Neil Lennon has revealed his excitement at the challenge he has at Bolton Wanderers, especially after discovering what a big club they are.
Due to a torrid run of results which sees them propping up the other 23 teams in the division, the Lancashire club decided to axe manager Dougie Freedman earlier this month. Andy Hughes and Lee Turner were placed in temporary charge for the visit of Bournemouth prior to the international break, but were powerless to prevent another defeat.
A number of candidates were linked with succeeding Freedman, including Sam Allardyce’s former assistant Phil Brown, now of Southend United, and Chris Hughton. However, the Trotters instead turned to Lennon, who has been out of work since calling time on his successful four-year spell in charge of Scottish giants Celtic at the end of last season.
Speaking upon being unveiled by his new employers, it was clear how excited the 43-year-old is by the challenge which awaits him. And as he targets an immediate improvement from the Championship’s bottom side, he also praised the facilities on offer at the Macron Stadium outfit, whilst admitting he didn’t quite realise they were such a big club.
“I’m really impressed with the facilities here, the training ground, obviously the stadium here, the academy, it’s actually a bigger club than what I expected, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised but obviously thrilled to get the job,” he told Sky Sports. “I think it’s a great club, a great tradition in history. We’re in a difficult position at the minute and that compounded the feeling to come here because it’s a tremendous challenge. I think we’ve got some good players here.
“But for whatever reason we’ve not been performing to the standards the players know they are capable of, so hopefully we can turn things around and get Bolton moving back up the table pretty quickly. I got a really good feeling about it when I spoke to Phil Gartside the chairman on Wednesday, and then I met Mr Davies the owner on Saturday, and from I’ve seen so far it’s been terrific. I’ve been made to feel obviously very, very welcome.
“But I know what lies ahead. There’s a huge expectation level here cause it’s a big club and a big support, and we’re in a different situation where it’s a very unpredictable league, it’s very competitive, and we need to start putting a run of results together and show a bit more consistency than what we’ve been showing so far. That’s down to me and it’s also down to the players as well. I want to make an impact here, I want to make people happy here.”
During his time in Glasgow, Lennon led the Bhoys to three league titles and two Scottish Cup successes. However, should he lead Bolton – said to be £170million in debt – back to the Premier League during the four-year contract he has signed, it would arguably surpass all he achieved whilst at Parkhead.
Is Lennon the right man for Bolton, and how long should the club give him to return them to their place in the Premier League? Let us know what you think below.
