Neil Lennon labelled the current situation the most difficult he’s ever faced in the sport, after Bolton made it one win in 20 with defeat to Hull City.
Chuba Akpom’s first-half strike proved the difference, as toothless Wanderers drew a blank for the 12th time this season.
Bolton now travel to fellow strugglers Charlton on Tuesday night, knowing that whilst a defeat would almost be terminal for their survival hopes, a win would breathe life back into the club.
“From a managerial point of view, this is the toughest challenge I’ve faced in football,” Lennon said.
“The club is going through a difficult period, but if it can come out of it then it’ll come out of it stronger.
“I’ve said to the players that if they can get through it they’ll be remembered for a long time – they can be heroes.
“I would never question their commitment – it’s a difficult period for the players themselves.
“We can take something from the game in terms of the attitude and the shape of the team, but that’s not the be-all and end-all, we have to start winning some games.
“We’ve got a massive game now on Tuesday, so if we can win that, we’ll see where it takes us.”
Searching for a silver lining is a near-impossible task for Lennon at the moment, but he did find one positive in the performance of 20-year-old Rob Holding.
The defender made only his second league appearance for the Whites, and produced an assured performance, leaving Lennon optimistic that the future may be brighter.
“It was a better second half – we had a great performance from young Holding, so that is a huge positive to come out of the game,” he said.
“He can be really pleased with his performance today. We are, and hopefully he’ll get a lot of confidence from that.
“We may have to look at younger players – that’s another academy player, we’re hoping he can come in and stay in the side, because that augurs well, obviously.”
Image courtesy of Bolton Wanderers, via Youtube, with thanks
