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Neil Lennon got one thing wrong in Friday night’s scintillating derby win over Wigan Athletic but not until well after the final whistle had sounded.
Of course, the former Celtic boss had tasted local rivalry before – and under scrutiny 20 times greater than he faced under the Sky Sports cameras at the Macron Stadium – but when asked how this victory felt compared to one of his six Old Firm triumphs, he made one crucial underestimation.
“It’s satisfying,” he said. “It’s more pleasing for the supporters than me, an outsider, coming in and sampling it for the first time.
“The result was for the supporters. You could see the reaction we got second half and I’m delighted they can enjoy a bit of success. They’ll enjoy their weekend and then I’m sure they’ll be feeling much better over the next two weeks.”
The mistake made by the Northern Irishman was that he should be classified as an outsider. And Bolton fans won’t have a bar of it.
It is still very early days in his tenure but the way Lennon has forged an instant rapport with supporters in this neck of the woods gives you every reason to be optimistic for the future.
Even more impressive is that the 43-year-old has managed to strike up a relationship with fans young and old without any serious effort, seemingly by just displaying the passion some felt was missing in the previous regime.
Results have helped, of course, but even in the two slip-ups against Charlton and Norwich, his brutally honest assessment of his team’s deficiencies on the night have attracted public praise.
Although Lennon did make a brief appearance in the FanZone before the Brentford game, there have otherwise been no public appearances to generate goodwill, nothing has been manufactured here.
But considering just over a month ago we were analysing why such a rift had developed between fans and the football club, this example shows how easily such things can be mended with the right words and actions.
Wanderers fans are even paying due credit to Phil Gartside – pilloried before Lennon’s arrival but now being praised for appointing a manager a handful of supposedly bigger clubs had passed over this summer.
And why not? Had Lennon, or anyone else for that matter, made a poor start then it would be a safe bet that the chairman would once again have felt the fans’ scorn.
If we are in the thick of the honeymoon period then let’s enjoy it. There will undoubtedly be tougher times to negotiate before Lennon gets things completely to his liking but it has been a while since the town buzzed because of its football team. Make hay while the sun shines, as the old saying goes.
Lennon could have walked into any pub from Bromley Cross to Westhoughton, Horwich to Kearsley and never bought himself a drink on Friday night.
He is far from an outsider in the eyes of the people that matter in this one-team town.
Source
Of course, the former Celtic boss had tasted local rivalry before – and under scrutiny 20 times greater than he faced under the Sky Sports cameras at the Macron Stadium – but when asked how this victory felt compared to one of his six Old Firm triumphs, he made one crucial underestimation.
“It’s satisfying,” he said. “It’s more pleasing for the supporters than me, an outsider, coming in and sampling it for the first time.
“The result was for the supporters. You could see the reaction we got second half and I’m delighted they can enjoy a bit of success. They’ll enjoy their weekend and then I’m sure they’ll be feeling much better over the next two weeks.”
The mistake made by the Northern Irishman was that he should be classified as an outsider. And Bolton fans won’t have a bar of it.
It is still very early days in his tenure but the way Lennon has forged an instant rapport with supporters in this neck of the woods gives you every reason to be optimistic for the future.
Even more impressive is that the 43-year-old has managed to strike up a relationship with fans young and old without any serious effort, seemingly by just displaying the passion some felt was missing in the previous regime.
Results have helped, of course, but even in the two slip-ups against Charlton and Norwich, his brutally honest assessment of his team’s deficiencies on the night have attracted public praise.
Although Lennon did make a brief appearance in the FanZone before the Brentford game, there have otherwise been no public appearances to generate goodwill, nothing has been manufactured here.
But considering just over a month ago we were analysing why such a rift had developed between fans and the football club, this example shows how easily such things can be mended with the right words and actions.
Wanderers fans are even paying due credit to Phil Gartside – pilloried before Lennon’s arrival but now being praised for appointing a manager a handful of supposedly bigger clubs had passed over this summer.
And why not? Had Lennon, or anyone else for that matter, made a poor start then it would be a safe bet that the chairman would once again have felt the fans’ scorn.
If we are in the thick of the honeymoon period then let’s enjoy it. There will undoubtedly be tougher times to negotiate before Lennon gets things completely to his liking but it has been a while since the town buzzed because of its football team. Make hay while the sun shines, as the old saying goes.
Lennon could have walked into any pub from Bromley Cross to Westhoughton, Horwich to Kearsley and never bought himself a drink on Friday night.
He is far from an outsider in the eyes of the people that matter in this one-team town.
Source