Opinion: If Neil Lennon goes then Phil Gartside Should Follow

I will open this by saying that I don’t think Neil Lennon will leave.

We don’t have the money to sack him and bring in a replacement most likely and he will not resign as it will destroy his reputation, or what’s left of it at least. I also don’t want him to be sacked, yet at least.

But if it were to come to pass then the man who hired him, and every other Bolton Wanderers manager since Sam Allardyce, should follow him out of the door.

During my series entitled ‘Your Hired with Phil Gartside’ I concluded that his credibility as an appointer of managers hang in the balance and whether he could be said to be any good at it would rest on Lennon’s success at the football club.

As it stands right now if Lennon were to leave the club then his appointment could not be described as a success.

There was a time when it appeared that Lennon was a great appointment, and in fairness to Gartside I do not believe he could have brought in a better candidate.

But the harsh reality is that however good the candidate might be on paper it is Garside’s job to ensure that the candidate is right for the club. If Lennon leaves in the coming weeks or months then there can be no doubt that the conclusion must be that he was not right for the club.

The buck would have to stop with Gartside in relation to this. He is the man in charge and he must take ultimate responsibility.

On this occasion taking ultimate responsibility for me would mean him walking away and letting someone else come in and try and appoint a manager who will succeed at our beloved Bolton Wanderers.

If Neil Lennon goes, then so should Phil Gartside.