Bolton manager Gary Megson expressed his delight at how Lee
Chung-yong is settling into English football his standout display
against West Ham.
Lee opened the scoring in Wanderers' 3-1 victory at the
Reebok Stadium, finishing off a move he had started in the 64th
minute by chipping the ball over Robert Green.
The South Korea winger then provided the cross for Gary
Cahill's bouncing effort 13 minutes from time which Green failed to
hold onto, allowing Ivan Klasnic to bundle home and put Bolton 2-1
ahead.
Lee, who also impressed in the first half against Manchester
City on Saturday, has now scored three times since his move from FC
Seoul in the summer and Megson believes the 21-year-old is starting
to get the recognition he deserves.
"He is getting stronger, his English is getting better and we
are absolutely delighted with how he has settled in," Megson said.
"He is getting very close to the other players - everybody
likes him. He has terrific qualities and he is starting now to get
a bit of recognition up and down the country. He is getting goals
and hopefully his confidence will come more and more and he will
become a really big player for us. For the risk he took and also we
took when we came together, we couldn't be more pleased."
Lee is one of several smaller players in the Bolton side at
the moment and Megson admitted that the team were having to
compensate for a lack of physical stature.
"People say if you're playing Bolton you are going to need a
big, strong, physical team," Megson said.
"Then out we trot Matt Taylor, Lee Chung-yong, Paul Robinson
- they are not 6ft 3in between them. "We are not a big, strong,
physical team. We are trying to alter things a little bit but we
don't have the finance to completely change over quickly enough.
"We are scoring more goals (though). I thought the first goal
was terrifically worked and brilliantly taken by Lee, and when you
have him in the team, he is going to give you a huge amount in
terms of quality and that finishing.
"He is really bright and has fantastic quality on the ball,
but he is not a great, big, strong player who can run all day."
One Wanderers player who does have height on his side is 6ft
2in defender Cahill, who rounded off the scoring two minutes from
time with a towering header for his fifth goal of the season.
Cahill's performances this season have caught the eye of England
boss Fabio Capello and Megson acknowledged that the centre-back was
developing into more of an all-rounder.
"He's a terrific player," said Megson. "One of the things we
had to say to him at half-time was that he needs to make sure he
doesn't try to do other people's jobs by charging into the middle
of the park or hurtling down the right wing.
"He is well capable of it, but we needed to keep our shape
and make sure we played from there. But he's a threat in the box,
not just with his head.
"You've seen him score with his left foot, you've seen him
score a half volley with his right foot and obviously the finish
from the corner was terrific."
