Is Neil Lennon the man to save Bolton?

Neil Lennon has a huge job on his hands at Bolton

Neil Lennon has swooped into the Reebok Stadium but is he the right man to sort out the issues with Bolton Wanderers?

Former Celtic manager Neil Lennon took over at struggling Bolton on Monday morning.

The Northern Irishman's first managerial post in England promises to be a real challenge with the Trotters rooted to the bottom of the Championship table having won only once in eleven games.

Since leaving the Scottish champions, Lennon had been linked with many vacancies and arguably, he has landed the toughest gig of all at the Macron Stadium.

Worlds Apart

What Lennon left behind in Glasgow and what he will inherit in Lancashire are polar opposites.

At Celtic, a large fish in a pond even more restricted than normal due to Rangers continued absence, Lennon dined on success winning five trophies in four years in charge.

Participating in the Champions League allowed the young manager to enhance his reputation to a global audience.

Lennon achieved all that could realistically be expected during his time at Celtic.

The world he now enters will be unrecognisable. The Championship is a battle ground and every time he puts his team on the field, Bolton will have to go to war.

At Celtic, that simply was not the case.

Lennon proved in Glasgow he has the tactical awareness to gain positive results against superior opposition.

For now, that is the take at Bolton.

Short Term Goals

Goals are quite literally the first problem Lennon must address at Bolton.

A return of eight in their eleven league outings this season is the key contributing factor to their lowly position.

Bolton are currently five points from safety and Lennon will be targeting three points at fellow strugglers Birmingham on Saturday.

Lee Clark's side haven't managed to win any of their last five games at St Andrews and the game offers Bolton a chance to generate some momentum ahead of a busy spell.

With Charlton, Brentford and current league leaders Norwich all coming within a busy 13-day spell, Lennon faces a hectic start.

It is exactly the type of schedule that characterises the Championship and the sort of programme Lennon would likely have found hard to accept during his tenure at Parkhead.

The new Bolton boss will soon come to realise the scale of task he has accepted.

Lennon's strengths

Many of Lennon's managerial traits have been garnered from his long-time mentor Martin O'Neill.

The two combined to great effect as manager and player at both Leicester and Celtic.

To that end, Lennon appears something of a man-manager.

Team spirit and unity are key components in his managerial strategy. This was evident from his very first quotes as Bolton manager.

"The two most important facets of football are the supporters and the players," he told his opening media conference. "So to get both onside, we'll try and do that as quickly as possible."

Lennon is surrounding himself with familiar faces as trusted lieutenants Johan Mjallby and Garry Parker are on board in his backroom team.

What the trio brought to Celtic was an ability to motivate players and bring about improved performances.

Kris Commons was plucked from the Championship to become top scorer and Player of the Year in Scotland.

Striker Jermaine Beckford is a player Lennon will likely be focusing on in training this week.

He also managed to source untapped potential in the likes of Gary Hooper and Fraser Forster - both players excelling under his guidance.

Like O'Neill, Lennon's teams will be organised and direct and always aimed at achieving more as a unit than the sum of their parts suggests possible.

Bolton are gambling - there can be no doubt about that.

Their new manger's previous achievements in Scotland hold little sway in many quarters.

Just like some of the players Lennon has successfully coached, Bolton are hoping they have something of a rough diamond on their hands.