Neil Lennon has called for his Bolton side to return from the international break with a more clinical focus as his team go in search of their first away win of the season.
Wanderers make the short trip to East Lancashire to face promotion contenders Burnley having fallen into the SkyBet Championship relegation zone following the surrender to QPR last time out.
The painful late defeat at Loftus Road clearly still rankles for Lennon a fortnight later, but the Whites’ manager believes that his side are inching closer to the formula that should see them shoot up the table.
“I don’t think we’re a million miles away from being a decent team at this level, but we need to start getting over the line and putting teams away,” Lennon said.
“We’ve played well enough to win the games, which has been a source of frustration, because if you look at our form – one win in nine – it’s not really been a reflection on the way we’ve played, but that’s the reality of it.
“I think it’s psychological more than anything else, and just game management.
“That’s a mental fragility in there that needs to change, because we’ve got talent in the squad and they are working hard, but they seem to be the architects of their own downfall at times.”
With this Saturday’s match marking the first of a six-game run before the next international break in mid-November, the next month could well make or break Wanderers’ season.
And Lennon was keen to impress the importance of starting that run well, with home games against Birmingham City and fellow strugglers Leeds United hot on the heels of the trip to Turf Moor.
“Going to Burnley will be difficult but it won’t faze us.
“There’ll be a decent crowd and it’s a game that we will endeavour to get something out of.
“We’ve got a good week coming up, so if we can start off well with a positive result then it sets us up nicely for the two home games, where we’re playing very well at home.
“We’re trying to find the balance between playing well at home and playing not-so-well away from home.”
Image courtesy of BWFC via YouTube, with thanks.
