by improving the end product on the pitch.
“I can only do it with performances and results,” he said, when asked how he intended to mend bridges with the supporters. “I’m not laying down challenges to anyone. If we win games, the people will come.
“There is a huge amount of pride in this town for the club and the team and it has to start with us against Brentford.
“The players should show their appreciation for the fans, which we have done in the first two away games.
“We have got to start making this stadium a difficult place to come.
“Home form at my previous club Celtic was huge whether it was playing domestically or in European football.
“So I’m really looking forward to the experience of managing at home here - I’m loving the challenge that lies ahead.”
While Lennon sampled defeat for the first time in charge at Charlton on Tuesday night he has been pleased at the speed his players have got on task.
For all the possession and chances at The Valley, the lack of a finishing touch or a calm head around the penalty area cost a Bolton team once again.
But Lennon is adamant he will raise the standard of performance to match the top class infrastructure still owned by the club.
And with the promise of an ultra-positive atmosphere this afternoon, the Whites boss will again ask his players to rise to the occasion.
“The place has got everything going for it,” he said. “The stadium is fantastic the pitch is immaculate, it would grace any stadium in the world, so it’s a case of saying to the players ‘go out there and express yourselves again.’
“We’ll have however many thousand people in the ground and 95 per cent of them will be roaring us on and willing us to succeed.
“They need to embrace it, enjoy it, and that’s what we’ll be drumming into them, whilst appreciating that winning games is a very hard thing to do.”
http://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/11559271.Lennon_s_looking_for_home_comforts_at_Wanderers/