Bolton boss Neil Lennon says that the players should improve their fitness substantially if they are to retain their place in the squad for next season.

The club finished just outside the relegation spots in the 18th place in a very disappointing campaign. Lennon will be leading his players ahead of the final game against Birmingham. It has been highly speculated that his future at the club is under doubt following a disappointing end to the season. Bolton have managed only one win in the last two months. Yet, they have been able to survive as a result of the points taken in the first half of the campaign.

Lennon was appointed midway through the season and the former Celtic boss was hoping to make a huge impact at the club. After having been a serial winner with the Scottish club, Lennon would have been able to easily inspire the players. This, however, has not happened since Lennon has been struggling to get any form of consistency into the Bolton team. A 3-0 defeat against table leaders Bournemouth once again confirmed the decline. If the club are going to challenge for the title next season, it will take a lot of improvement in terms of the squad and its fitness levels according to the manager.

“We need to get stronger, we need to get fitter, we need to be more robust. I looked round the team at Bournemouth and some of them looked lightweight.They were heavy-legged and that shouldn’t be the case. Physically, we didn’t look as strong as Bournemouth and that needs to change.I’m not looking to fill the team up with heavyweights. But we do need some pace and power, and that’s been the case for a while,” said the Bolton manager ahead of the final game of the season.