Bolton players unlikely to be paid before Boxing Day game, says Neil Lennon
Saturday 19 December 2015 21:35, UK
Neil Lennon expects Bolton's players to remain unpaid before his side's Sky Bet Championship relegation scrap at Rotherham on Boxing Day.
But after watching a battling 2-2 draw against managerless Fulham at the Macron Stadium, Lennon is optimistic some wages will be received after the holiday period.
Zach Clough scored twice in 13 second-half minutes for bottom of the table Bolton after Luke Garbutt's first-half opener, only for Ross McCormack to add further gloom with a stunning 85th-minute equaliser.
"Trevor Birch says they will get paid on the 29th but I am not sure how much," said Lennon.
"The PFA (Professional Footballers' Association) will allegedly put in the rest. I think there is a meeting with the PFA and Trevor at the training ground on Monday and they will be able to substantiate that.
"We - me and the senior staff - have been told the same that we will get a percentage of our wages and hopefully it will be made up somewhere else along the line.
"But you can see what's happening isn't overly affecting them; especially in the second half. It's bound to eat away at them somewhere down the line because of the uncertainty but they haven't really touched upon it."
Lennon was full of praise for two-goal hero Clough but revealed his young striker, recently returned from a dislocated shoulder, nearly did not make the second period.
"We have missed his contribution," confirmed the Trotters chief. "He wasn't at his best today but still scored two goals.
"It will do him the word of good. He wasn't as bright as at Charlton on Tuesday, he was feeling his hamstrings tighten at half-time.
"But we wanted to give him as long as we could and he pops up with two great goals. That will give him a huge boost of confidence
"I cannot be over critical on that performance. We are scoring goals and looking a threat but we have got to stop the silliness at the back because we are giving away cheap goals."
Fulham coach Stuart Gray bemoaned his side's inability to kill-off Wanderers, especially in the first half, saying: "I can't believe I am only talking about taking one point.
"I said to the players at half time we haven't been clinical enough and we need to be more ruthless.
"Then same again second half. We had a great opportunity to make it 2-0 and suddenly it bites you and Bolton get back in the game
"When they go 2-1 up you are wondering if it is one of those games. And once again we are relying on Ross to hit a 'worldie'.
"With the amount of chances we created I should be talking about three points and a good away win.
"We created so many chances and I don't think I have been in a game where there have been so many one on ones with keeper. We missed the target on two occasions and hit the woodwork twice.
"I have been in the game long enough though to know if you don't convert your chances then it can comeback to haunt you.
"You know they are going to have a 10 minutes period in the game and that 10 minutes period was when they got their noses in front."
