LEE: GIVE ME JUST A LITTLE MORE TIME
Sammy Lee is pleading for patience to prove he can step into Sam
Allardyce's shoes following Bolton's fourth defeat in five games
under his guidance. But 'Little Sam' admits he is well aware there
is only so much time in the Premier League where relegation can be
a financial disaster.
For the second time in four days, Lee - winner of just one point
last season after Allardyce's dramatic walk-out - saw his side
spurn an early lead and plunge to their third defeat of the new
campaign at Fratton Park. Portsmouth's Nigerian strikers Kanu and
John Utaka wiped out Nicolas Anelka's 12th-minute strike to give
Pompey the edge just before the half-hour and Matt Taylor clinched
the points with a late penalty when Kanu won a penalty following
new French defender Gerald Cid's naive challenge.
Lee said: "Obviously it is a disappointing start with three
straight defeats. But there is a long way to go and it is all about
staying positive and seeing the progress and development."
Liverpool legend Lee admits he has tried to inject more subtlety
into Bolton's traditionally muscular approach but his experiment of
playing skipper Kevin Nolan as a support striker behind Nicolas
Anelka did not work.
It was abandoned early in the second half when Nolan was taken off
and he curtly admitted: "I'm not happy. I don't know where I am
supposed to play." Lee admitted: "I've been accused of all kind of
things, to be honest. And when you have had three defeats it does
lend itself to all kind of things. "But it is all about time.
People need time to make changes. They are not radical changes but
it as all about basics. "I think we played some attractive football
and that is where I have seen progress, although it hasn't
manifested itself in results, but I come from a winning culture and
it is all about hard work and wanting to improve.
"Flak and a few jibes come with the territory, but just because I
am a novice manager people think I am new to the game. I have been
in football a long time, first as a player and then a coach, but
people seem to forget that. "I have worked under some very good
managers and feel I have learned an awful lot, but a certain amount
of patience is needed.
"Dealing with the flak comes in all kinds of scenarios. There have
been a couple of sleepless nights, for sure, but it is my job to
try to lift the players, and I don't like getting beaten. "You
can't buy experience. It comes with games, and that is why perhaps
I need people to be a bit patient."
In a patchy game the high quality of three goals flattered the rest
of the action, and Bolton were entitled to believe their
contribution was worth a point. But Portsmouth deserved enormous
credit for winning despite a makeshift defence and midfield as Sol
Campbell, Noe Pamarot, Nico Kranjcar, Lauren and Pedro Mendes were
all ruled out by injuries and new £7.2million record signing Sulley
Muntari was missing due to suspension.
Campbell, 32, will now miss his England comeback chance against
Germany on Wednesday because of a groin injury, with Redknapp
confirming the centre back will not even report to the
international camp.