Lennon – Forest Injuries Are No Excuse

Manager Neil Lennon has categorically said that Bolton cannot use our injury problems to hide the performance we put on in the Nottingham Forest defeat.

Demanding that the players simply do better following the four one defeat, where the hosts were comfortable winners despite us seeing both defender Tim Ream and goalkeeper Andrew Lonergan stretchered off the pitch, speaking to the Official Site Lennon said we couldn’t use that as an excuse as we were already two down by the time they were unfortunately injured.

‘We were very sloppy to start with and gave away some soft goals through individual mistakes. We then get a lifeline going into half time through the penalty. At that point you’re thinking we’ve got a real chance and that we’re back in the game. We knew we would have to be more aggressive, as we felt we were too passive in the first half. Then, at the start of the second half, we have a man sent off and that then makes life very difficult for you.’

Lennon goes on to say that when we lost Matt Mills, having already been forced into using two substitutes with the injuries he wanted to see how things went first before just throwing David Wheater on, but of course we shot ourselves in the foot again.

‘We wanted to see how things would settle down at the start of the second half. We then commit defensive suicide by giving away a couple more goals with the penalty and a short backpass. We only have ourselves to blame. Yes, we’re concerned with our injury list at this moment in time, but we can’t blame our recent run no that. The players who are here and playing at this moment in time have to do better – the current form is unacceptable.’

Lennon goes on to say that when he arrived through the door we were doing well, but lately we’ve slipped and instead of showing improvement we seem to be taking steps backwards again and that has to be turned around – especially the rate to which we are conceding goals because that is ‘alarming’.

‘We can work all week on the training ground, but we can’t legislate for individual errors costing us goals at the back.’

Giving an immediate brief update on the two players who left following the game, he says that Lonergan took a blow on the chest and also suffered some concussion so he’d been sent to hospital – but even if he’s fine concussion protocol now leaves him sidelined for a bit to ensure he’s fine.

Ream took a knock on his back, and again it was something that would have to be fully assessed this week.

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