Tuesday night sees Neil Lennon bring his Bolton Wanderers team to the AESSEAL New York Stadium on the back of an impressive 0-0 draw against Liverpool at Anfield over the weekend. The Trotters currently sit in 16th place in the Sky Bet Championship but have been in good form since Neil Lennon took over in October. Here we take a closer look at the Millers opposition this weekend.
Recent form
Bolton’s form has been good recently, with their only defeat in their last 11 league games coming away at Huddersfield Town on the 28th December. Since that defeat the Trotters have enjoyed a fruitful January which has seen them draw at home to Leeds United and beat high flying Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough. Bolton have also progressed in the FA Cup this month, seeing off Wigan Athletic in the third round before forcing a replay with Liverpool after holding out for a 0-0 draw at Anfield. The Trotters form has been significantly improved since Neil Lennon took the managerial reigns in October, with Wanderers having lost just three times in 17 matches in all competitions.
Key players
Darren Pratley has enjoyed a great season so far in the heart of the Bolton midfield. The former Swansea City man has contributed five goals from midfield and since Lennon’s arrival he has become a mainstay in the team. His incredible work ethic and quality in possession has earned praise from the Bolton faithful and he is often the man to win the ball in midfield and set up Bolton attacks. Bolton will look to him to get them on the front foot at the AESSEAL New York Stadium.
Another mainstay in the Trotters starting 11 is defender and club captain Matt Mills. The centre back has played every league game so far this season and has been a big reason why the Trotters have kept six clean sheets in their last 10 fixtures, including an impressive one at Anfield last weekend.
The manager
Neil Lennon has overseen a remarkable turnaround at Bolton since he took charge in October. The former Celtic manager has only lost three games so far and has made Bolton a much more solid and well organised team. He has made the Trotters a difficult side to beat by adding experienced players such as Emile Heskey and Eidur Gudjohnsen.
He has taken the club from the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship into mid table. Lennon said upon his arrival at the Macron Stadium that he wanted to push for the play-offs. If he maintains their excellent form for the rest of the campaign, they may not be far off in May.
Previous meetings
The last time the clubs met earlier this season it was the Trotters who came out as winners, coming from 1-0 down at half time to claim a 3-2 victory. Anthony Wordsworth had given the Millers a half time lead, but Joe Mason scored a second half hat-trick to see off Rotherham, despite Jordan Bowery also getting on the score sheet. The Millers do have a positive overall record against Bolton however, winning 15 and drawing 13 of the 35 meetings between the two clubs.